5 Ways to Wellbeing with Space4All
Friday 31 January is Great Mental Health Day in London. The aim of the day is to get talking about mental health and wellbeing, and to raise awareness of the local services available all year round.
There are five steps we can all take to boost our personal wellbeing and prevent mental health problems, especially during difficult times. We call them the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. They are:
- Connecting with others
- Keep learning
- Being active
- Taking notice
- Volunteering, or giving back to the community
This year, for Great Mental Health Day, we’re focusing on how young people in our borough can achieve the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. By attending Space4All youth sessions around the borough, 11 to 25 year olds can keep active, learn new skills, make friends and much more.
5 Ways to Wellbeing with Space4All
Connecting with others
Social connections with people around us can make us feel happier. Space4All is all about making connections, spending time with friends and having fun, and sessions are co-designed with young people. There's loads on offer, from multisport and basketball to podcast production, crafts, cooking, gaming, and music and video production.
These are safe spaces to meet new people and try out fun activities. Sessions are free and open to 11 to 25-year-olds, with special junior sessions for 8 to 12-year-olds. There are also sessions for LGBTQ+ youth with ELOP, and girls only sessions across the borough.
Keep learning
Join the Youth Design Club, every Monday and Wednesday at The Cotch where you can learn marketing, website design, clothing design and more. There’s also a chance to get involved in mentoring or podcast production and even get support with CV writing and job searching.
A Youth Study Club is held each Wednesday at Walthamstow Library.
Being active
Every Friday at the SCORE Centre in Leyton, you can get moving at the indoor youth sessions. Girls only sessions are held every Wednesday. There’s everything from football and basketball to table tennis and a pool table.
There’s lots more sports and activities on offer at Space4All sessions across the borough:
- Paradox Centre, every Monday
- Walthamstow Family Hub, every Tuesday
- YMCA, every Wednesday
- Seddon Centre, every Thursday
- Feel Good Too, every Friday
Taking notice
All Space4All sessions have a focus on maintaining good wellbeing. There’s chill space at most locations, and lots of sessions offer games, cooking and other creative activities.
If you are interested in podcasting, creative writing, or other creative activities, visit the Creative Engagement Services sessions on Wednesdays in Wood Street and Chingford, and Thursdays in Leyton.
Volunteering or giving back to the community
Looking to gain experience and confidence? Volunteering or getting involved in community projects can be very rewarding. It could even lead to a career in youth work! Each year, 20 to 25 young people join Space4All partner Project Zero’s Youth Champion peer mentoring programme. Some then go on to become Mental Health Ambassadors in local schools. Ten past volunteers from the Kick-Start Programme were even hired as youth workers - proof that giving back can open doors!
Further mental health support
For further mental health support, there are confidential services available.
Kooth
Kooth provides free online mental health and wellbeing support to young people in Waltham Forest aged 11-25 years old. Young people can register anonymously and access online counselling 365 days a year, digital magazines, wellbeing activities, and connect with other young people. Professional counsellors are also available for one-to-one chat sessions from 12 noon until 10pm on weekdays and 6pm until 10pm on weekends.
Good Thinking
Good Thinking is a digital service that can help you look after your mental health and wellbeing in a way that works for you. It can help tackle anxiety, stress, low mood sleep problems and other concerns.