Sport in Mind is an award winning mental health charity that aims to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. It has partnered with Cygnet Hospital Woking, a state of the art inpatient mental health service run by Cygnet Health Care, to offer weekly yoga sessions to its service users.
The charity delivers physical activity projects in partnership with the NHS in order to aid recovery, promote mental wellbeing, improve physical health, combat social isolation and empower people to move their lives forward in a positive direction.
Neil Harris, CEO of Sport in Mind, said the charity is proud to be working with Cygnet Health Care and its service users, to deliver weekly yoga sessions at the hospital on Redding Way, Knaphill.
He said: “Physical activity is a strong but simple tool to help with the management and recovery from mental health problems, alongside a whole range of other benefits. As such, it is a pleasure to be able to work in partnership with Cygnet to provide patients free access to physical activity in a safe, supportive environment to help improve their mental health.
“Furthermore, Sport in Mind provides community sport and physical activity sessions locally so that patients are able to continue to engage in physical activity after discharged.
“Working with Cygnet on this ground-breaking programme in Woking has been highly beneficial for the patients we have seen and we are excited to be working together to support more patients in Kent going forward.”
Cygnet Hospital Woking is a 62 bed mental health facility for adults which offers specialist mental health services including a psychiatric intensive care unit, acute services and low secure units.
Hospital Manager Carla Roadnight said: “It is wonderful to have partnered with Sport in Mind and to be able to witness the transformative power of sport and exercise in both rehabilitation and recovery. Keeping physically fit has an incredibly powerful knock on effect on our mental health and it is so important for our service users to stay active.
“Not only does the exercise boost mental and physical wellbeing, but working alongside others also helps to form camaraderie and friendships, especially for those who find social situations challenging. There’s a real sense of team spirit during the yoga sessions.
“No matter your disability or illness, sport is accessible to all and having fitness goals and aspirations, no matter how big or small, helps you rediscover your motivation and gives you a renewed sense of focus and purpose.”
Sport in Mind will soon be launching the yoga sessions at another Cygnet Health Care-run service, Cygnet Hospital Maidstone, which offers mental health services including a personality disorder service and a high dependency rehabilitation unit.