Cantley has become a Mindful Village after 8 local people undertook training held by Broadland District Council.
The free training session provided mental health awareness and education and gave participants the skills and resources they need to support people suffering with mental health issues.
On 29 January, Deputy Leader Cllr Natasha Harpley and Cabinet Member and ward member for Cantley, Cllr Jan Davis, visited to congratulate the village’s new certified Wellbeing Champions.
Cllr Harpley, said: “According to the charity Mind, one in four people will experience mental health issues in England this year, so the more people we can train to support them, the better. Having wellbeing champions in the community means that people can get help immediately, with no wait to see a doctor or for a referral, this could make a huge difference to our residents’ wellbeing.”
The scheme, which is already up and running in Brundall and Aylsham, also challenges the associated stigma around the illness, with Wellbeing Champions encouraged to have open conversations about mental health in the community.
Stephen Heard, Trustee and Deputy Chair of Cantley Village Hall, said: “We are delighted to become a designated Mindful Village here in Cantley as we recognise the need to be an all embracing community willing to help each other when things are not going as well as they normally do. There is no stigma to say you need help and we now have a pool of local residents who are there to help so please ask.
“The Trustees of the Village Hall and the Parish Councillors see this as the first step in bringing physical and mental health services into our community as part of the NHS place delivery of services which we will expand on when our new village hall is built.”
The Council works with the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust’s Wellbeing Service and workplace health provider Thriving Workplaces to train Wellbeing Champions, with funding from the South Norfolk and Broadland Health and Wellbeing Partnership.
The Council’s Help Hub is supporting all Wellbeing Champions and has a Mental Health Support Worker to talk through residents’ concerns and provide advice on next steps, and the different services available. Professional support will also be provided by Evolve for any referrals by Wellbeing Champions for more complex cases.
Community groups, businesses or organisations can find out more about becoming Wellbeing Champions by visiting our mindful towns page. All groups will receive branding that shows they have Wellbeing Champions in recognition of their commitment and training. For more information visit www.southnorfolkandbroadland.
