9 December 2020
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
In support of the Government’s “Keep Well” campaign, Cork County Council has collaborated with Cork Sports Partnership to highlight the “Keep Cork Active Booklet”, which offers a wide variety of tips and advice for everyone on how to “Keep Active” at home.
Building on the ‘In This Together’ initiative launched earlier this year in response to Covid 19, the Council’s “Keep Well” campaign was designed to provide additional supports during Level 5 restrictions but will continue to run throughout the Winter months. With a focus on keeping well in your community, the campaign offers online courses, connections to support agencies and advice on staying well, both mentally and physically.
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, explains,
“Cognisant of the challenges to health and wellbeing presented by Covid-19 restrictions, Cork County Council is providing resources and support to help us all counteract the negative impacts as well as assisting people of all ages to look after their physical and mental health and wellbeing. The “Keep Well” campaign focuses on five main themes; Keeping Active, Staying Connected, Switching Off and Being Creative, Eating Well and Minding your Mood.”
The benefits to keeping active and being outdoors, even during the Winter, are well known. Cork Sports Partnership’s “Keep Active” booklet is part of a range of resources and physical activity programmes to help people of all ages stay active. Cork County Council is also offering online resources on gardening for biodiversity and preparing for Spring.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Maurice O Sullivan, Sport & Marketing Manager, Cork Sports Partnership and Claire Hurley, Programmes Manager, Cork Sports Partnership.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley, Maurice O Sullivan, Sport & Marketing Manager, Cork Sports Partnership and Claire Hurley, Programmes Manager, Cork Sports Partnership.
Pic: Brian Lougheed
Speaking about the collaboration, Maurice O’Sullivan, Sport and Marketing Manager with Cork Sports Partnership said,
“The importance of keeping active during these restrictions cannot be understated and we are delighted to partner with Cork County Council on this campaign to keep the people of Cork moving. As part of this offering, we are delighted to relaunch our Keep Cork Active resource, which contains something for all the family to keep active. We also have a whole range of online programmes and workshops for people of all ages and abilities to get involved in including Disco Fit, Men on the Move and Women on the Move programmes”.
Eating well is also essential to keeping well which Cork County Council is supporting via the Bord Bia and SafeFood “START” campaign, while Cork Sports Partnership has created the “Healthy Food Made Easy” workshop with registration now open.
It can be difficult for people that are working from home to switch off. To help people of all ages tap into their creative side, Cork County Council has made a series of free online workshops and resources available, from “An Artist by my Side” crafting workshops to Heritage Colouring books to the Children’s Book Festival from Cork County Library and Arts Service, with a series of podcasts to listen and relax to available on the Council’s website.
Mayor Linehan Foley concludes,
“While keeping active keeps us healthy, staying connected addresses isolation and the Council is promoting initiatives that support connection, which is essential to wellbeing. The Community Call Helpline remains available seven days a week. Well known TV and Radio personality and wellness consultant, Bibi Baskin, joined our Positive Aging project, to create a dedicated video available on our YouTube channel. Featuring Cork County Council staff, An Garda Siochana, the HSE and the Council’s Fire Service as well as Cork GAA’s, Dr. Con Murphy and other guests including Alice Taylor, the video discusses positive aging and how to keep well and active during COVID-19 as we move into the Winter months.”
Life is difficult and stressful for a lot of us right now and it’s important to get help when you feel everything is getting too much. There are a wide range of supports and resources, and relevant contacts available on www.corkcoco.ie. Be sure to reach out when you need to.”
