- Wednesday 16th May: De-Stress Day
- Saturday 26th May: Break The Stigma Open Day
The Higgins Bedford will be working to raise awareness and help people talk about their mental health with two free events during May 2018.
On Wednesday 16th May, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, people are invited to unwind and de-stress at The Higgins Bedford. Just visiting the museum can help you to feel less stressed. There will be a number of relaxing activities to enjoy including drawing and sketching in the galleries, colouring mandalas and handling museum artefacts. It is a free event and runs from 11am – 3pm.
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 14th – 20th May 2018, and the theme this year is Stress. Research has shown that two-thirds of people experience a mental health problem in their lifetimes, and stress is a key factor in this. Tackling stress can help to tackle other mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
On 26th May 2018 The Higgins Bedford will host a Break The Stigma Open Day. The day will run from 11 am – 4 pm and will include open-mic live music and poetry, poetry workshops, art workshops, yoga, table-tennis and information stalls offering advice on wellbeing
The event is part of a series of collaborations between Break The Stigma, a local campaign led by Ben Salmons from East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) to encourage everyone to be more open about their mental health, and The Higgins Bedford. The museum also hosts a display of artwork, creative writing and poetry produced during a series of workshops in 2017 and hosts free art workshops on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Cllr Louise Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Public Health said “This fantastic collaboration between The Higgins Bedford and East London NHS Foundation Trust (EFLT) has the shared aim of tackling the stigma people may experience around mental health. These two free events are a great initiative to raise awareness and really encourage people to talk about their feelings and reach out when help is needed.”
Cllr Sarah-Jayne Holland, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said: “The Higgins Bedford is developing its role as a place of well-being by hosting mindful table tennis and mindful wellbeing walk organised by the Council’s Sports Development team and ELFT. These sessions have a real positive impact and give people confidence to go out and be active.”
