Residents in Alt will have the opportunity to access free mental health and wellbeing support this summer thanks to a new initiative led by First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO).
The housing association has partnered with local community organisation Calm Ahead CIC to deliver two Connect 5 sessions at Alt Community Centre, aimed at helping people better understand and support mental wellbeing.
The sessions, funded by local voluntary sector organisation Action Together, were developed in response to feedback from FCHO customers who said they wanted greater access to adult mental health support within their community.
The first session will take place on Monday, June 29, from 9.30am to 12 noon, followed by a second session on Monday, July 6, also from 9.30am to 12 noon. Both events will be held at Alt Community Centre on Cherry Avenue.
Connect 5 is designed to provide practical tools and techniques to help people improve their own emotional wellbeing while also equipping them to support friends, family members and neighbours who may be struggling.
Ghazalla Iqbal, Project and Partnerships Officer at FCHO, said: “Our customers in Alt were clear to us they wanted mental health support in their community and we’re delighted to be able to host these free sessions and work with Calm Ahead and Action Together to deliver them.
“They will equip people with practical skills to support emotional wellbeing and be an accessible guide to help people support others in everyday situations.”
Action Together Community Development Worker Jane Glaysher-White said the project would help build on the area’s community strengths.
Jane said: “There’s a strong untapped community spirit in Alt and by funding Connect 5 we hope to bring people together and strengthen early mental health support.”
Jenny Eastwood, Director at Calm Ahead CIC, said: “The Connect 5 sessions are about normalising conversations on mental health and we’re grateful to FCHO and Action Together who are enabling us to support the community of Alt, to reduce stigmas, remove barriers and to empower the community to support each other.”
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