Come and show your Spirit in Barnsley
Shaw Lane Community Sports Association (CSA), in partnership with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, is inviting people in Barnsley to join Spirit and take part in health related activities which stretch the mind as well as the body.
Spirit offers activities for people of all ages throughout Barnsley including postural stability and falls prevention, chair based exercise and movement to music. The sessions are open to all, including people with learning disabilities, older people, people recovering from mental ill health, people recovering from stroke/ cardiovascular conditions and people at risk of falls.
The activity classes have been running successfully for some time and are well established in the community. Spirit sessions also include non-physical activity such as drama, art and entertainment as well as some social time, to help boost the wellbeing of participants and encourage social inclusion.
Activities take place on the following days:
• Monday 9.30am-11.30am, Birdwell Methodist Church Hall, S70 5XB
• Tuesday 10am-12pm, King Street Centre, S70 1JU
• Wednesday 12.30-1.30pm, Worsbrough Common ICT Centre, S70 4ND and 2- 3.30pm, Rose Tree Centre, Cudworth, S72 8UA
• Friday 2.30-3.30pm, Silkstone Common Methodist Church, S75 4PA
Spirit is co-ordinated by Shaw Lane CSA and is delivered by partners, Healthy Bones, a local physical activity and wellbeing organisation, together with local people and members of the group who have specialist knowledge and skills to share.
Spirit founder Bronia Warden, who works at Healthy Bones, said “At the same time as boosting the physical wellbeing of participants, Spirit sessions are great for increasing social inclusion which helps reduce social isolation and loneliness. The project has proved so incredibly successful that we are considering extending it and are actively seeking funding partners.
Attendance is increasing each week and positive feedback is in abundance. It is hoped future activities will include adult learning, arts and crafts, pilates and relaxation as well as drama groups, singing and dancing.”
To ensure the sustainability of the group and to help increase self-worth of participants, Spirit aims to involve as many volunteers as possible. It is hoped over time the sessions will eventually be led by group volunteers.
Spirit is coordinated by Shaw Lane CSA, which is a creative partner of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and as a result is part of a growing infrastructure of community organisations who are working with the Trust to provide creative projects to local people. As part of Creative Minds the Trust aims to support voluntary and community organisations, like Shaw Lane, to deliver a variety of creative projects to help improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
The use of creative activities in healthcare has been shown to increase self-esteem, provide a sense of purpose, develop social skills, help community integration and improve individuals’ quality of life.
For more information about Spirit sessions contact Bronia Warden 07895 380615 or visit http://www.healthy-bones.co.uk to see a timetable of activities.
More information about Creative Minds can be found at www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/creativeminds