Cotswold Community Wellbeing Service at Christmas
Christmas can often be a challenging time for many people and the Cotswold Community Wellbeing Service (CWS) want to encourage you reach out and not be alone this year.
The festive period often carries positive connotations such as seeing friends and family but this can also be an incredibly difficult time for those who may have lost a loved one or those who are struggling with poor mental health. This is where the CWS come in.
The free service, which is available to anyone aged 16 or above and who is registered with a Cotswold GP, offers support to help improve you mental health and wellbeing. We feel it’s more important this year than ever to reach out if you need help. Christmas can be testing enough without considering how COVID-19 may affect us this year.
In 2018, it was estimated that 500,000 older people were expecting to feel lonely at Christmas. Due to the pandemic, this number is only likely to have risen this year. And it isn’t just older people that will find the festive period demanding on their mental health this year. 2020 has been tough on us all and we are GRCC feel it’s important that as many people as possible know that this free service is there to help if you need it.
The service offers one-to-one support provided by an assigned a Social Prescriber based on your location. They will work with you to find a plan suited to your needs and what works best for you. They may signpost or refer you to activities and groups of interest that are available in your area. Social Prescribers have extensive local knowledge and will be able to help facilitate local activity.
If you feel you can benefit from this service then we actively encourage self referrals. This can be done by simply sending an email to cws.grcc@nhs.net or by calling 07738 106384. Often taking the first step is hardest but by taking that step we can help you to improve your mental health and wellbeing during this challenging time.