Ways to improve your mental wellbeing

Connect more by spending time with others. 

Southwark Presents lists cultural and community and events in your area.

Southwark Wellbeing Hub can signpost you to services, groups or activities to support your mental health and wellbeing and help you connect with others.

Ageing Well Southwark’s directory of services and support includes local opportunities to connect with others, telephone befriending and group activities.

The Samaritans offer a friendly chat for people struggling to cope. Call them for free on 116 123 or chat online with the Samaritans.

Age UK offers an advice line and a friendly chat if you're feeling lonely on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am to 7pm, 365 days a year.

South-East London Mind provide a friendly, safe and confidential telephone befriending service. 

Connect with others by joining a local walking group. 

Southwark youth centres provide a range of activities for children and teenagers like sports, games, media and workshops. 

Southwark libraries offer a network of book groups across the borough.

Get involved with community gardening and food growing – find local projects to volunteer with through Southwark’s Community Gardening Team.
 

Be physically active by moving more and more often, getting outdoors if we can.

Try our top tips for getting moving.

Southwark residents can use swimming and gym facilities for free in our leisure centres at certain times.

BetterPoints Southwark app rewards you for making healthy choices including walking, cycling, and wheeling.

Being outdoors in a green space can improve your mood. Find out where our parks and open spaces are in Southwark.

Physical activity with others has added benefits by helping you to connect more. You can find a range of online support to help you move more.

Get free online exercise classes by downloading Southwark Leisure app from the App Store or Google Play.

Parkrun is a free, friendly 5k community event you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate at on Saturdays, 9am in Dulwich Park, Peckham Rye, Southwark Park and Burgess Park.

If you're 18+ join a free weekly 30-to-60-minute local health walk led by a trained walk leader.

Our libraries across the borough lend out free footballs and walking guides.

Get outside and help wildlife by volunteering at one of Southwark’s local nature sites with the London Wildlife Trust, The Conservation Volunteers, Bankside Open Spaces Trust, and others.

Pay more attention to the present moment, the world around us and what we’re feeling. 

Mindfulness is a great way to help calm your mind, bring it back into the present moment, and be more aware of your surroundings. 

Going for a walk outside, being in green spaces and noticing what you can see and hear can also help. Find your nearest park.

Find out about local walking routes, club, self-guided walking tour maps of the borough and more.

Good Thinking London has NHS approved mindfulness and mental health apps and online courses.

Outdoor gyms are free and for adults of any fitness level (we’ve got 11 across our parks, including Burgess, Dulwich, Peckham Rye and Geraldine Mary Harmsworth). 

See the NHS mindful breathing video.

Our libraries across the borough feature beautiful book displays to encourage browsing, and many host art and local history information.

Find local wildlife sites near you or take part in nature recovery with one of the Southwark Biodiversity Partnership organisations.

Learning new skills can be fun and help us all to feel more confident. 

Enrol on a course to improve your wellbeing, bring out your creativity or enhance your personal and professional development (some are free).

Our libraries across the borough are a great place to learn and offer free and educational activities, plus language learning materials, cookbooks and free access to learning software for the Life in the UK Test and Theory Test Pro for learner drivers.

Southwark eLibrary offers free and online e-books, audiobooks, films and history resources. 

Visit Southwark’s heritage online collection to discover artwork, artefacts, costumes and more. 

Our borough offers a huge variety of cultural spaces and organisations. Explore galleries and museums in Southwark. 

Become more confident using a computer for everyday tasks and in the workplace, plus learn how to be safe and responsible online.

If you are a non-swimmer, you can learn to swim for free at a leisure centre near you. 

Rotherhithe Shed brings together older men to learn new practical skills in making and repairing. 

Southwark Works provides free employment and training support for anyone living in the borough.

Learn about biodiversity at a free workshop that will help you to understand and record plants and wildlife.

Giving something back by helping in our community can feel incredibly rewarding. 

Community Southwark brings together the voluntary and community sector and advertises volunteering opportunities in the borough.

Library volunteering is a fun way to meet people, learn new skill, improve your jobs prospects and more. 

Volunteer with the Southwark Wellbeing Hub and help empower residents who may be experiencing poor mental health get the right advice and help.

Good Gym is a group of runners who combine exercise with helping people and charities in Southwark. 

Volunteering with Neighbourhood Watch is a great way to connect with others locally. 

Community Health Ambassadors help to inform, empower and support our communities on issues related to health and wellbeing. Anyone who lives, works, studies or volunteers in Southwark can apply to be an ambassador.

If you're aged 14 to 18 and want to make an impact in Southwark you can join the Southwark Youth Parliament.