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Look after your health
Beating the winter blues
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The winter months can be difficult for many of us and our mental health. If the short, darker days are getting you down, here are 3 things you can do to help.
1 Staying active, connecting with friends or family, learning new skills, or offering your time to support others can help keep your mind healthy.
The NHS offers general advice at www.nhs.uk/every-mindmatters/ 2 The Bexley Crisis Café is a safe and friendly place for anyone over 18 to go and it provides access to mental health support and advice from professionals. https://mindinbexley.org.uk/ crisis-cafe 3 Young people can access confidential support via an online mental wellbeing community at www.kooth. com or at Papyrus at www.papyrus-uk.org
If you need to speak to someone about how you are feeling, the Oxleas Crisis Line 0800 330 8590 is a 24 hour telephone service for anyone living in Bexley.
You can also call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Help spread the word about Healthy Start
The Healthy Start Scheme is a government funded programme that aims to help parents give their young children the best start in life by subsidising food shopping and offering free vitamins.
You can qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you are at least 10 weeks pregnant or have at least one child under 4 years.
You must also be receiving benefits, or have a family annual income of £16,190 or less, or be under 18 and pregnant.
You have to apply and will get a prepaid card, which is topped up with funds every four weeks.
Your card is accepted at supermarkets and you can buy: � Fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables � Fresh, dried and tinned pulses � Cow’s milk � Infant formula milk The Healthy Start Scheme provides: � £4.25 each week of pregnancy from the 10th week � £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old � £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old � Free Healthy Start Vitamins from your Health Visitor
For more information on how to apply for Healthy Start visit
www.healthystart.nhs.uk
