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/.

The Abingdon Healthfest returned for a second year. The Chair of Healthy Abingdon, David Butterworth, can be seen here with the Mayor of Abingdon, Cllr Andy Foulsham. Stalls included community groups and community services.

There were about twenty stalls. Here are a few…

People from the NHS were taking people’s blood pressure, helping to identify people with high pressure, and giving advice. The Abingdon Surgery had a stall nearby. The surgery has a self-use blood pressure monitor that prints out your pressure, and if necessary, you can pass the information on to your medical notes.

The Abingdon Carousel Family Centre provides a centre from which all kinds of family services can operate in South Abingdon.

The Blue Sky Eco Cafe are a community café that serves vegetarian and vegan recipes.

The Abingdon 5 km park run is every Saturday. They want to encourage people to walk the 5km if they do not feel able to run

Ex-Mayor Duncan Brown was there with his book ‘Get Over Indulgence’. He was not selling the book, but anybody who contributed to the Mayor’s Charities at the stall got a copy of the book. Those charities are:
* The Archway Foundation (serves those in our community who are hurt by loneliness)
* Yellow Submarine (helps young people with learning disabilities and autism live life to the full.)

Friends of Abbey Meadow Outdoor Pool fought to save the pool and campaign for the pool. It is the end of the season tomorrow.