Is this the most important app for your phone?

We know that an active lifestyle is good for our mental wellness and that it plays an important role as a protective factor against different conditions.

Sport and physical activity can help us all manage or alleviate common symptoms of mental health struggles anxiety or depression, and our latest Active Lives survey both for adults and for young people proves that this is true for people of all ages.

That’s why as part of our long-term strategy - Uniting the Movement - Sport England, alongside a great group of organisations, is taking strides to champion the role that physical activity can play in supporting positive mental health, including the partnership with leading mental health charity Mind.

Among the many great things Mind do, it also plays a critical role across the sport and physical sector and proudly facilitates the established Mental Health Expert Group for Physical Activity.

This group, led by Mind and funded by us, includes different charities and organisations like Rethink Mental Illness, the Scottish Association of Mental Health, Sport in Mind, Mental Health Swims, Run Talk Run, Mental Health Football Wales and many more.

Closer to you than you may realise

But what is that app the title of this blog is referring to?

Last week the group, in collaboration with national mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, launched a set of new activities on Hub of Hope - a national mental health database that aims to bring all available help into one place for those who are struggling with their mental health.
 

Organisations on the Hub are presented using a series of filters, including their distance to the user and what condition, or conditions, a person is seeking help for.

Many can feel shame about struggling with their mental health. Hub of Hope wants to challenge that perception and empower those who are looking for help and ways to feel better.

From last week, the amazing list of different health, mental and support providers includes 200 physical activity organisations so that more people can use movement as a way to support their mental health in times of need.

People using the app will now be able to find support services through activities like walking groups, yoga, dance classes, football, walking football, mum and baby fitness, multisports etc. There really is something for everybody, but we want more!

So we encourage other organisations working in this space to list their services and promote Hub of Hope so that more people across the country can find the right support locally.

Looking ahead

It’s undeniable that the events from the last years - wars, the coronavirus pandemic or the increased cost of living ... - have really taken their toll on a lot of us.

But remember, joy can be found in big and small things like a dance, a conversation or being part of a group, and there are plenty of organisations up and down the country that can support us when things get too much.

Hub of Hope can help you find the right support and to move more to support your mental wellness.

It can help you feel better and that’s enough for it to be the most important app on your phone, or website for you to ever visit.