It was Monday Market on a frosty, sunny morning.

In Unit 24, Bury Street, the Active Communities team held a Drop-in Coffee and Chat session. There will be a session every Monday until 4th March. Different partners will provide activities. Today was art.

The Active Communities Team at Vale of White Horse District Council runs various weekly activities for all ages and abilities. Also, at Unit 24, On Wednesdays from 1 – 1.45 PM, there will be STRONG AND STABLE, seated exercises. Spaces are limited, and booking is via sarah.fountain@southandvale.gov.uk.

Other activities include:

Community Walks: These friendly short group walks take place in various locations around Abingdon, and are a great way to get some exercise and meet new people.

YouMove: This initiative provides free or low-cost activities for families across Oxfordshire, including swimming, sports, and arts and crafts.

More information on the Active Communities web page

The Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames, Cllr Gwyneth Lewis, and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Gabby Barody, visited the annual Abingdon Healthfest today. The event, put on by Healthy Abingdon, featured over 20 stalls offering a range of health and wellbeing services and information.

Abingdon Liveable Streets, a group that campaigns for better walking and cycling infrastructure in Abingdon, had copies of the new Abingdon Active Travel Map.

The map shows all the walking, cycling, and wheeling routes in and around Abingdon. Online copies are at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/shop-eat-drink/active-travel-map-of-abingdon-on-thames

Dance Creative, a registered charity based in Oxfordshire, gave a demo. The charity specialises in working with older communities and people affected by physical and mental health conditions.

One Planet Abingdon had a stall that featured games and recipes that promote healthy, low-impact, local, seasonal, and organic diets and reduce food waste.

Active Communities, a service run by Vale of White Horse District Council, can direct people at a variety of weekly activities for all ages and abilities to help people with their health.

Kennington Memory Club and Dementia-Friendly Abingdon are two organizations that offer support to people living with dementia. Kennington Memory Club is a group that provides a safe and supportive environment for people with dementia to socialise and participate in activities. Dementia-Friendly Abingdon is a community initiative that aims to make Abingdon a more dementia-friendly place. You can book a place on a session to help make Abingdon more dementia friendly at: https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/websession.

Oxfordshire County Council offer grant funding to enhance health and well-being in the Caldecott area of Abingdon. Grants range from £150 to £3,000, with a total fund of £25,000.

Community groups, charities, and companies can apply, but individuals should be part of an organization or have a partner.

Potential project ideas include mental and physical health support groups, initiatives promoting healthy eating, healthy mind and body activities, projects targeting isolation through befriending, and nature-focused endeavours like community gardens and environmental education.

The deadline for grant applications is June 30, 2023. For further information, visit https://www.communityfirstoxon.org/caldecott-community-grants-apply-now/.

The Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust are opening Keystone Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs throughout Oxfordshire. The hubs are in the heart of communities and will make it easier for people experiencing ongoing mental health challenges to find the services they need.

The first hub was opened by Frank Bruno in Blackbird Leys in November 2022. Yesterday, workpeople were decorating the front of the Abingdon hub in Bury Street, where Pandora used to be.

There is more information at https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/news/new-high-street-hubs-keystone-to-mental-health-care-in-oxfordshire/.