A popular Facebook group which aims to encourage positivity has joined forces with Tyneside and Northumberland Mind to launch a new campaign. The Smile for a Mile 1000 challenge encourages people to walk and join their miles together, to reach a collective 1000 mile target and raise money for the mental health charity. Throughout the month, they are holding themed walk days, such as ‘cute pet walk day’, and on April Fools’ Day, people walked wearing fancy dress and false moustaches. Karyn Thompson set up the Smile for a Mile Facebook group, encouraging people to walk for a mile and post photos of anything which made them smile.
Isolation, job losses, fear, and grief have all been contributors to worsening mental health for many people. According to research by charity Mind after the first national lockdown, more than two thirds of people with mental health problems who shared their experiences said their mental health got worse. Cygnus Support has offered counselling and coaching sessions for people living in Northumberland for over 35 years. Its main centre is based in Ashington, but also works from hubs across the county, including in Hexham. Although face-to-face support has had to stop for safety reasons during the pandemic, Cygnus is still able to provide sessions remotely via telephone and video conferencing.