Welcome to the Wellbeing Retreat
A space for you to sit back, relax and treat your mind and body to a little TLC!
Looking after your mental health
It is more important than ever to take care of yourself, others and your own mental health. Here are some services which may help.
VICTA Wellbeing Weekend Yoga Practice
Earlier this year, before lockdown occurred, a group of VICTA’s 18-29yr olds took part in a Wellbeing Weekend at Thetford Forest, Norfolk. The group relaxed their body and mind with Yoga and seated meditation every morning. Load the document below for information on the exercises the group used and how to have a go in your own home.
Look Mentoring
If you are aged between 11-29 and at school, university/college or looking for work, Look have a mentor ready to help you achieve your potential. Sign up to Look’s scheme to be matched to a mentor and start chatting about anything relating to your visual impairment. They can also link you to other charities and organisations who can help you access the support your need.
Free Counselling Sessions with Look and York College
Look have teamed up with York College to offer VI people (aged 18+) and their families free counselling sessions with the college’s trainee counsellors. Follow the link for more information about the sessions: Visit the website >
If you would like to access these sessions or find out more, you can also contact Look on info@look-uk.org.
BBS Yoga and Physical Exercise
During the recent pandemic British Blind Sport partnered with Sport England to provide audio exercise programmes, covering a wide range of activities such as Yoga, Pilates, Cardio, Bootcamp and Strength among other things. Follow the link for more information and how to access the variety of activities on offer.
VICTA Virtual Run
Running is a great way to control stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with mental tension. The VICTA Virtual Rainbow 6k Challenge is designed as a series of 6k virtual running races. Receive a coloured medal for each race you complete. You can run as few or as many races as you like. But the challenge is to run seven races, the equivalent of a marathon, and collect enough medals to build the VICTA rainbow. Follow the link to see how it all works.
NHS – Support from mental health charities
Whether you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, the NHS have compiled a list of mental health charities, organisations and support groups that can offer their expert advice. Please follow the link for more information.
Synergy Dance Audio Yoga & Meditation
Synergy have partnered with BBS to provide a free comprehensive audio delivery of dance, yoga and meditation activities. Each course has been curated especially for visually impaired and blind students to carry out at home to prevent isolation at this difficult time.
VICTA Parent Portal
The VICTA Parent Portal is a one stop information hub for all parents and carers raising a child who is blind or partially sighted. The Portal has a wealth of information covering topics from Early Years to Assistive Technology, and signposts to many other organisations who can help. The ‘Stories’ section has first-hand accounts from parents and young adults who are visually impaired, providing advice, encouragement and inspiration.
VICTA Parent Network
VICTA Parent Network Facebook group is a safe space for you as a parent to ask any questions or seek advice on any topic related to raising a child who is visually impaired. To join visit the Facebook group >
The network aims to empower parents to support and advise one another and run local events and groups to create networks of parents across the country.
NHS Every Mind Matters
Taking care of your mind as well as your body is always important. Follow the link to find 10 tips on how to keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel. Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it!
Maintaining a positive mindset as a vision impaired person
Hello! I’m Elin, a 22-year-old from North Wales. I currently split my time between working as a Social Media and Communications Officer in the charity sector, studying a part-time degree with The Open University and writing about all things vision impairment, music and fashion on my blog, My Blurred World.
THE ENTRIES
Thank you to everyone who entered our competition by sharing how you take care of your wellbeing. We hope you can take inspiration from these ideas.
Jacob Hare, age 16
* Prize draw winner *
“During lockdown my dad and I decided to take up kayaking. When we could eventually track down some boats to buy, seems like everyone had the same idea! We both absolutely love it. It is helping us to get fit, taking us right into nature and allows us to spend special time together.
When I’m on the water I can forget about my eyesight for a while, well until I get caught in some brambles or hit on the head by some overhanging tree!
We both have enjoyed it so much and think it is something we will continue to do together for some time.”
Megan Price
“SASI stands for Self Advocacy for the Sight Impaired. SASI is a confidence building course for blind and partially sighted young adults (18+) held over Zoom and run by UCAN Productions. It is led by the lovely Alys and is guided by UCAN Productions award winning approach. It helps to develop young people’s empowerment and confidence through the creative process and is designed to increase personal confidence and self-awareness. Not only this, but it is fun, friendly and very engaging for all skills and abilities. It welcomes both, those who feel they are creative, and equally those that don’t feel they are creative – because it’s all done through having fun, a laugh, making friends and expressing yourself. Here is a link to a list of UCAN’s list of online activities including SASI:
“GOGA stands for Get Out Get Active. GOGA runs a variety of workshops and activities over Zoom. While in Lockdown I have been involved with their GOGA Yoga (every Tuesday from 6pm to 6:40pm), Waynes Weekly Workouts (every Thursday 5pm to 5:30pm) and also with their Pilates sessions (every Friday from 5:30pm to 6:10pm). I’ve found GOGA (my experience has been with GOGA Wales) to be extremely positive. They have been very inclusive and accessible, to the point that I have been working with them in my own free time to give them feedback which helps them to constantly develop and improve their sessions for Visually Impaired participants. The sessions are welcoming and fun. In addition, since Yoga can be a bit hard to follow at times, GOGA are actively looking to set up a Yoga session specifically for those who have Visual Impairments, so that there is more time to give more in depth detail and ensure that accessibility will be delivered, with participants actively encouraged to ask questions, give feedback and get as involved as they want so that they can be provided with all the help and support that they need. The mixture of these sessions for myself has helped me both physically and mentally during lockdown, and has given me a new inclusive community that i would not be a part of if it wasn’t for lockdown.
This link gives more information about GOGA:
www.disabilitysportwales.com/get-out-get-active
More detailed information, as well as a list of their upcoming activities are listed on their Facebook page:
Along with this, I wrote an article about my experiences with Waynes Weekly Workouts which GOGA turned into a promotional graphic too (see above image).
UCAN Productions also covered Emily Gait’s experiences of the workouts via UCAN’s pilot project – the PodSquad”
Scarlett Winter, age 14
* Prize draw winner *
“We went to Durdle Door and local hiking trails around Portsmouth to try and keep busy. Yoga and Aerobic exercises kept mentally and physically fit during lock down and gave is something to look forward to.”
Chloe McLaren, age 11
“Trampolining in my garden. I got it at the start of lockdown because my clubs had stopped. I can do it on my own and with my big sister. When my foster mum goes on it makes me laugh. She can’t keep her balance.”
Jordan Wright
* Prize draw winner *
“Having fun with a new member of staff. Lots of sensory play and reflexology.”
