{"id":9651,"date":"2023-05-23T09:52:14","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T08:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/?p=9651"},"modified":"2023-07-10T08:50:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T07:50:44","slug":"free-mental-health-first-aid-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/?p=9651","title":{"rendered":"Free mental health first aid training"},"content":{"rendered":"

Active Surrey is piloting free Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to all sports clubs in the county.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Matthew Mason, the organisation\u2019s mental health and wellbeing manager, said promoting mental health and wellbeing within the sporting community should be a top priority for athletes, coaches and volunteers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"He said: “MHFA training equips individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to recognise and respond to mental health challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

“By training club volunteers and coaches as mental health first aiders, the aim is to foster a supportive and inclusive environment within sports clubs, where individuals feel comfortable seeking help and receive the necessary support.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Mason said that training went beyond \u2018immediate crisis\u2019 response. It covered a range of topics, including self-care, promoting good mental health and signposting to additional resources. <\/span>It also empowered mental health first aiders to provide ongoing support, contributing to the overall mental wellbeing of club members.<\/span><\/p>\n

There were many benefits to having club volunteers and coaches trained as mental health first aiders, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Firstly, it enhances the overall wellbeing of your members, creating an atmosphere where mental health concerns are acknowledged and addressed promptly. When coaches and volunteers are equipped with the tools to identify signs of distress, they can provide immediate assistance, offer reassurance and guide individuals towards appropriate professional help.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Secondly, having mental health first aiders within your club can contribute to reducing stigma surrounding mental health. Their presence sends a powerful message that mental health matters and is a legitimate concern in the sporting and local community.”<\/span><\/p>\n

He added: “This proactive approach not only supports individuals but also helps to create a culture of empathy, understanding and resilience throughout the club, which can be used as an opportunity to interact with the local community and enhances a club’s standing and membership.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Access to MHFA England training will be allocated on a first come, first served basis during this pilot project.<\/span><\/p>\n

For further information, please contact Matthew Mason at matthew.masonhames@surreycc.gov.uk <\/span>or sign up for free training<\/span> here<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Established in 1999 by Sport England and local partners, Active Surrey is a not-for-profit organisation hosted by Surrey County Council. Its vision is for everyone in the county to embrace the habit of moving more, to improve wellbeing and to thrive as an active community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit the website at www.activesurrey.com<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Active Surrey offering free mental health first aid training to all Surrey sports clubs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[15,14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9651","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-news","9":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9651"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9907,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9651\/revisions\/9907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surreyswimming.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}