WEEKLY GOOD NEWS: 21st May

Hello we trust you are safe and well. As you can see we are sending our Newsletter in a different format this week and from now on. Using the Mailchimp distribution system will help us get our messages out to the community and gives you more control over receiving them. We hope you will want to continue hearing about some of the incredible work and support going on in Fleetwood but if you'd prefer not to stay on our circulation please use the 'Unsubscribe' link at the foot of this Newsletter. So here's this week's round-up ...

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK Now more than ever we need to be aware that mental health problems can affect anyone. The theme of this year's campaign is Kindness ... to others and to yourself ... and there have been so many examples of individuals and groups showing kindness recently. > More on Mental Health Awareness

MESSAGES OF KINDNESS Somebody in the Fleetwood community has been out and about sharing messages from literature and cultural icons, each with a theme of kindness. The ones we saw were on the promenade by Marine Hall Gardens attached to railings and benches and in the grasses.Thankyou whoever you are, a lovely idea. > Visit our Facebook page to see more

LEARN FROM HOME Lancashire Adult Learning has moved online and are still providing opportunities for learning across the county. They are currently running online activities for employability, volunteering, health and wellbeing, family learning and ICT. > Further information and resources on the Lancashire Adult Learning website

NATIONAL EXPOSURE FOR ARTISTS Fleetwood has a vibrant community of creative talent and many residents have been involved in projects delivered in our Town by Left Coast. Sarah Harris from their team and a group of Fylde Coast artists developed a concept for the ITV Creates series of idents and the resulting short film is now running on the channel. > More on the LeftCoast website

PARKLIFE: A GARDENERS VIEW Although things are starting to ease a little and we can get out if we stay alert, it's tough not being able to fully enjoy our beautiful open spaces. Darren, lead gardener at Memorial Park is sharing some great images and videos of the scenery and parklife to keep us in touch. > Visit the Facebook page to see more

WHO'S ZOOMIN' WHO? Let's be honest, a few weeks ago most of us probably thought Zoom was a superhero and MS Teams was a video game. Now we're working remotely from home, keeping in touch with family and friends and taking part in virtual pub quizzes while worrying what other people are thinking about our backdrops! Video conferencing technology is also being used by our local health services to keep in touch with patients and maintain a programme of consultations. With the surgeries closed to walk-ins many initial appointments with a GP are now on-line and proving popular with residents, while virtual ward rounds are being used to support establishments like the care homes during these testing times. Fleetwood is at the forefront of how this and other forms of communication can be developed alongside the traditional provision in the future.

Although these are still very challenging times, it's also important to look to the future. Healthier Fleetwood is a partnership of residents, local authorities, businesses and organisations, voluntary and faith groups working together to improve the health of the community. In the weeks ahead we want to start having conversations about what the 'new normal' is going to look like. It could be ideas for reconnecting people who have been isolated, reinvigorating projects that have been paused or taking a different look at what we need in our Town. We'll share more about this soon but if you'd like to be involved please do get in touch using the contact details below. We especially like to hear from individuals and groups about how you've been keeping active and connected during the lockdown and your plans for the future.

Please do pass this newsletter on and if you know somebody without access to email, perhaps give them a phone call and let them know what is happening- keeping in touch had never been so important. Back copies of the Healthier Fleetwood newsletters are available along with much more on the Good News pages of our website and if you’d like to include something in a future edition, us at listening@healthierfleetwood.co.uk by Wednesday, midday each week.

Until the next time ... Take Care and Stay Safe.