Scotland’s largest mental health charity is hosting a free panel discussion exploring how physical activity and sport can help tackle the current mental health crisis.
SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) are inviting anyone involved in local sport, such as coaches, personal trainers, jog leaders and more, to join the event, hosted at the stunning Playfair Library Hall at the University of Edinburgh on Friday 29 November.
Speaking at the event will be Stuart Campbell, Director of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow—the first major event in Scotland to pledge to Scotland’s Mental Health Charter. Stuart will be joined by Professor Larissa Davies, a specialist in the economic impact of sport and physical activity. Attendees will also hear first-hand from people with lived experience of mental health problems, and the role physical activity had in their recovery.
Stuart Campbell, Director of the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024, said:“My goal is to highlight what can be achieved through a social impact campaign in partnership with a major sporting event. We need input from all corners of our communities to challenge us to improve.
“This is a chance to start working together to ensure that upcoming sporting events truly resonate and prioritise your best interests. A Scotland that values wellbeing, supports mental health, and cares for its citizens is a stronger, prouder, and more prosperous Scotland.”
Attendees will have the opportunity to create connections with industry peers, share best practice, spread awareness of their work and ask questions directly to our panel of leading experts during a Q&A session.
Professor Larissa Davies, Professor of Applied Sport Economics at the Manchester Metropolitan University, said:“Physical activity is an important preventative health tool for combating poor mental health.
“Being active reduces the likelihood of depression and anxiety, as well as the risk of non-communicable health conditions such as dementia. In addition, it also improves life satisfaction and general wellbeing.
“The case for investing in physical activity to address Scotland’s mental health crisis has never been stronger.
“My research focuses on measuring and valuing the social value of sport and physical activity, including the impacts on health, wellbeing, and social capital, both in the UK and internationally.
“Recent projects include the new social value model for sport and physical activity in England, and a study of Gaelic Games on the island of Ireland.
“I am looking forward to sharing more about my social value research, which spans across more than 15 years.”
The event is delivered in partnership with sportscotland and the University of Edinburgh and is free to attend for anyone who is interested.
Edinburgh Leisure is serious about doing social good and adding social value to people’s lives and will be marking the first ever Seriously Social Week in May as part of a national campaign that showcases the work of charities, like theirs, putting people above profit, connecting communities, and helping people to become healthier, happier, and more creative, regardless of age or ability.
Seriously Social has been organised by national body Community Leisure UK. Starting Monday 27 May, each day of the week will focus on a theme to show how companies like Edinburgh Leisure help create social impact and create happier, healthier communities and will showcase the outcomes around health & wellbeing, the community, inclusion, employment and skills and the environment.
Jen Holland, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are proud to be part of a network of charities operating with a social conscience, delivering social good when providing public leisure services. Our core business isn’t about making profit, it is about purpose – helping people first.
“We’re about supporting society to get healthier and happier, employing local people, creating safe spaces for everybody, connecting communities, working towards net zero and supporting people with quality health and wellbeing services for everybody regardless of age or ability.
“Seriously Social is a brilliant way to showcase not only the difference we make but also why we do what we do.”
As the largest provider of sports and leisure facilities in the city, Edinburgh Leisure provide activities for everyone as they move through their lives.
As a charitable trust, every penny goes back into taking care of the health and wellbeing of Edinburgh. Being active improves physical and mental health. Edinburgh Leisure is here to support as many people as possible to feel as good as possible.
A recent study commissioned by Public Health Scotland concluded that of the 62,941 deaths that occurred in Scotland in 2022, more than 3,000 would have been attributed to physical inactivity, with cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounting for around one third of these.
Last year Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities team supported over 12,500 people a year to be active to improve their health and wellbeing.
They develop and run projects to help make a positive difference to communities in six key project areas.
People living with health conditions are supported by Active for Health
People on low incomes and experiencing inequalities are supported by Wellbeing for All
Older adults are supported to stay active and connected through Staying Active
Children and young people are supported to live healthier, happier lifestyles through Active Futures
People with disabilities or additional support needs are supported through Everybody Active
People living with mental health conditions are supported through Mental Wellbeing
Kirsty Cumming, CEO of Community Leisure UK, said: “Our members don’t just deliver public leisure and cultural services, they support social change for the better every day of the week, 365 days a year.
“As social enterprises and charities, they put people above profit. They are run by local people and have everyone’s best interests at heart. The Seriously Social Week is about showcasing how they go above and beyond supporting individuals and communities.
“This is a selfless sector, quietly going about supporting people and communities every day. Not because it makes them money, but because it’s the right thing to do. And we thought it was high time more people know about the great work they do and the difference they make.”
More than 110 Charitable Trusts and Social Enterprises deliver public leisure and culture in Scotland, Wales and Ireland as part of the Community Leisure UK network. Together in 2023 they:
Welcomed more than 209 million visits
Worked with 170+ Local Authorities
Collaborated with more than 100,000 Community Groups
73% Reduced Carbon Emissions
75% provided holiday food and activity programmes.
Saved the state and NHS £893million through their work getting people more active and healthier *
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Benefits of physical activity on heart health
Physical inactivity is one of the main risk factors for heart diseases and is associated with a 24% higher risk of coronary heart disease.
In the UK, it is recommended that adults partake in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week plus two sessions of resistance training.
Over six in 10 adults meet this guideline, if one of these is not you, then why not? Your heart is a muscle too!
This muscular organ also needs to be worked out and increasing the amount of physical activity you do is one of the best things for your heart health. In this healthy tip, we share some benefits of physical activity.
What is physical activity?
Physical activity is any form of movement produced by your muscles that uses energy. A few examples include walking, running, dancing, swimming, and gardening.
Heart health benefits
Partaking in physical activity strengthens your heart muscle and decreases your blood pressure. Regular physical activity can improve your blood sugar control and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a major cardiovascular risk factor.
Changes in your cholesterol levels will become apparent, with your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels becoming lower and HDL (good cholesterol) levels rising.
Ultimately, physical activity is essential for a healthy heart. It strengthens your heart, reduces your chances of developing heart diseases and increases your lifespan.
Other health benefits
Physical activity benefits both your physical and mental health. If these are in good health, it is likely that your heart is too.
Partaking in regular physical activity will help you build cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and improve your flexibility and balance.
You may find that you have more energy after carrying out physical activity due to the rise in your endorphins, this also helps to improve your mood.
Other benefits include improvements in your sleep quality and duration, improvements in anxiety and depression as well as a reduction in the amount of stress hormones in your body.
These additional health benefits all directly or indirectly help your heart too.
Movement for Health coalition advocates physical activity resource to improve nation’s health
A COALITION of 19 leading health charities have endorsed a resource that will help healthcare professionals integrate physical activity conversations into routine clinical care.
Movement for Health (MFH) – a group of charities including SAMH, Age Scotland, and Paths for All – is working with the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM) to advocate for use of its Moving Medicine resource which provides health care professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence to talk to patients about physical activity.
The web resource draws on both clinical and patient experience to create behaviour change for people living with long term conditions. It is free to access and already widely used across England.
MFH has endorsed the resource in the hope it can help improve the resilience of Scotland’s people, communities and NHS while directly aligning to its key aim of making it easier for people with a long term health condition to be more active.
Dr Emma Lunan, Chair of Movement for Health, said: “It’s quite simple – Scotland needs to move more to boost the nation’s health and happiness.
“As a coalition of charities, we are always eager to engage with initiatives supporting and promoting life changing physical activity. It can be transformative for many with long-term conditions.
“Receiving further expertise and resource from Moving Medicine is extremely welcomed and will prove a vital tool post-pandemic to improve the physical, social and mental health of the country.
“MFH exists to promote physical activity for the prevention and management of long term conditions and has been at the forefront championing a way forward for the past four years.
“The Moving Medicine web tool has already had success in paving the way for healthcare professionals to feel confident and have better conversations around physical activity and ultimately make referrals for exercise.
“We encourage those who work within a healthcare setting to seek out and use this resource as it can play such an important role in supporting those with Long Term Conditions to become more active.
“This has never been more important so we are delighted to be working together.”
The CMOs’* Physical Activity Guidelines state that for good physical and mental health, adults should aim to be physically active every day. This can be anything from a short walk to the shop or a 30-minute session in the gym – any activity is better than none alongside reducing sedentary behaviour.
Moving Medicine is led by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK (FSEM), delivered in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Sport England and the National Lottery – with the aim of improving physical activity conversations across healthcare and support the routine delivery of physical activity for all.
The resource was developed in Scotland through a partnership between FSEM, Sportscotland and Public Health Scotland. This partnership also included the development of the resources for children and young people.
Dr Natasha Jones, FSEM President and Clinical Director of Moving Medicine, said: “The Movement for Health coalition brings together charities and organisations that share FSEM’s vision of improving the health of the nation through physical activity.
“We are delighted to be working with the coalition to help us spread the word and encourage everyone in healthcare to have better conversations about physical activity”
Moving Medicine has worked with more than 2,000 clinicians, academics and patient experts to design the resource for a wide range of conditions and life stages, such as cancer, diabetes, pregnancy, and menopause.
In total, Moving Medicine offers resources covering 21 adult conditions and life stages, 6 childhood conditions and 6 conditions affecting young people. These paediatric resources were jointly co-funded Public Health Scotland and sportscotland.
Flora Jackson, Health Improvement Manager at Public Health Scotland, said: “We’re pleased to continue to work with Paths for All to support the Movement for Health Coalition and welcome their voice, providing leadership and advocacy for physical activity and long-term conditions.
“Moving Medicine provides a simple guide on how to raise the issue of physical activity in as little as 30 seconds and we echo the call for more health professionals to do so.”
Regular physical activity provides a range of physical and mental health and social benefits, including: reducing the risk of many long-term conditions, helping manage existing conditions, ensuring good musculoskeletal health, developing and maintaining physical and mental function and independence, supporting social inclusion, helping maintain a healthy weight and reducing inequalities for people with long-term condition.
For more information on Movement for Health, visit:
New paper calls on leadership and policy to deliver significant change
SIXTY leading health specialists and politicians have joined calls for an overhaul to Scotland’s approach to social prescribing – with an urgent need to step up physical activity interventions.
Movement for Health (MFH) – a coalition of charities that includes SAMH, Age Scotland, and Paths for All – brought together professionals to understand the importance of supporting people to engage in physical activity and interventions through social prescribing models, revealing the findings in a new paper.
Social prescribing which typically sees GP practices and health services connect people to activities, groups and services has been embraced in certain areas of Scotland, with uptake varying considerably by region.
A key MFH recommendation is to create better community links and remove the assumption that social prescribing is a medical approach. This should in turn reduce reliance on other services and people seeing GPs about social issues. However, it’s not a simple change as many people have a trusting relationship with their GPs and is a safe go to when they don’t know where to turn.
Dr Emma Lunan, Chair of Movement for Health, said: “Scotland has a health emergency and our approach needs to change. A social prescribing postcode lottery exists – and it often comes down to the strength of the links between health services and the surrounding community.
“We need to be able to translate policy into actions. Physical activity has huge benefits that go deeper than just physical and mental health. Proactive interventions can help individuals reconnect with their community and grow in confidence but many experience barriers when taking the first step so we need to work collaboratively to overcome these.
“Once the structure is designed, it will need continual scrutiny to ensure it is working effectively and providing tangible outcomes as society continues to change.”
Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, attended the MFH event as both a keynote speaker and a participant in the panel debate that was chaired by health and care journalist Pennie Taylor and opened by the Chair of Movement for Health, Dr Emma Lunan.
The discussion highlighted a real lack of recognition for this workforce who are often managing people with complex needs. Currently, Scotland’s approach to social prescribing is lagging behind Wales, England, and Northern Ireland although Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health has committed to exploring appointing a lead for social prescribing for Scotland.
The benefits are clear; from supporting patients’ physical and mental health, to reducing health inequalities in local communities, while reducing the workload of frontline health professionals.
Taking part in local activities also helps build the skills and confidence to improve social functioning, leading to the reduction of social isolation and loneliness while creating more connected and resilient communities.
Dr Emma Lunan added: “Community empowerment was a central theme of the debate. It plays a vital role when linking patients to sources of support and networks.
“Greater control needs to be transferred to link workers in order to provide a direct relationship between health care and communities. This would ensure long-term solutions can be implemented rather than quick non sustainable alternatives.”
Currently, social prescribing in Scotland is supported by two networks; Scottish Social Prescribing Network (SSPN) and Scottish Community Link Worker Network (SCLWN). Both networks share learnings, information and good practice across different initiatives while championing the need for a national approach and joined up thinking across all local authority areas.
The approach can fall under several ministerial portfolios which makes the desire for the Scottish Government to identify a lead important to deliver real change for communities and individuals.
Alison Leitch, co-chair of Scottish Social Prescribing Network and Community Link Worker Assistant Service Manager for Edinburgh, said: “The networks build on the strengths, drive and enthusiasm from various social prescribing programmes across the country, with the collective aim to embed the approach in health and social care in Scotland.
“These strengths could assist with ensuring that policy objectives can be measured, evaluated and reported on in a cohesive manner.”
The SSPN and CLW Network are well established networks and the go to body of knowledge in terms of social prescribing and link working in Scotland.
Clare Cook, Project Manager at SPRING Social Prescribing, said: “It is widely recognised that community groups and services can respond more quickly to local needs than statutory services and have less barriers attached to them which encourage engagement.
“Often a little hand holding in order to build a person’s confidence or provide some reassurance along with good local knowledge goes a long way. Statutory services are under too much pressure to offer this currently yet social prescribing presents a host of benefits to individuals, communities, healthcare and Government.”
The full Movement for Health coalition includes: Age Scotland, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland, Breast Cancer Now, British Lung Asthma and Lung UK, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson’s Scotland, Paths for All, RNIB, SAMH, Scotland Versus Arthritis, Stroke Association, VHS, Waverly Care, Scottish Disability Sport and Community Leisure Scotland.
With four key missions, Movement for Health is working towards raising awareness within health practitioners, physical activity and sport providers, policy makers and the general public, by providing research, resources and political action to support those who are affected to get more active.
Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund has returned for its seventh year and local sports clubs across Edinburgh and The Lothians can now apply for a share of £50,000.
The fund encourages people of all ages and abilities to take part in physical activity within their local communities by offering sports clubs the chance to secure essential funding. There are a range of funding tiers available, with one club in the area guaranteed to secure a £2,500 funding boost.
Since launching in 2016, nearly 500 clubs across Scotland have benefitted from a funding uplift of £290,000 through Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund, helping to improve community access to sports across the country.
From gymnastics to football and volleyball to bowling, Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation that meets the application criteria.
In 2021, Aldi supported a selection of sports clubs across Edinburgh and The Lothians, including Lismore Rugby Football Club and trampolining club, PHD FUNdamentals. The additional funding helped both clubs fund training sessions and purchase new equipment.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Aldi Scotland, said:“Since launching in 2016, our Scottish Sport Fund has given a wide range of sports clubs the chance to benefit from essential funding to help them invest in much needed equipment and resources.
“Sports clubs across Scotland have had a really challenging time over the last two years, and I am proud that Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund gives these clubs a helping hand to continue the fantastic work they do in their communities.
“Each year, we are blown away by the applications we receive, and I look forward to welcoming more in 2022. I’d encourage any sports clubs across Edinburgh and The Lothians to apply and take advantage of this excellent funding opportunity.”
Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is part of the retailer’s wider commitment to help local communities in Scotland, which it also does through its Neighbourly partnership and Supermarket Sweep.
Sports clubs located across Edinburgh and The Lothians have from Monday 22 August to Sunday 25 September to apply for funding.
One applicant will be selected to receive £2,500 of funding, two applicants will each receive £1,000 of funding, while several other applicants will each receive £500 of funding towards their sports club.
The Aldi Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the application criteria. All applications will be considered by the Aldi judging panel and entrants will be notified of the outcome of their funding application within four to six weeks from the region’s deadline. Please see the Aldi Scottish Sport Fund FAQs and Terms & Conditions for more information.
The type of activity primary school children do in PE lessons can affect how well they are able to focus afterwards, a new study has found.
Published in the British Journal of Education Psychology, the research found that physical activity performed as part of a group, rather than alone, had the greatest impact on children‘s attention scores.
Games-based activities also resulted in participants being better able to control their impulses.
Lead researcher of the Spanish study Dr Josune Rodriguez-Negro, who is a PhD researcher in the physical education and sport department of the University of the Basque Country, said: “The study findings highlight not only that physical education in schools can improve children’s attention and impulse control, both of which are linked to academic success – but also that different types of content can produce different results.
“Therefore it seems right to increase the amount of time children spend doing PE and for children to do PE first thing in the mornings to get the best results. Also, school leaders should select activity for lessons based on what they are looking to influence.”
A total of 135 children aged between six and eight took part in the study in a Spanish state school. They were split into three groups and each group was assigned to one of three intervention programmes: a balance intervention programme (BIP), a games-based programme (GBP) and a drama learning programme (DLP).
In the BIP intervention, children performed individual balance activities, like standing on one leg for a minute, whereas the other two interventions were group-based.
The study is believed to be the first to compare the effects of BIPs, GBPs and DLPs on children’s perception of the intensity of the intervention, how they felt and their cognitive functions.
The intervention programmes lasted eight weeks and were held during the school’s regular 90-minute weekly PE lesson, so there was no change to the structure of the school day.
Researchers found that after each intervention programme, children in the GBP and DLP groups ‘significantly’ improved their attention test scores.
Children in the GBP group also improved their impulse control scores.
However, children in the BIP group showed no improvement in either attention or impulse control scores. However, children in this group thought the activity they did was more intense than children in the other groups.
The type of activity children did had no bearing on how they felt during the intervention, they enjoyed it equally, whichever group they were.
The Scottish Children’s Lottery has awarded £10,000 to Edinburgh Leisure’s You Can project, which uses the power of sport and physical activity to support care experienced young people aged 14-26 to improve their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Across Edinburgh there are over 1,300 children and young people growing up in the care system. Many of them face barriers to taking part in sport and physical activity, such as the cost, low confidence, and not having the right equipment and lack of role models.
Edinburgh Leisure’s funding manager, Jenny Selman said: “We believe every child should have the opportunity to enjoy an active childhood. You Can supports care experienced young people in Edinburgh to get active by providing free access to our facilities, 1:1 support from an instructor and access to group activities.
“The project helps them to reap the benefits of being active, such as improving their health and wellbeing, making new friends, boosting their confidence and developing healthy habits.”
One young person who has benefitted from getting active through You Can is Taylor, who goes to the gym on Monday mornings with her instructor Gemma.
“Before I started working with Gemma, I struggled with poor mental health, low confidence, and difficult relationships with my family. I spent a lot of time alone in my bedroom rather than going to school.
“Now I look forward to going to the gym. Even if I’m not feeling 100%, I’ll never miss a session. When I’m feeling low, my Gran reminds me about the rush of feel-good endorphins I get after I exercise, and I know she’s right. Starting my week with a trip to the gym makes me feel more motivated and means I’m far more likely to go to school.”
The Scottish Children’s Lottery was launched to raise funds for and improve the lives of young people across Scotland.
Scott Millar, Charity Manger at The Scottish Children’s Lottery said: “The Scottish Children’s Lottery (Chance to Flourish) are delighted to provide funding support to the Edinburgh Leisure’s You Can project.
“Sport is such a powerful tool in enabling and enhancing health and wellbeing. There are still many barriers that prevent our young people from taking part but the ‘You Can’ project actively removes these hurdles and allows those involved to flourish”.
A new study by Queen’s University Belfast and Washington University in St. Louis shows that promoting physical activity is key to achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
The research provides new evidence to show that integrating strategies to promote increased physical activity is a key part of the action plan for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The study found strong links between physical activity promotion strategies and eight out of the 17 SDGs: good health and well-being (SDG 3); gender equity (SDG 5); industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9); reduced inequalities (SDG 10); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); climate action (SDG 13); and peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).
Deborah Salvo, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis and lead author on the study, said: “Physical inactivity has been characterized as a pandemic, accounting for 7% of all premature deaths per year globally and resulting in billions of dollars spent on health-related expenditures.”
The international research team applied a modelling method to simulate the effects of large-scale physical activities strategies to gain insights on the potential impacts of widespread scale-up of active transport systems and active urban design strategies on three different city types of high-, middle- and low-income countries.
The simulation results indicated that expected physical activity gains are greater for low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries with high car dependency, physical activity promotion strategies may help to reduce air pollution and traffic-related deaths, but shifts toward more active forms of travel and recreation and climate change mitigation may require complementary policies that disincentivize driving.
Dr Leandro Garcia, from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and co-author, said: “The simulation results reveal context-specific relations. In terms of physical activity increases, low- and middle-income country cities stand more to gain from urban transformations that prioritize equitable access to walking, cycling, public transport, and recreational infrastructure.
“As for high-income country cities, findings suggest that to observe meaningful improvements in physical activity levels and climate change mitigation, these types of strategies may need to be further complemented by policies that increase the cost of driving.
“Our research provides strong evidence to illustrate the multiple benefits of promoting physical activity on a large scale, not just for specific areas or populations. The benefits are huge for individuals, communities and to the planet and goes a long way in contributing to the U.N. sustainable development agenda.
“As well as helping to prevent chronic disease, promoting physical activity at scale can reduce traffic deaths and pollution. It helps to create more equitable societies and reduce climate change.
“Physical activity promotion strategies can bring benefits beyond health and bring us closer to a more equitable, sustainable and environmentally friendly future.”
