Cramlington Town Council supporting Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

‘Reconnecting with nature’ is the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

This echoes the ethos of Cramlington Town Council’s Wildspaces Hub which was formed by their Youth and Community Team.

The positive influence of the natural world on our mental health is well known.

Being around nature, specifically trees, has been shown to reduce the levels of cortisol in our brains. This is otherwise known as the stress hormone and lowering it can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and stress. We are also more likely to leave our homes, go outside and exercise if there are lovely, welcoming trees and green spaces.

Through the Wildspaces Hub there are a variety of ways you can be involved with the natural environment in and around Cramlington.

The organisations in the hub are:

Cramlington Community Allotment which is run by Northern Butterflies who provide a space for people to enjoy art in the natural environment.

Bright Red Cancer Charity who are developing outdoor spaces for people to relax, reflect and reconnect.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust at Northumberlandia – a fantastic natural space on our doorstep.

Cramlington and District Red Squirrel Group, a voluntary group who work to conserve the native red squirrels in Cramlington and District.

Northumberland Communities Together was set up in response to the Coronavirus pandemic and coordinate resources to residents and organisations across Cramlington.

Friends of Doddington Woods is a newly formed group who joined forces to preserve and enhance this woodland in the centre of our town.

For further information on any of these groups contact Maggie Martin, Cramlington Town Council’s Community and Youth Manager.

If you are interested in forming a group to support the greenspaces in your neighbourhood Maggie would love to hear from you too!

Contact her by email:  maggie@cramlingtontowncouncil.co.uk or 01670707831