Invitation to get involved in Get Moving week     4 - 12 October 2008

It’s been proven! Physical activity can boost mental wellbeing by lifting your mood, reducing tension and stress and giving you more energy.

What’s happening during ‘Get Moving’ week?

Get Moving, is a week of mass-participation activity, where people all over England will Get Moving to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. This is the first year of a four-year project called Moving People, which aims to bring people together to build awareness, challenge attitudes and tackle mental health discrimination.

Groups and individuals all over England will organise activity; anything from a walk, to a football match, or a morning of gardening. In all events there should be an effort to encourage people with and without experience of mental distress to come together, which we can support you to arrange.

As well as different activities happening across England there will be a walking event in central London. This year, as the pilot year, we hope we can map routes across the UK to end with a group walk in a central London park on Friday 10 October to tie in with World Mental Health Day – walk a mile for mental health.

What support is there?

When you register an event for Get Moving, organisers will be supplied with promotional materials, including posters and postcards, support on how to achieve local PR and will be able to promote events on our website. We can help you link with mental health organisations in your area and help to think about ways to help your event bring people with and with out experience of distress together.

Participants of all events will receive a wellbeing pack, with loads of tips on how to stay active and motivated. As part of this people will be encouraged to pledge to stay active over the next year where they will have access to online information, news, and support.

How can our organisation get involved?

1. Organise your own event and register it as Get Moving. It could be something which is already happening.
2. Why not join an event already being organised – in the coming weeks you can see the events online.
3. Participate in the mass-walking event on 10 October in a central London park. If you are doing your own walking event why not make the last mile of your route end in the park?

What’s in it for your organisation?

• You will be involved at the beginning of the groundbreaking project that is a world first. As such a fantastic amount of press coverage will be generated, increasing the profile of your organisation. 
• Celebrity endorsement and participation in the events will aid to increase the Get Moving profile.
• You will be a flagship event partner and will be promoted on our website. 
• We will support you and provide resources such as promotional material for example posters, flyers and pledge cards.

For more information and a registration form please click here.

We hope you are as excited about Get Moving as we are.

Please contact Sally Reichardt for more information on how to get involved or to discuss an event you would like to organise.  

Email: getmoving@mind.org.uk
Tel: 020 8215 2323