Let’s talk Mental Health and Wellbeing…

We’re joining the conversation this Mental Health Awareness Week (12th-18th May 2025)!

Thursday 24th April

It’s estimated that 1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health issue at some point in their life. That’s a lot of people, right? Which is exactly why conversations around mental health matter, and why we’re joining the conversation this Mental Health Awareness Week (12th-18th May 2025).

Mental Health Awareness Week is all about raising awareness of mental health and promoting mental wellbeing for all, because we all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. The week also provides an opportunity to spotlight mental health, encourage open conversations, reduce stigma, and promote wellbeing. Each year, the week has a theme, and this year’s is Community.

Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for mental health and wellbeing. It gives us a sense of belonging and helps us feel like we’re not alone, especially in tough times. Communities can not only provide a sense of belonging but also can give us a sense of purpose.

At Courtside, we know how important community can be, which is why we’re dedicated to promoting community through the transformation of local parks. Our journey to reconnect communities through parks began in 2020, when Covid exposed health inequalities to us all. In the first year of the pandemic, the World Health Organisation reported that global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. Moreover, the University of Oxford also found that young people’s mental health deteriorated during COVID-19, with higher levels of depression and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties than before the pandemic hit.

The pandemic also highlighted that a high percentage of the population are not physically active. The World Health Organisation recommend adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both. It’s reported that 36% of adults do not meet the physical activity recommendations with over a third of adults in the UK finding it challenging to find the time to exercise. Time is just one of the many barriers we face when trying to get physically active. Cost, confidence and struggling to find inclusive spaces are also other factors that mental health charity Mind cite as being barriers to exercise, and 19% of people say they would exercise more if they had the facilities locally to do so.

So, in 2021, Courtside was born out of a desire to reduce barriers to physical activity. We know that physical activity can be incredibly beneficial to our mental health and wellbeing, with studies suggesting that regular physical activity can reduce your risk of depression by up to 30%. Other benefits of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing include increased self-esteem, reduced stress and improved quality of life.

Physical activity also helps foster and build communities. This is something we’ve seen in our group tennis coaching sessions, with players sharing that “it brings a sense of community to the courts having familiar faces turn up each week”. This especially true of our free ‘Sport in Mind’ partner sessions at our Bury Knowle hub in Oxford. The sessions partner with Sport in Mind, the leading mental health and sports charity in England and Wales, who have the mission of transforming the nation’s mental health through sport. We’re currently looking at ways we can bring this session to more areas and are always on the look out for other ways we can foster and support communities coming together to exercise and socialise in a safe space.

We know that reaching out for support during though times can be hard, but if you are struggling, you may find the below resources helpful:

Mind’s guide on how to cope if you’re in a crisis.

Free listening services

These services offer confidential support from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text "YM" if you're under 19

If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

These services will only share your information if they are very worried about you or think you are in immediate danger.

References

Mental Health Foundation (2023). Mental Health Awareness Week. [online] www.mentalhealth.org.uk. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].

Mental Health Foundation. (2024). Moving more is good for our mental health, so what’s stopping us? [online] Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/movement/movement-research [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].

Mental Health UK. (n.d.). Mental Health Awareness Week 2021. [online] Available at: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/get-involved/mental-health-awareness-days/mental-health-awareness-week/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].

MIND (2020). Mental health facts and statistics. [online] Mind.org.uk. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-facts-and-statistics/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].

University of Oxford (2023). Young people’s mental health deteriorated at greater rate during the pandemic | University of Oxford. [online] www.ox.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-09-21-young-people-s-mental-health-deteriorated-greater-rate-during-pandemic [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].

World Health Organization (2022). COVID-19 Pandemic Triggers 25% Increase in Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Worldwide. [online] World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide [Accessed 12 Apr. 2025].