An innovative community mindfulness project has been set up in Wigan to help teenagers focus on the positives amid turbulent times.
Mindfulness – which aims to improve mental health by focusing on your awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations – is often used as a therapeutic technique.
It is known to enable people to become more productive, reduce stress and anxiety, build confidence, and encourage happiness.
This new mindfulness scheme is being delivered by One Together CIC.
One Together is a community interest company delivering a variety of creative programmes to children, young people and their families, all with the purpose of developing confidence, positivity, enhancing self-esteem and promoting happiness.
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Set up over 10 years ago, One Together CIC has developed from its starting point of delivering a wide variety of grass roots community-based projects, to becoming a “respected provider of mindfulness and wellbeing workshops” in the Greater Manchester borough.
The specialist programme involves working with teenagers taking part in sessions using special headsets.
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The first part of the course was delivered online via Zoom due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and then a small group of young people were invited to socially-distanced meetings on Saturdays at a local primary school.
Hayley Kearns – a Director of Aspull-based One Together CIC along with Neil West – said: “We’re delivering the project and it’s being commissioned by community group Parents of Aspull.
“Funding for the virtual reality equipment has come from the National Lottery.
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“The sessions have been online since lockdown for about eight weeks, but the past two weeks have seen a group of young people meet up in a socially distanced way.”
The group have used special VR Oculus headsets to help them with their mindfulness.
Hayley continued: “The virtual headsets allow for the children to immerse themselves in a virtual world, so they can be sitting by a waterfall, or together in a meeting room with others and helping them build resilience.
“They are able to use their headsets from home during the time on the course [and] it’s a way for them to develop confidence and improve their mental health.
“The feedback from parents has been phenomenal,
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“[They] have said how the sessions have helped their children who had become very isolated during lockdown, and have helped them make friends.”
The teen programme is just one of many initiatives hosted by One Together CIC.
As well as a range of other groups tailored towards children, young people and families, Hayley added that the next part of the project will involve helping adults over 60 do the same thing as the children have recently.
Other similar projects will take place in the future too, so keep your eyes peeled.
You can find more information about getting involved in any of these mindfulness initiatives via the One Together CIC website here.
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You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Featured Image – Eaters Collective (via Unsplash)
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BBC needs adventurous Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of Race Across the World.
The BAFTA-winning hit show is currently airing to thousands of viewers each week, but with the next series now in the works, producers are on the look-out for ‘intrepid duos’ of all ages who reckon they’re ready to take a step into the unknown, and embark on an epic race across land and sea – and that includes Greater Manchester residents.
With applications for the next series of the massively-popular show now open, nomadic Mancs are being encouraged to take part.
On a limited budget and away from the luxuries of modern technology and conveniences, those lucky applicants selected to take part in the next series will get the chance to experience life in some of the world’s most beautiful and remote locations.
BBC is looking for Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World / Credit: BBC
Navigating their way across thousands of miles, they’ll travel through spectacular scenery and dynamic cities, visit ancient wonders, learn local customs, and take part in time-honoured traditions.
But, as producers are keen to point out, “the physical journey is only half of the story”.
That’s because, as the contestants take on the challenge of travelling across the world, the greatest thing they’ll discover along the way could actually be about themselves and one another.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Studio Lambert wrote: “We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned traveller or total novice.
“We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, what lengths you would go to to win.
Applications for the massively-popular show are now open / Credit: BBC
“Maybe you’re looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, best friend, or someone you’ve lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to travel at this time in your life or explore a particular part of the world.”
Fancy it then?
Applications for the third series of Race Across the World are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of 6 July 2025, and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.
Emily Sergeant -
12th November 2020 
