The Mental Health Foundation has been raising awareness of Mental Health in the UK since 2001. Their aim is to drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all, and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives, with particular focus on those at greatest risk.

This week’s focus is on kindness and the impact of how a little act of kindness can really help to boost our mental health and wellbeing. Helping someone else can lower stress and can cheer up our mood, which allows us in turn to be kinder to ourselves.

To support this event, we wanted to take the opportunity to mention some of the things the teams across the Beaufort Group of Companies have been doing to look after their mental wellbeing during this period of isolation and also how they have been showing a little act of kindness to others.

Beaufort Investment

The Beaufort Investment team has been exploring new ways to relax their minds and ease any lockdown tension.

Emma has been visiting her horse and when safe to do so, has enjoyed a ride taking in the views and wildlife. In an attempt to relieve stress and boredom and to get his children off their electronics, Shane has been building Lego and found mindfulness colouring to be very therapeutic. Shane has shown his kindness to local neighbours by batch cooking some small meals. On the menu so far has been homemade pizza served fresh from his pizza oven, chilli con carne and cottage pie.

Millan has also shown his kindness and generosity by making dozens of Rice Krispies cakes, which he delivered to his other friends in the local area, whilst maintaining social distancing.

Jane and Jon Creasey – Beaufort Financial Fareham

Jane has used the opportunity to add in an exercise DVD each day. She has always been passionate about staying fit (and keeping her asthma as good as it can be). However, it has become progressively harder for Jane to allow time for herself due to family commitments and work/business life. Having the extra time during lockdown (not commuting/running her two girls around) has freed up more time to dedicate to her own wellbeing.

Jane says in terms of kindness, she thinks we are all seeing both small and bigger acts of kindness every day in our homes and communities which she says is lovely to see and hear. Despite how busy her husband, Jon, is working and running his business, he is ensuring that three other families, as well as his own, have the shopping they need, so he has spent the majority of his Saturday’s during lockdown shopping and delivering essentials for others.

Gerard O’Donoghue –Beaufort Financial Westerham

After a long day in his home office, Gerard has been enjoying the opportunity to take a leisurely bike ride around Greenwich. His bike is pictured here next to a road sign that he encountered which he feels is appropriate for our current time.

Gerard has also been on hand to help vulnerable neighbours with their shopping and any odd jobs they would otherwise struggle to do themselves. One neighbour that he has helped is a lady in her mid-70’s living with her husband who has dementia. Having dementia means that he does not understand the social distancing rules which Gerard found tough when he came to help them with a log delivery for their open fire. Gerard carried the wood delivery and stacked it in their wood shelter for them in preparation for winter.

In addition, Gerard and his wife sponsor a community project that involves food being bought from suppliers of restaurants and pubs who are currently closed and keen to get rid of stock. The produce is picked, packed, boxed and delivered to those vulnerable or self-isolating within the community. To date over £24,000 has been raised to enable them to buy and deliver food. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1vnlXW2r1E

Beaufort Group

Staff at Beaufort Group have been having regular video calls with their teams to discuss their work or how they are finding life in general during this current period of isolation.

To ease any aches and pains from a different working environment, it appears the most common activities to release those feel good hormones are yoga, dancing, cycling and the couch to 5k. Two of our staff, Niall and Jacqui have been making the most of their free time in their home gyms, which have historically sat gathering dust or used to hang clothes.

Dave

Dave has been cooking alfresco style, inspired by Gordon, Gino and Fred. He has taken part in a slumber Yin Yoga and recently completed week 5 of the couch to 5K, running for 20 minutes. He says he is taking it rather seriously now and has bought himself a running watch. Dave’s determination inspired two other colleagues to start the couch to 5k, which they say is going well so far. Dave has dedicated time to something new and is learning Duolingo Spanish (in a Yorkshire accent) …. We can’t wait to hear that!

Tony

Tony and his wife showed their small act of kindness during VE day when anyone passing their house could help themselves to a free VE day cake, whilst also looking at some WW2 bits and bobs. His wife also laid out the food ration for one week which took a lot of people by surprise.

Lyn

The main focus of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is kindness and someone who has gone over and above an act of kindness is Lyn. Lyn has successfully registered as an NHS volunteer with the Royal Voluntary Service and has been providing short term telephone support to individuals in self-isolation. To date, Lyn has spent 53 hours of her time volunteering and says she is amazed at how many people within her community are willing to help those in need.

Wendy

Working from home and home schooling her 5-year-old son has been extremely tough and challenging at times and she could not have got through without the support network from her school mum friends. Wendy has been overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of her friends as they have helped with the obstacles faced with being a single parent and not being able to shop alone. Her friends have been on hand to help with shopping and school print outs and sneak in Easter eggs which she hid in the garden at Easter for her son to find. She said it has also been uplifting to see a friendly face at a distance and has been extremely grateful to be able to connect with her friends using face time and zoom.

Simon

Simon is proud to have become a grandfather twice during this period of isolation. He is pictured here holding his one-month old granddaughter.

Congratulations to Simon and also to Clive who was busy over the Easter weekend welcoming his 2^nd son into the world.