#B2022 legacy on mental health awareness: Better Health campaign

Everyone can benefit from taking simple steps to look after their mental health and wellbeing, but people don’t always understand the positive link with physical activity.

As part of the Physical Activity & Wellbeing legacy ambition for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which aims to ‘accelerate awareness and understanding of mental health and wellbeing issues’, DHSC is asking partners to support a Commonwealth Games-inspired campaign to encourage the population to get active as a means of improving their mental wellbeing (as well as their physical health).

The Better Health – Let’s do this campaign has been launched on the Campaign Resource Centre and shares hints and tips on how staying active can help your mental health. The aim is to motivate and inspire people to try something new, taking advantage of the Commonwealth Games as a potential moment to improve health and wellbeing.

If you are having conversations around physical activity or mental wellbeing the suite of resources from the Better Health campaign is a great tool to help you this summer. There is a full campaign toolkit including social media, posters, conversation starters, newsletter copy and other resources that can be easily dropped into your communications. You can support the campaign by:

• Promoting the campaign in your social media channels, newsletters and staff communications
• Display campaign materials on your website, noticeboards and digital display screens in your buildings
• Incorporating messages into team meetings, public events and any type of physical activity session from organised classes to park-runs and community walks
• Let DHSC know whether you’re running events to get your community moving. We may be able to supply stocks of printed materials, posters and conversation starters.
• Please provide details of where you’re using the campaign resources to feed into the legacy evaluation.

For more information about the campaign, sign up for updates by creating an account on the DHSC’s Campaign Resource Centre. It’s free and quick to register and you’ll be able to get updates about future mental health and physical activity campaigns from the DHSC if you add these to your preferences.

If you’d like to talk to someone about how to get involved or potential opportunities please email [email protected]