Sport and health experts will gather in the North East in October to consider how sport can contribute towards good mental health.
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) are hosting the region’s first ‘Building resilience and wellbeing through sport’ conference at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Thursday, 30 October.
The conference is being supported by the State of Mind programme which was established in 2011 with the aim of improving the mental health, wellbeing and working life of sports men and women.
An event at University of Central Lancashire earlier this year provided the template for tomorrows conference and State of Mind will be there with Adam Little unbeaten boxer and football legend ‘SuperMac’ Malcolm MacDonald among many others to pioneer the approach in the North East
Rod Bowles, Senior Clinical Nurse at NTW, said: “There are many reasons why regular physical activity is good for your body, including weight control, increased energy levels and reduced risk of developing health conditions and diseases.
“Physical activity is also extremely beneficial to your mental health. Research suggests that people who exercise regularly are less likely to suffer from depression, anger and stress. Positive changes to your body can lead to an increase in self-esteem and general improvement in your mood.
“October’s conference at the Stadium of Light seeks to harness the opportunities provided by sporting bodies and health and social care organisations working closely together to improve the health of local populations by sharing expertise and key lessons to build personal and community resilience.
“If you have an interest in health and wellbeing and networking with others to develop strategies to improve the mental fitness and wellbeing of your organisation then attending this conference is a must.”
If you have a professional interest in the subject and would like to attend this free event, please contact Fiona Kettle at NTW on 0191 213 0151 .