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(News source: published on behalf of Surrey County Council)
A new online wellbeing hub has launched today [Monday 4 May] enabling Surrey residents to access a range of mental health and emotional wellbeing sessions virtually from the comfort of their own home.
Surrey Virtual Wellbeing is designed to become a one-stop-shop where those who require mental health or emotional wellbeing support can view, register and access online activities including virtual coffee mornings, group chat sessions and tailored exercise classes – all sessions that ordinarily would have been held face to face prior to the current lock-down measures.
The hub hosts a range of activities and support sessions from Surrey third sector organisations including Community Connections (Richmond Fellowship, Catalyst, Mary Frances Trust and their partners), Age UK Surrey and The Surrey Coalition of Disabled People. It is intended to sign up more organisations as the project progresses.
As a joint partnership between Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, Surrey County Council and Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the initiative is one of a number of measures being introduced to support the most vulnerable and sometimes socially isolated residents remain connected during COVID-19 isolation. The hub will continue to run post lock-down measures to continue supporting those requiring mental health or emotional wellbeing support.
Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council said: “Current isolation measures have created many challenges, including how residents continue to access support they often rely for matters such as their mental health. The online Hub will help bring a range of interactive sessions and workshops together in one place, enabling our residents to stay connected and look after their mental wellbeing.”
Professor Helen Rostill, Director of Mental Health at Surrey Heartlands and Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Therapies at Surrey and Borders Partnership, said: “I am delighted that Surrey’s health and care organisations have come together to develop this innovative response to the coronavirus crisis.
“In this first wave of the hub’s development, we’re connecting Surrey residents with emotional wellbeing support from third sector organisations in our area – and linking this with the wealth of wider information for vulnerable people and key workers already available on the Healthy Surrey website.
“Our next step is to explore how we can expand on this to include other mental health services such as talking therapies.”
Here people can view the range of classes and register their interest, and a member of the organisation running the session will get in touch to finalise details. People can self-refer, or be referred by someone else.
Those who are unable to access the online service, can access emotional wellbeing support through a free, 24 hour confidential helpline on 0808 802 5000 (in high demand periods an answerphone system may be in place) or by SMS Text 07537 432 411 (staffed Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm).