Charity's wellness sessions take to the road

A charity is taking support services on the road with its "wheels of wellness" van ahead of the opening of a permanent site.

The iCan organisation offers help on a range of fitness and wellbeing issues and is set to join a number of partner groups based in a former bank in Whitehaven town centre to be known as Hope Haven.

Ahead of its opening later this year, some activities have gone mobile in an attempt to help "hard-to-reach" areas and people.

Community engagement co-ordinator Phil Stout said it had already proved successful.

A number of sessions have been held in Gosforth over recent weeks with further ones to come elsewhere in Copeland including Seascale, Calder Bridge and Lamplugh.

"It's all about getting out into the community and speaking to people, especially in hard-to-reach places," Mr Stout said.

"We've done research around transport links and lack of mobility has been an issue because some people don't have buses or trains nearby or their own cars.

"We call the van the 'wheels of wellness' and it's very visual. It catches people's attention and they come and ask what we're doing."

The sessions, so far staged within a village hall, have included activities such as mini-trampolining, chair-based activities and walking football.

Many of the participants were women aged between 60 and 80, who Mr Stout said were keen to play football "because they hadn't been allowed to years ago at school".

Six drop-in sessions focusing on mental health are also being held at Whitehaven's Senhouse Centre this month and next ahead of the opening of the Hope Haven hub on King Street.

Operating daily, a number of groups will offer mental health services along with help on housing, money worries and addiction.

Among them is Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

David Storm, its associate director for access and community services, said: "This is just the very start of the wellbeing support we'll be starting to offer, not only in Whitehaven but around the whole Copeland area.

"People will start to see us popping up in more places over the next few months.

"Look out for our distinctive green and purple Hope Haven birds, based on the wonderful guillemots at St Bees Head."