Fleetwood Wellbeing Way launched to improve mental health

Against the backdrop of Fleetwood’s stunning seafront, Fleetwood Wellbeing Way is a 1.83km route punctuated with challenges to try, under the five ways to wellbeing: Connect to others, be active, keep learning, take notice and give to others.

The challenges are sited at disused bus stops on Laidley’s Walk and The Esplanade and will be changed once a month.

The project has been designed by a small group of people from several Fleetwood community groups who participated in Lancashire Mind’s Community Challenge earlier in the year. The aim was to put forward a project that would benefit the Fleetwood community.

It is hoped that with encouragement, people will share how they completed the challenges via the group’s Facebook page to show how the five ways is a useful tool to enhance wellbeing and in turn encourage others.

Representatives from the Fleetwood Wellbeing Way, Wyre Council and Healthier Fleetwood were there for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the weekend.

Afterwards they walked, socially distanced, along the route in two small groups.

Victoria Mitchell, who has helped to co-ordinate the project said: “Once the route and some of the challenges were completed, we began to send invites to join our Facebook group and in less than 24 hours, we have already had messages that will lead to our Fleetwood Wellbeing Way forging links with a large community workplace. We feel this is something that can be rolled out anywhere in the country and we are so excited that Fleetwood will be the first town to pilot this project.”