Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is one of the many benefits that movement, physical activity and sport brings to our lives - when we move, we feel better. 

Moving, physical activity and sport helps lift our mood by releasing ‘feel-good’ endorphins, and supports our long-term mental health - decreasing the chances of depression and anxiety.

#BeeWell Data

#BeeWell is a programme that annually measures the wellbeing of young people and brings together a coalition of partners from across civil society to deliver meaningful, youth-centred actions as a result.

Co-created with 150 young people from its founding region, Greater Manchester, #BeeWell combines academic expertise with support from the education, voluntary and business sectors in order to make the wellbeing of young people everybody’s business.

Headline findings included:

• Girls reported lower levels of wellbeing than boys.
• There are sizeable inequalities for young people who identify as LGBTQ+, who on average report higher levels of stress and emotional difficulties.
• Only 1 in 3 young people reach the recommended levels of physical activity set by the Government’s Chief Medical Officer.

Recommendations from #BeeWell: 

1. Prioritise the promotion of physical activity among young people in Greater Manchester.
2. Make movement more appealing and accessible to all young people in Greater Manchester.
3. Celebrate the wellbeing benefits of physical activity.

Feel Good Your Way

In response to the #Beewell findings, GM Moving appointed We are Futures and Proper Active to lead on the development of a youth-led campaign on physical activity and mental wellbeing with partners to be utilised across Greater Manchester. 

Based on rigorous research, see insight summaries (right), Feel good your way is a campaign to encourage 11 to 16-year-old girls to move in whatever way they feel comfortable.

Feel good your way aims to challenge preconceptions of what exercise is and inspire girls to be more physically active to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

The campaign is designed to:

• Support Active Lives for all young people in an inclusive, accessible way, with a focus on mental wellbeing.
• Ensure that people and organisations across GM can use it in their work to support young people’s wellbeing.
• Give specific focus to 11-16 year-old girls.

Read our Delivery Guide here   Download the resources here (login required)

Headstart

We are proud to have part-fund the launch of the Headstart programme in Greater Manchester working in partnership with the EFL, GMICP, Bolton Council, Trafford Council and Wigan Council.

The four club community organisations (CCOs): Foundation 92, Latics Community, Bolton Wanderers in the Community, and Rochdale AFC Community Trust will deliver the programme across the next two years as a pilot phase for GM until 2025.

The mental wellbeing programme will support year 6 pupils with the transition from primary to secondary schools. The EFL CCOs will work in schools providing one-to-one or group support in either a classroom environment or deliver sessions such as yoga and mindfulness.