From mocktails to mindfulness in Dry January

Our Health and Wellbeing team provides a targeted, bespoke service for people with a learning disability and autistic people.  Our work is aligned to wider public health initiatives so this month we’ve been offering accessible and inclusive ways to engage with Dry January.   

Our Dry January programme included :

• information-sharing sessions to explore the benefits of giving up alcohol and signpost to local services

• mocktail-making classes to introduce alcohol-free alternatives while taking part in vision board and goal setting activities

• guest speakers from South Tyneside Adult Recovery Service to hear lived experience journeys 

• alcohol, exercise and mindfulness sessions to understand more about alcohol’s impact on physical and mental health.

We’ve had a fantastic response to our programme with 23 people attending sessions that included Dry January activities and 100% of survey respondents telling us they had learned something about the effects of alcohol as a result. We referred four people on for specialist support and will continue to work with them to help them make informed choices, build confidence and improve their wellbeing in ways that are meaningful to them.

For more information about our Health and Wellbeing Facilitator team, visit www.yvc.org.uk/health.