NEW Mental Health Swims coming soon to Lee Valley White Water Centre

The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) have been involved in the development of a new Mental Health Swims group in Hertfordshire, in partnership with Mental Health Swims CIC, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) and Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). Taking place at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, the group is designed to support those people living with mental ill health. Which will be achieved through a combination of peer support and outdoor swimming.   

HSP were thrilled to partner on this exciting project as Mental Health Swims mission aligns perfectly with our commitment to using movement to help tackle health inequalities and Lee Valley Park offers the ideal setting for this peer support group. Having seen the success of Mental Health Swims’ similar initiatives across the country, we are excited to help bring this project to Lee Valley through provision of funding to recruit and train local volunteers. Our aim is for this group to provide not only social connection and a sense of respite for participants, but also to inspire an increase in their physical activity levels and showcase the many benefits of a location like Lee Valley. 

People living with mental ill health can often find it challenging to connect with communities and as a result have experienced isolation and loneliness, which ultimately makes joining in with groups very difficult. Mental Health Swims wants to change this by creating welcoming spaces for people by working with outdoor venues with similar values. 

The aim of Mental Health Swims is to provide free mental health peer support to people who are living with mental health challenges. This new session will see peer support taking place in a swim session in the lake at Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Cross, where participants can swim, dip, or just sit on the edge. After each session, the group will gather in a quiet social space at the venue for a warm drink. 

Lyndsey North, Community Health and Wellbeing Officer at LVRPA, said:  

“The benefits of cold-water swimming are well documented, so we are delighted to be working with Mental Health Swims and great partners to facilitate this new session for people living with mental ill health in a safe and supportive environment. It’s an important addition to the activities we offer within the Park to support health and wellbeing.” 

Simon Hemmings, Community Sport Manager, GLL:  

“Open Water Swimming has been shown to have a positive impact on both mental and physical health. The chance to bring a partnership together with Mental Health Swims, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and BETTER at the iconic Lee Valley White Water Centre will see new groups of swimmer’s benefit.” 

Rachel Ashe, Founder and Managing Director of Mental Health Swims added:  

“We are thrilled to be partnering the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Greenwich Leisure Limited and the Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership. They have a fantastic location for a Mental Health Swims group and this partnership will enable the LVRPA to host safe and welcoming mental health peer support swimming sessions for the local community. 

“In the coming weeks, we will be recruiting and training Swim Host volunteers to facilitate the sessions. Training includes cold water safety, mental health awareness, peer support, safeguarding, risk assessments and signposting. The sessions are designed to make peer support more accessible to a wide range of people and we are looking forward to working with the team over the next 12 months.” 

The Lee Valley Mental Health Swims group is looking for Swim Host volunteers to support their peer support sessions. If you’re interested in finding out more about this, please contact: 

Lyndsey North, Community Health & Wellbeing Officer: LNorth@leevalleypark.org.uk