Mental Health Awareness Week 2017 got off to a colourful start this morning as Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) and NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) unveiled their new 'Five Ways to Wellbeing' fire engine.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Chris Blacksell and CCG Director of Integrated Commissioning Erica Daley formally launched the engine outside Hull's KCOM Stadium to promote five ways to better mental health and wellbeing.
Improving mental health is a top priority for Hull CCG and they are working with partners like HFRS to promote the simple steps everyone can take to feel healthier, happier and have better resilience to cope with the changing world we live in.
The design and messaging on the engine fits with the Fire Service pledge to keep the elderley and vulnerable safe and well in their own homes. Public Safety teams across the service visit around 10,000 homes every year and carry out not only fire safety checks, but also provide advice and signposting to a range of other services such as stop smoking or weight loss programmes.
The crew from Clough Road (bottom photo) brought the engine to the front of the KCOM Stadium to welcome delegates and keynote speakers to the Mental Health Conference which kicked off Mental Health Awareness Week. More information on the key themes of the week can be found on the Mental Health Foundation website.
Erica Daley was delighted to continue the close partnership work with HFRS:
“Improving mental wellbeing in Hull is a top priority for the CCG so we were delighted to partner up with Humberside Fire and Rescue again and support Mental Health Awareness Week 2017.
“Five Ways to Wellbeing has been adopted by the NHS and many other organisations to promote the five simple steps we can all take to feel healthier, happier and more able to cope when times are tough.
“The new eye-catching fire engine will signpost people to information online about Five Ways to Wellbeing, plus national and local organisations that can offer advice and support - from Men in Sheds to mindfulness!”
DCFO Chris Blacksell was equally pleased with the new addition to the Service's fleet:
"The first wrapped engine we commissioned with the CCG to highlight Prostate Cancer awareness was a great success and is still a talking point in Hull and further afield. We continue to promote our Service as a health asset locally and this striking new engine will hopefully drive people to the Five Ways to Wellbeing website to connect with others and stay active."
"The conference we are hosting today is a chance to bury some of the myths around mental health and get our staff and partners talking about it. We have more days lost to mental health issues than any other cause, so I look forward to a day of honest debate and learning from some knowledgable speakers."