Current wellbeing initiatives

GoodGym Basingstoke

GoodGym is a community who get fit by doing good. We run, walk and cycle together to do practical tasks for community projects and isolated older people.

No equipment or experience needed. Sessions are fun, social, and inclusive for all.

Sessions are every Wednesday at 6.15pm. Meeting at Basingstoke Sports and Social Club, RG21 3DR.

Find more information on the GoodGym website

Forever fit

Join a friendly physical activity class, a perfect blend of music, movement and motivation. Easy to follow exercises for flexibility, strength and balance will help you to feel energised, supported and ready to keep moving with ease.

The Ridgeway Centre, Blackdown Close, Basingstoke RG22 5BW
When: Every Tuesday 1.30pm to 2.15pm
Cost: £3 pay as you go
No booking required, just turn up.

For more information email aaron.boyd@serco.com or call 01256 474378

Sports and Games for Youth Mental Wellbeing (10 to 14 years)

Sport in Mind provides free sport and physical activity opportunities for children and young people to help build confidence and self esteem, meet new people and support low mood and other mental health challenges.

Youth Activities for Mental Wellbeing

Sessions run weekly (excluding school holidays)

Day: Tuesday
Time: 4.30pm to 5.30pm
Activity: Sport and games
Venue: The Link, Newchurch Road, Tadley, RG28 4HN

Day: Wednesday
Time: 4pm to 5pm
Activity: Sport and games
Venue: Sports Hall, Everest Community Academy, Oxford Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9UP

Day: Thursday
Time: 4.30pm to 5.30pm
Activity: Sport and games
Venue: Sports Hall, Andover Leisure Centre, West Street, Andover, SP10 1QP

Find more information on the Sports in Mind webpage.

To join a session, a parent / guardian will be asked to complete the registration form

Be physically active logo

Steady and strong classes

These classes are aimed at older adults who may be at risk of falling. Sessions are led by qualified Postural Stability Instructors who use evidence based exercises aimed at improving strength, balance, flexibility and the confidence and ability to carry out normal activities of daily living. Tips for getting up from the floor if you fall and coping techniques such as crawling and rolling while on the floor are also given.

Find your nearest Steady and Strong class

Love to Move

Love to Move sessions are starting at The Link, Tadley, providing gentle, dementia‑friendly seated movement‑to‑music activities. Each session costs £3 and there’s no need to book. Sessions begin on Wednesday 15 April, with more information coming soon. To register your interest email sportandwellbeing@basingstoke.gov.uk.

Post-natal Exercise Programme

New mums can take advantage of low-cost, pay-as-you-go post-natal exercise classes - delivered by FitMama. The classes offer a safe space to repair, restore, and rebuild post-birth, while also connecting with other new mums. The next course will run from Friday 17 April to Friday 3 July at Studio 41, Stroudley Road, Basingstoke. To register your interest email sportandwellbeing@basingstoke.gov.uk.

Smoking advice

If you want to quit smoking there is help available. For information visit the smokefree Hampshire website, call 0800 772 3649 or text QUIT to 80011.

Being active

The Healthier Families campaign provides information you can use to improve your own health and the health of your family. From short 10-minute active game ideas for keeping the kids busy to healthy, affordable recipes.
Visit the Healthier Families website

Basingstoke Voluntary Action organise social walks of differing abilities to help you get moving whilst enjoying nature. You can join as a walker or organise your own walk as a volunteer.
Find more details on Wellbeing Walks with Basingstoke Voluntary Action (bvaction.org.uk)

Connecting with nature

You can get active by becoming a Green space volunteer. Find out about the positive effects that conservation volunteering has on wellbeing.

Getting outside can have real physical and mental benefits. The following five ways to wellbeing are supported by research and are advocated by the NHS and many mental health charities, such as MIND.

Five ways to wellbeing

1. Connect
Connecting with others can help us to feel close to people and valued for who we are. It can also provide opportunities to share positive experiences, while giving emotional support. Being social means different things for different people, so find out what brings you joy.

Joining a local group is a great way to meet new people and to connect over common interests.

2. Get active
Studies have shown that getting active can help you sleep better, be happier and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and racing thoughts. Being active causes chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood.

Joining a local conservation group is a great way to keep active without needing a gym membership.

3. Be mindful
Taking notice of your feelings can help you to understand what triggers your feelings of stress or anxiety. This mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you.

Conservation volunteering can give you the opportunity to practice mindfulness and enjoy the present moment, in this beautiful world we live in.

4. Learn
Feeling like you’re learning and developing can boost your self-esteem, build a sense of purpose and help you connect with others. And sometimes setting goals can help you to feel more productive and more in control of your life.

There are ample opportunities to learn something new when volunteering for a local conservation group. Whether it’s practical conservation tasks, understanding various habitat management practices, or learning identification skills while undertaking ecological surveys. There are plenty of local experts about who are keen to share their knowledge!

5. Give
Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by creating positive feelings and a sense of reward, giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth, and helping you connect with other people. It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Fun fact

Making direct contact with soil, whether through conservation volunteering, gardening, or making mud pies, has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and facilitate learning.

Research by neuroscientist Dr. Christopher Lowry, has found that microbes in the soil activated neurons in the brain responsible for producing serotonin (happy hormone). In addition, the neurons that lit up were related to the immune response, suggesting a connection between the immune system and emotional health.

This is further evidenced in research by scientists from the University of Helsinki found that children that spend more time out in the forest, rather than in urban settings, have healthier and more diverse microbiomes, which is linked to a healthier immune system.

For information on how you can get involved in volunteering, or help nature in your local area, visit the Natural Basingstoke Random Acts of Wildness webpage or email wildlifeconservation@basingstoke.gov.uk