Over the past year, our team at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with County Durham Sport and Tees Valley Sport, has been hard at work to help improve the mental health of our community through the power of physical activity.
Launched in July 2023, our PAS provides free physical activities to hundreds of patients in County Durham and Darlington while they await treatment. From walking, running, gardening to dance, our scheme offers a variety of activities both online and in person.
Dominic Mossa, our Senior High Intensity Therapist, couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished over the past 12 months. “We’re grateful to our partners County Durham Sport and Tees Valley Sport for supporting us with this work.”
Highlights of our achievements include providing patients with automated access to the NHS Online Fitness Studio and building a team of almost 40 PAS champions across the service from various forms of therapy.
Our PAS has not just benefited patients, but also our clinicians, who have had access to ‘Physical Activity Clinical Champion’ training via Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. This has increased our staff’s confidence and competence when treating patients.
As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness week, let’s continue to use physical activity as a powerful tool to boost our mental wellbeing and overall health. After all, movement is not just good for the body, but also for the mind!
