Welcome to the May edition of the Living Well newsletter.
In this issue we will be looking at lots of opportunities to be more active with Walk to School Week, new walking groups, e-bike hire and bike workshops where young people can get a free bike! There’s top tips for National Smile Week, info for becoming a Bikeability Instructor and lots more!
Our focus this month is on: Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme is: Moving more for our mental health.
Set your goals with Living Well
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Did you know you can use the Living Well website to set goals for your health and wellbeing? |
Evidence shows that if you set a specific goal to do something, you’re more likely to achieve it! When it comes to improving your health, taking one step at a time is a good idea and the ‘Goal Setting’ function in the Living Well website can really help you with this.
You can set as many goals as you like, keep track of what you’re doing and see all of your achievements.
Walk to School Week 20 – 24 May
 May is National Walking Month and we want to encourage as many children as possible to walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school and join in with this year’s Walk to School Week.
If you usually drive your children to school and can’t walk the whole journey, you can still join in by parking a little further away and maybe walking at least some of the way.
Being physically active can help children in lots of ways:
- Increasing levels of physical activity can improve the personal and social development of children.
- Regular physical activity has a positive impact on anxiety, depression and self-esteem in children.
- Walking helps to build strength in bones, muscles, hearts and lungs.
- Physical activity can improve sleep quality.
- Physical activity can help improve concentration, behaviour and attainment in school.
Watch our Walk to School Film here!
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Walking to school can help reduce harmful emissions and improve the quality of the air we breathe. |
Grow Well to Eat Well with Bradford Libraries
 Bradford Libraries have been embracing the chance to get outdoors and take part in our latest Living Well Campaign Grow Well to Eat Well.
Working with people in their local communities, staff and volunteers have been making use of their green spaces to grow their own produce.
As part of the campaign, libraries were provided with tools, compost, potato seeds, onion sets, herbs, fruit bushes and fruit trees to plant in their grounds with the assistance of local residents.
This initiative is to encourage more people to grow their own fruit and vegetables enabling them to have a healthier diet; plus the added bonus of getting people outdoors and doing some physical activity!
Photos are from Allerton Library (Café West), Burley Library and Eccleshill Library.
The Muslim Sports Awards
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These awards aim to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the Muslim community. |
From grassroots and community level, right through to professional sporting talent, and the people working hard behind the scenes.
Nominate amazing local people that you know or work with – this might be a Muslim sportsperson, team, or club. Nominations will be accepted for community or amateur level sports teams, clubs, or individuals, male or female, based in the UK with some awards recognising international stars and professional clubs.
The awards ceremony will take place at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium (Birmingham) on 1st October 2024. Nominations close on 30th June 2024.
Could you become a Bikeability Instructor?
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Bikeability instructors enjoy flexible working, time outdoors and the chance to inspire kids. |
Bikeability are looking to encourage more people to consider a career as a cycling instructor. Instructors normally work in schools from 8.30am – 3.30pm. Instructors are self-employed and paid a daily rate.
To become an instructor, you will need to be:
- A competent cyclist with experience of cycling in modern traffic conditions
- Able to communicate easily with children and adults
- Have a basic understanding of bicycle maintenance?
- Prepared to take part in a 4-day training course (Bursary available)
- Able to transport yourself across the district
Bike to the Future - Earn a FREE Bike Workshops!
 Choose a bike and learn how to fix, upgrade and customize it however you want and best of all, take it home with you at the end! Plus, get a free helmet, lights and a lock to go with it!
Upcycle MCF and Shipley Active Travel Hub are offering these free bike workshops for those aged 16-19 years:
Wednesday May 15th: 4.30 – 6.30pm & Wednesday June 12th: 4.30 – 6.30pm
Shipley Active Travel Hub, 5 Windsor Road Shipley BD18 3EU
Hire an E-bike for just £10 per month!
 Do you want to ride your way back into fitness, but struggle with the Yorkshire hills? Why not kickstart your journey with an e-bike trial subscription!
This is perfect for anyone that needs a helping hand and costs just £10 per month.
This subsidised E-Bike pilot is for six months to help you improve the environment, as well as your own health and wellbeing.
To qualify you need to be:
- Age 18+
- Living in Manningham/Girlington, Keighley central or Bradford Moor/Barkerend
Click the link to send an email with your contact details if you would like to find out more.
May is National Walking Month
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Why not join in with one of these new walking groups? |
Avicenna Medical Practice Walking Group
Wednesday at 1.30pm: 15th, 22nd & 29th May..
Meet outside the main entrance of Barkerend Health Centre, Barkerend Road, BD3 8QH
Thornbury Centre Walking Group
Wednesday at 4.30pm: 15th, 22nd & 29th May.
Meet outside the main entrance of Thornbury Centre, 79 Leeds Old Road, BD3 8JX
There’s no need to book just turn up and wear comfortable shoes or trainers.
If you have any questions or would like some more info please click here to send an email.
Find some great walks in parks near where you live, visit Bradford District Parks
If you would like to know more about the benefits of walking or how to get started if you have a mobility or health conditions that make walking more difficult, please click the button below.
National Smile Month: 13th May – 13th June
 As part of this year’s National Smile month, everyone is encouraged to have a great smile and keep teeth and gums healthy.
Top tips to keep your teeth and gums healthy:
- Brush teeth and gums at least twice a day with a toothbrush that has a small head, with medium textured bristles, or a rechargeable toothbrush.
- Use fluoride toothpaste designed to prevent gum disease and prevent plaque build-up.
- Clean in-between teeth daily using floss or interdental brushes as advised by a dental care professional.
- Sugar in food and drinks is the main cause of tooth decay, try to reduce the number of times you eat or drink these and don't have them at bedtime.
- Don’t add sugar to drinks/cereal, have 1 small glass of fruit juice a day, with a meal and drink milk and water between meals.
- Sweets, chocolates, dried fruit, cakes, biscuits, syrup, brown sugar and jaggery/gur are all high in sugar try to eat less of these.
- Eat fresh fruit, raw veg, breadsticks or a small amount of cheese for snacks.
- Don’t eat after brushing teeth at bedtime, if you’re thirsty, just drink tap water.
Safe Space
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Supporting people in Bradford City Centre every weekend, 9pm - 3am with a safe space to go if they need help. |
The van will be parked on Kirkgate, near to McDonalds, offering a free confidential clinical space, first aid, phone charging, hot drinks and water, naloxone, a safe place to wait for friends or a taxi home and support and guidance around alcohol and drug use.
Watch a film to find out more about Safe Space
This initiative is a partnership between Bradford at Night, New Vision Bradford, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Police.
For more info please click the button below to send an email.
NHS Healthy Start Scheme
 The NHS Healthy Start scheme helps young families on low incomes to buy healthy food and milk.
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have children under 4 years and receive certain benefits, you could be eligible for NHS Healthy Start.
You’ll receive a prepaid card to buy fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula. The card will be topped up with payments every four weeks and you can use it in most places that sell healthy food and accept Mastercard® payments.
You may also be able to get free Healthy Start vitamins if you’re pregnant or have young children.
Support for gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is diagnosed for the first-time during pregnancy. Like other types of diabetes, it affects how cells use sugar (glucose). It can cause high blood sugar that can affect a woman throughout pregnancy and could also affect the health of the baby.
The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme offers 13 friendly and supportive group-based sessions with a trained health coach. The sessions can be face-to-face at a local venue, on teams or via a digital app.
You can self-refer whilst pregnant to be ready to start the programme after your pregnancy. Women who develop gestational diabetes can also self-refer, please click the pink button below to find out more or call 0800 092 1191.
Healthier Together – Health advice for young people
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The Healthier Together website now includes a whole section on Health for Young People. |
There's lots of information on topics including acne, ADHD, body image, exam pressure, bullying and lots more. There are short films and animations with links to local support.
The website gives consistent, accurate and trustworthy healthcare advice to parents, carers and now young people and professionals.
The information on the website has been reviewed by GPs and clinicians and developed by young people in West Yorkshire.
Focus on: Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Week: 13th - 19th May
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re supporting the Mental Health Foundation to get everyone moving more for their mental health.
Everyone can get the mental health benefits of moving more, it’s all about finding what works for you.
Being active is important for our mental health. But many of us struggle to get enough exercise. There are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness Week we want to help people to find moments for movement in their daily routines. Going for a walk in your neighbourhood, putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room, chair exercises when you’re watching television – it all counts!
Join the 20 Minute Movement
Find out how to be active every day, you don’t need fancy trainers or a gym membership to join the 20 Minute Movement! Our website offers ideas to help you get started, top tips for success and short films to inspire you!
Activity Finder
Our activity finder makes it easier for everyone in Bradford district to find ways to be active with others – enter your postcode and use the filters to find something you enjoy near you!
Bradford Encouraging Exercise in People (BEEP)
BEEP is a free physical activity referral service that helps people who are inactive, to become more active, with a 52 week support programme. It’s great for people living with long term health conditions to increase their physical activity levels safely to improve their health.
Movement matters
Rethinking Pain are developing a series of Movement Matters videos for people who live with long-term pain, to support them to move more in ways that feel safe.
It’s natural to be hesitant when moving more if exercise has felt painful in the past or if you’re worried about doing more damage. But if you become more active gradually, it’s unlikely you’ll cause any damage or harm. The pain you feel when you start gentle exercise is because the muscles and joints are getting fitter.
It has been shown that for some people who exercise regularly, their experience of daily pain decreases and they can do more everyday tasks.
Find videos and lots of helpful guides in the link below.
Adolescence: Changing and mental health
Adolescence can be an uncertain stage of life, due to different physical, emotional and life changes.
Young people may find themselves in new environments and feeling complex emotions. This can be a demanding time for their mental wellbeing. During adolescence, there are many situations that are likely to cause them to be anxious, such as school, relationships and self-esteem which can have a significant effect on wellbeing.
Click the link below to read about Healthy Minds apprentice Ella Littlewood, and the changes she went through during adolescence and its impact on her mental health and wellbeing.
Healthy Minds: Mental health support
Find mental health information, advice and support in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven on the Healthy Minds website.
They offer information for parents, carers, young people and professionals. There are links to find urgent help for anyone in crisis and lots of films featuring people talking about their experiences on dealing with anxiety.
Community Events, Groups, Courses & Information
Courses at Horton Community Farm Cecil Avenue, BD7 3BW
The Mindfulness Garden
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A course for people aged around 50 and upwards and carers of any age. |
An 8 week course with breathwork meditation, nature connection, food growing and relaxing in nature. For people with an interest in mindfulness practice from beginners to those more experienced. The gardening activities suit a range of different abilities and energy levels. Shelter and hot drinks provided.
Taster session:
Thursday 9th May 2024, 1.30pm – 3.30pm.
8 Week Women Only Course:
25th April – 20th June 2024 on Thursday mornings 10am – 12.30pm (no session on 30th May)
8 Week Mixed Gender Course:
16th May – 11th July 2024 on Thursday afternoons 1:30pm – 3.30pm (no session on 30th May)
Growing Hope (for asylum seekers)
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A therapeutic 12 week programme of relaxing gardening and social sessions. |
If you need a space to relax, socialise and make new friends in the great outdoors then we might be the place for you! Shelter provided. Enjoy horticulture, gardening, free lunch and refreshments, cook and eat sessions, a campfire and being in nature. For those seeking sanctuary.
Friday mornings:
10.30am – 12:30pm and (afternoons) 1pm – 3pm
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