Green Sefton

As National Mental Health Awareness Week comes to a close this weekend, the Council’s Green Sefton service is calling on people across Sefton to consider volunteering at an outdoor space in their community.

Volunteers make a hugely valuable contribution to the management of Sefton’s beautiful coast and countryside. Volunteering can also be a great way for people to socialise with other likeminded people. And there are many mental health benefits to being around nature.

Evidence suggests there are five steps, recognised by the NHS and mental health charity Mind, that can improve mental health and wellbeing. These steps are – connecting with other people, being physically active, learning new skills, giving to others and paying attention to the present moment. All of them are closely linked with volunteering and influence how community opportunities are shaped to promote positive mental health.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Our volunteers are a fantastic asset to Sefton’s communities.

“Not only do they play a vital role in supporting the Council in the upkeep of our green spaces and 22-mile coastline, they also reap the benefits of being outdoors and connecting with nature.”

Mark Shaw, Green Sefton Service Manager, said: “It’s been a difficult 12 months where we haven’t been able to run as many collaborative volunteer opportunities as we would like to have done, but as the roadmap eases, we can’t wait to resume a full calendar of activities.”

Regular volunteers get involved in every aspect of Green Sefton and its partners’ work. These include practical tasks such as helping collect litter, talking to visitors, leading guided walks and monitoring wildlife or just being an extra set of ‘eyes and ears’ while out walking the dog.

Suzanne McCumiskey, Community Engagement Officer with Green Sefton, said: “We’ve got an exciting couple of months ahead of us as we’ll be taking part in the Great British Spring Clean, led by the charity Keep Britain Tidy, which also coincides with this year’s Volunteers’ Week. These are fantastic opportunities for anyone who wants to take up volunteering, to help give back to our beautiful parks and stunning coastline.”

Green Sefton is always looking to improve its volunteering opportunities, and as restrictions ease further next week allowing larger groups to gather outdoors, there will be an opportunity that’s right for everyone across the Borough.

Those who register an interest in becoming a volunteer will join a network where upcoming opportunities will be shared with them. Activities are arranged during both weekdays and weekends so that everyone has a chance to take part if they wish.

To find out more, people can contact the Green Sefton team directly by email at greensefton@sefton.gov.uk.

To help celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, Sefton Council’s Green Sefton service will be running a series of short walks along the coast to celebrate the nature that lies on our doorstep.

This year’s awareness week runs from Monday 10^th to Sunday 16^th May and celebrates the theme of nature, something which Sefton is lucky to have in abundance across the entire Borough.

The Mental Health Foundation’s research on the impact of the pandemic found that going for walks was one of the nation’s top coping strategies. Around 45% of people agreed that spending time in green spaces was vital for their mental health.

Wider studies also found that during lockdowns, people not only spent more time in nature but were noticing it more.

Green Sefton Engagement Officer, John Dempsey, who will lead the walks said: “It is important to remember that while nature has been so beneficial to so many of us over the last year, we must also treat it with respect, and never more so than along Sefton’s special coastline and in our beautiful parks and green spaces.

“In my role with Green Sefton I spend a lot of my time at the coast and in our parks, engaging with people of all ages and from a range of backgrounds, sharing just how vital the nature around us is.

“I’m incredibly lucky to be able to spend so much time in Sefton’s outdoor spaces and can truly say that the mental health benefits are fantastic – as would many of our volunteer groups who feel just as passionately as us about looking after these precious spaces.”

To comply with existing Covid-19 restrictions and precautions, a maximum of five guests will be able to join the free walks, and social distancing will be observed. The walks will take place on:

• Tuesday 11^th May – 10am Crosby
• Wednesday 12^th May – 10am Birkdale
• Thursday 13^th May – 10am Hightown
• Friday 14^th May – 10am Ainsdale

Each walk will last approximately 90 minutes and participants will need sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing. To book a place, people need to email john.dempsey@sefton.gov.uk and full details will be supplied with successful bookings.

John added: “While it will be a case of first-come, first-served, until restrictions are further relaxed, don’t worry if you’re unable to join a walk on this occasion as more walks for greater numbers will be organised soon as restrictions are lifted further.”

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “From our stunning dunes to our leafy parks, Sefton is a Borough bursting with nature. During this past year we’ve seen more people than ever spending time at these amazing spaces, reflecting on these challenging times but finding comfort from a connection with nature.   

“I know that for many of our residents, daily walks have kept them going and many have found beautiful places right on their doorstep that they hadn’t realised were so close to home.

“Spending time outdoors has been shown to really promote good mental health and I’m delighted that we can offer some guided walks this week. While places are currently limited, we hope to offer more walks in the future.

“I would encourage everyone to take a moment this week whether it’s listening to birdsong from your window or walking with a friend down your street to appreciate nature and talk about your mental health.”

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week, please visit: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

For more about Green Sefton, please visit: www.sefton.gov.uk/around-sefton/green-sefton/