Find Your Active: Move for your Mind joins forces with Mind in Essex to help residents discover the powerful link between physical activity and better mental health.
Today (19 January), a new partnership launches in Essex to help residents improve their mental wellbeing by increasing their physical activity. Find Your Active: Move for your Mind and Mind in Essex unite trusted mental health expertise with a county‑wide drive to make movement enjoyable, accessible, and achievable for all.
The Find Your Active campaign, by Active Essex, first launched five years ago to help residents move more following the pandemic. This next phase, powered by Essex Public Health and delivered in partnership with Mind in Essex, focuses specifically on the mental wellbeing benefits of physical activity and aims to support people to take small, achievable steps that make a meaningful difference.
Mind in Essex is a network of local mental‑health charities working across the county to support people experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties. It brings together several independent Mind organisations – Mind in West Essex, Basildon Mind, South East and Central Essex Mind, Mid and North East Essex Mind, and Thurrock and Brentwood Mind – to create a more joined‑up, accessible system of support. Their shared aim is to make it easier for people to find help close to home, reduce stigma around mental health, and offer services ranging from counselling and crisis support to community groups and training, strengthening mental‑health provision for communities throughout Essex.
Through the partnership, residents will benefit from:
- Guidance and resources on how movement can support mental wellbeing
- Opportunities to join gentle, beginner‑friendly or community‑based activity sessions
- Support from local Find Your Active Place Navigators and Mind in Essex ambassadors
- Signposting to mental wellbeing activities and services across the county
With 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 6 children in Essex experiencing a mental health problem each year, the partnership arrives at an important time. Research shows that even 10 minutes of movement can lift mood, reduce stress, and build emotional resilience.
Cllr John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Adult Social Care, Public Health and Integration said: “Physical activity isn’t just about physical health, its positive impact on mental wellbeing is clear. Moving in any form refreshes the mind as well as the body. The Move for your Mind addition to the already successful Find Your Active campaign highlights how vital activity is for those facing mental health challenges. I encourage all residents to explore and find the activity that works for them.”
David Sollis, CEO of South East and Central Essex Mind, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Find Your Active: Move for your Mind. By combining our mental health expertise with their commitment to accessible activity, we hope to empower more people across Essex to discover movement that supports their wellbeing. This partnership will help us reach individuals who may be struggling and offer them practical, meaningful ways to feel better.”
The Find Your Active campaign partnership will continue throughout 2026, to expand opportunities, strengthen community support, and promote the role of movement in maintaining good mental health.
For more information on the partnership, to explore local activity opportunities, or to access mental wellbeing support, visit: www.activeessex.org/find-your-active
