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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Kevin De Bruyne confirms he is leaving Manchester City
Danny Jones
One of the Premier League’s best-ever players and a true Manchester City legend, Kevin De Bruyne, has confirmed he will soon be leaving the club.
Announced in a series of emotional social media posts on Friday, 4 April, the brilliant Belgian footballer will be calling time on his career at the Etihad Stadium come the end of this season.
Having spent a decade in the iconic blue of Man City, De Bruyne will undoubtedly go down as one of their all-time greats, having helped them to their first Champions League trophy during the Treble-winning year and a record four consecutive Premier League titles – of which he’s won six in total.
As you can see in the lengthy message shared on his social media, ‘King Kev’ informed City supporters that this current campaign will be his last in their colours, writing: “Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter.”
The 33-year-old, who has suffered from increasing injury problems over the last couple of years, goes on to say that “Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players we all know this day eventually come. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
In what is clearly a heartfelt and just as difficult a post for him to write as it is for fans to hear, he added: Football led me to all of you – and this city […] This will always be our HOME.”
Blues all over Greater Manchester and beyond will be heartbroken, but many won’t be completely shocked given his in-and-out
It’s a sad day to be a Cityzen, no doubt.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester derby, manager Pep Guardiola said: “In the Premier League, he is one of the greatest midfielders in this country and top of the Club. Great, if not the greatest.
Manchester City will bid an emotional farewell to Kevin De Bruyne this summer when his contract expires, bringing an end to a glittering 10-year period at the Club 🩵
Although his talent will never come into question, it’s no secret that he’s struggled to stay fit and be as prolific a creator in Guardiola‘s side – though this is largely in contrast to his ridiculously high levels and just how much of a talisman he has been over the past 10 years.
Starting just 19 matches this season, he’s still managed to score four goals and register seven assists, but a recurring hamstring problem has seen game time limited.
Regardless, when he’s at his best, there’s no question about it: he’s the best player in the Premier League, and the club have promised to pay fitting tributes to their generational number 17.
With 106 goals to his name in 413 appearances – the first midfielder since Colin Bell to reach over a century – across all competitions for City, not to mention 118 assists in the Premier League alone, he’s been one of the most creative and, frankly, ingenious players on the planet for more than a decade.
Whether you’re a Blue, a Red or otherwise, no one can deny the joy of watching him play football. Thanks for the memories, KdB.
Featured Images — Brad Tutterow (via Flickr)/soccer.ru (via WikiCommons) Kevin De Bruyne (via X)
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Vintage fashion sale to pop up in Greater Manchester with all proceeds going to charity
Emily Sergeant
A sustainable vintage fashion shop and kilo sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town in a couple of days time.
And all the proceeds will go to a very-worthy charity.
Merely weeks after the UK’s largest vintage market descended on the iconic Victoria Baths in Manchester city centre, another sustainable fashion event will be popping up in one of the region’s popular shopping centres for the month.
British Heart Foundation will be hosting a brand-new pop-up shop and vintage kilo sale, where you can buy clothing and other goods at a fixed price per kilogram, in Stretford town centre.
Opening its doors this Saturday (5 April), the charity will be taking over the vacant unit that’s next door to JD Sports to provide the Stretford community with a charity shop filled with all sorts of vintage goods and thrifty finds.
Visitors will be able to sift through shelves stacked with major brands at bargain prices, making it the perfect way to sustainably stock up on wardrobe staples and revamp ready for spring.
A vintage fashion sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town centre with all proceeds going to charity / Credit: Supplied
All proceeds from the pop-up shop will go directly to the British Heart Foundation, helping to fund vital research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, so whether you’re a fashion lover, an avid bargain hunter, or you simply just want to support a good cause, you know where to head on down to.
Running right through until 19 April, this venture is set to be a massively-valuable new addition to Stretford town centre.