Tendring Community Assets Full Final Report

31 7.2.6 There is scope for organisation’s supporting and empowering people with mental health problems to work more closely together to provide a more holistic approach avoid people having to repeat their story and helping people to move on when they are ready. 7.3 Volunteering 7.3.1 The organisations and activities reflected in this report and the accompanying directory indicate the huge impact that volunteering has on the wellbeing of individuals and communities. There is evidence that helping others is good for mental health and wellbeing, reduces stress, encourages self-worth and can improve both physical and emotional fitness. For many people with mental health challenges, volunteering can be a step back into training and employment, building confidence while supporting others. 33 It gives a sense of belonging and reduces isolation. 7.3.2 By raising awareness of mental health and understanding mental health first aid, more organisations may be encouraged to recruit and support people as part of their recovery journey. Many organisations do this already but there is a role for coordinating organisations, such as CVST, to continue to promote this and support community and voluntary groups. Young people should be encouraged to volunteer as well, Teen talk, Harwich has a range of volunteering opportunities for young people and young adults which can help to build sense of purpose, self worth and inclusion, while challenging some of the stereotypes of youth. 8 NUTRITION AND HEALTHY LIVING 8.1 Physical Activities 8.1.1 Adults of all ages in Tendring spend less time undertaking physical activities than others in Essex or England as a whole, with a Tendring indicator of the number of physically active adults at 62.6 against an Essex and England average of 66. As explored above, there are many exercise and fitness groups operating in Tendring, including low cost gym and swimming facilities in TDC operated leisure centres across the district. Many village halls and community centres run Yoga and Pilates, keep fit and a variety of sports activities and clubs. There are a number of regular walking groups, many of which use the coastal paths and seafront to maximise use of Tendring's natural assets. The groups and activities appear well used but clearly there are many people who do not access them regularly. 8.1.2 This is accompanied by high numbers of adults carrying excess weight (67.5 in Tendring vs. 61.3 England average) and a higher than average smoking prevalence (16.7 vs. 14.9) which builds a picture of worrying health risks across the adult population. 8.1.3 Essex won a bid with Sport England to be one of twelve national pilot sites to look at innovative ways of reducing inactivity. Active Essex’s winning bid in Tendring is looking at whole system change to increase activity, with a particular focus on individuals with poor mental health, older people and families with young children within areas of high deprivation. Active Essex recognises that previous attempts to increase activity have focused on exercise referral schemes, reduced prices at the gym, swimming vouchers etc, but this has met with limited success as within Tendring we have the highest prevalence of physical inactivity within Essex (33%) and significantly poorer health outcomes. A key aim of this pilot will be to co-produce hyper-local solutions for sustainably, increasing activity within our communities. Active Essex have carried out research with the University of Essex to understand local barriers to activity and are now moving into the consult ation phase where they will be engaging with both local organisations and the target communities. Identifying 33 Doing good does you good: a pocket guide to helping others, Mental Health Foundation