The kind of walk that spells success…

The power of community kindness was at the heart of Lambeth’s Great Mental Health Day walk, the second since the London event started in January 2022. Those taking part were delighted to hear that the inspiration behind the Lambeth walk, Public Mental Health specialist Margherita Sweetlove, had given birth to a baby daughter the night before.

And that inspiration fuelled the walk from Kennington Station to Brixton Windmill, as those taking part reflected on wellbeing and the power of kindness … or just mindfully enjoyed the wander.

From Kennington Station walkers weaved their way through Kennington Park to St Marks Church where they were welcomed by Lambeth’s Health and Wellbeing Bus. Then to We Are 336, Brixton Road, HQ to many a kind organisation. Here they heard more about Carers4Carers and Black Thrive’s Culturally Appropriate Peer Support & Advocacy (CAPSA) service from peer support workers Danny Danjuma and Samara Milford. The audience shared stories and thoughts on their own well-being journeys and acts of kindness…

From there the journey took a SHARP detour …

Curator of the SHARP Gallery Anna-Maria Amato, highlighted the work of the gallery and its then exhibition Jewels of the Night (see leaflet below for latest exhibition). She encouraged participants to be inspired by the exhibits to express themselves – a bit of colouring, crayoning, words … and use those thoughts on the remainder of the journey to take notice and be inspired.

Here people were also welcomed by Cllrs Jim Dickson and Marcia Cameron, Lambeth’s Joint Cabinet Members for Healthier Communities. They highlighted the importance of this London-focussed day; Cllr Dickson had commented earlier that Lambeth had joined a ‘London-wide celebration of the power of community kindness and how communities, friends and families come together…

‘We want the day to get people in Lambeth talking about mental health, highlight the great support available, and, crucially, take the stigma out of asking for help when needed.

‘We also want to celebrate our communities, how they’ve come together in the tough times of the past two years and supported each other tirelessly with incredible kindness, selflessness, and cohesion.’

Walkers continued to Brixton Windmill Centre joining the Joy of Sound finale – a weekly and most joyous class giving people a chance to express themselves in dance and movement. Special thanks to Anna for a most uplifting end to Lambeth’s contribution to the second London Great Mental Health Day.

Karen Hooper

https://joyofsound.org/news-post/new-session-inclusive-in-person-seated-tai-chi-and-community-