RAF Brize Norton hosted a Health and Wellbeing event in the Station Gym and Community Centre today as part of Mental Health Awareness Week (9 May - 15 May 22).
With over 30 stands, a wide variety of companies and charities were displaying in and around the sports hall to promote the benefits and assistance they can offer to help our people. The stands were split in to two categories, Health & Wellbeing.
For health, the Physical Education Flight were leading from the front entrance with advice on diet, nutrition and exercise, including static bikes that powered food blenders for a well-earned healthy treat. Other stands included ‘InBody’, specialising in body composition analysers that are used to inspire and motivate people to lead a healthier life, ‘Healing Military Minds’ and ‘Tough Enough To Care’, focusing on combat stress and helping men feel comfortable talking about their emotions respectively and ‘White Cat Training’, a company that offers mental health and wellbeing training.
In support of wellbeing there was a plethora of familiar organisations such as RAF Benevolent Fund, SSAFA the Armed Forces Charity, Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) and HIVE along with BAME, LGBT and Station D&I Team being represented.
Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Mellor, Officer Commanding Specialist Training and event organiser, said,
“It was important to us that we were able to coincide this event with Mental Health Awareness Week to further increase the awareness of Mental Fitness. We are also excited this year to have some wellbeing presentations where we can actually begin some discussions and interaction with people who have lived experiences.”
Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Mellor
Officer Commanding Specialist Training
and Event Organiser
The wellbeing presentations that ran every hour in the Chaplaincy Centre kicked off with Tony Wilsher, founder of the campaign, now charity, ‘It’s Ok Not To Be Ok’ (#IOKN2BOK). Tony gave an inspiring testimony of how he suffered and overcame many of his mental health issues along with some top tips on how to help others do the same.
As announced by the Mental Health Foundation the theme for this week is ‘loneliness’ and its effect on our mental health and how we can all play a part in reducing loneliness in our communities. One of many ways to do this is through organised sport and there was a selection of sports clubs present from Karting, Cycling to Angling sharing their experiences and benefits of being part of a social group with a common interest.
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