Stay Well this winter 2024

Helping you to stay well this winter is the focus of our new campaign in partnership with local health and wellbeing partners.

Community champions have come together to share tips, information and resources to help improve your wellbeing in the colder winter months.

There’s advice on boosting your immunity, keeping warm, prioritising your mental health, eating well, staying active and looking out for vulnerable family, friends and neighbours.

The Stay Well campaign also highlights what to do if you are starting to feel unwell, including taking early action and getting advice, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.

Stay Well champion, Peta Coote is the engagement lead for local mental health provider Kooth and says: “The darker evenings and colder weather can impact on your physical and mental health, so adjusting how you take care of yourself can be really helpful for your wellness over the winter months, and staying connected with others can give you such a boost.

“Why not try a self-care checklist with questions such as ‘have you been outside today’ and ‘have you spoken to anyone today’?”

Some of the tips the community champions will share include:

• Looking out for others by being a good neighbour and friend, keeping an eye on those who might need extra help
• Cost of living practical tips on how to save money, cut bills and manage your finances
• Eating well to help you stay well and healthy during winter months
• Wellbeing, with 5 ways to wellbeing of connecting, learning, being active, taking notice and giving
• Staying warm and well, with advice on support in your local area, community hubs and more
• Staying active. Discover ways to move more in the winter months

Stay Well champion Wailim Wong, Communications Officer at Citizens Advice Cornwall says: “If you’re struggling with energy bills in the winter, the main thing is to get help as soon as possible. Citizens Advice can give you advice ranging from grants and benefits to energy saving measures that you can take.

“They all help and can save you a lot of money. Have a look at our website for lots of tips too.”

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly’s Director of Nursing, Aisling Crombie says: “Winter always brings a higher risk of health issues, especially for older people and those with other underlying health conditions. Following the tips from our community champions will help you stay well this winter.

“There’s a wide range of support and information being offered, and we’ll be sharing new advice every week over the coming months.”

Visit our page Stay Well this winter in Cornwall for our weekly advice from the community champions.

The stay well advice forms part of the Healthier Together campaign, which promotes small lifestyle changes that can have a big impact on long-term health. There’s a Healthier Together film promoting the 5 tips, which is running in local cinemas, online, on social media and on digital screens across healthy venues.

During December, a daily winter wellbeing tip is also being promoted across social media in an advent calendar that will run until Christmas Day. It features local health and wellbeing professionals from across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Don’t forget to look out for the winter wellbeing guides, distributed across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to more than 96 pharmacies, 52 GP practices, 50 community hubs, foodbanks and libraries. They have been compiled by Inclusion Cornwall, working alongside Cornwall Council’s Public Health team, with support from Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF), Council of the Isles of Scilly and our Integrated Care Board (ICB).