At the start of Get Moving Week, OBMH hosted one of our regular Health and Wellbeing Events in the market town of Faringdon. Over 120 visitors came to the event and guests had the opportunity to pick up information from 22 Health and Social Care organisations.

Our ‘Get Moving’ event, held in Ayelsbury College was also well attended by professionals, students and college staff. It was particularly well attended by the Health and Social Care students who said that they “wished they had the opportunity to attend more events like this”.

As well as complimentary giveaways at both of these events, there was the opportunity to have comprehensive follow up health checks, personal trainers on hand to give tips on health and fitness and an array of information available, including information on local walking and cycling groups and a selection of Time to Change and Change 4 Life merchandise.

A sponsored stair climb saw staff and visitors climb the height of Mount Olympus on Thursday 8th October, on the way OBMH also climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower and The Grand Canyon.

Coasters, a small informal association within our Trust that supports people who are recovering from mental health problems through promoting physical activities, were also busy this week. Coasters came home victorious claiming the winning title for a second year running at the Lords cricket Tournament.  They also entered a football team into the BOBI (Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Inclusive) football league and ran a football tournament, which was well attended, at the Warneford on Friday 9th October.

To mark World Mental Health Day members of the Young Peoples Panel and Article 12 setup a stand in Banbury shopping centre. The stand helped to raise awareness of mental health and OBMH were able to gather feedback about people’s perceptions of mental health. Written, recorded and filmed feedback will be used to make a short film about the attitudes and assumptions that surround mental health.

OBMH fully supports the work that Time to Change are doing and believes that all of these events will help to raise the profile of mental health, whilst reducing the stigma and discrimination that often surrounds it.