Two brand new yoga courses funded by Hateley Cross Big Local.

Body Mind Collective is proud to announce that they have been awarded £2,028 from Hateley Cross Big Local to host accessible yoga sessions in the Hateley Heath and Stone Cross areas of West Bromwich. 

This funding will subsidise two 12-week Beginner’s Yoga Courses at Stone Cross Library and 4Community Trust Hub on Wiltshire Way. The courses will support residents in their desire to become a more active community, with the funding helping to remove the initial cost barrier.

The sessions at Stone Cross Library will be fully seated. They will be adaptable to the physical needs of a variety of injuries and disabilities, focusing on improving confidence in mobility, flexibility, and strength from the safety of a chair. After each session, attendees will be encouraged to stay for a hot drink.

The sessions at 4Community Trust Hub will initially focus on mobility and strength, however throughout the course more techniques will be introduced that promote better mental health and general wellbeing. Chairs will be provided at the start of the course, but as it progresses, attendees will work towards standing postures and balancing with some fall prevention work.

Both courses will provide a safe space for those who wish to become more active, through movement, breathing and mindfulness. This will support the group in their long-term goals to improve their health and wellbeing.

Pre-pandemic, there were weekly chair exercise sessions at Stone Cross Library and a weekly mat-based yoga session at Gayton Road Community Centre. However, these classes are no longer running, resulting in residents having to look for sessions further afield. Working alongside 4Community Trust and Sandwell Library service we can access and support communities where a clear need has been identified.

Hateley Cross had one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the Sandwell borough, with residents experiencing more stress and isolation, and data showing lower rates of physical activity. According to Public Health England, physical inactivity is the fourth largest cause of disease and disability in the UK – linked to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, dementia, strokes, heart disease, hypertension, and mental illness.

In other Body Mind Collective programmes, attendees have forged long-term friendships, reducing loneliness and social isolation. This project will place an emphasis on bringing local people together to create a community that will continue long after the funding has been used.