The benefits of Be Well

At Anchor we support residents to stay active, healthy and feel part of their communities through Be Well, our range of free resident wellbeing services. Be Well offers a range of initiatives and activities designed to be easily accessible and offer choice for those looking to enhance their wellbeing. 

Barbara Spray has been living at St Catherines Court for almost 4 years and has tried many of our Be Well services, from Be Connected to Be Active. She recently caught up with our Resident Wellbeing Lead Lauren Smith, to talk about the ways Be Well has enhanced her life. 

I moved to St Catherines Court in Littlehampton towards the end of 2021. I had lived in the area in the past, but after 30 years things had moved on friendship wise. I found out through a newsletter in the communal lounge that Anchor hosts a Coffee Morning every Tuesday online, and I love meeting people, so I thought I’d give it a go. At the time a lot of us were reluctant to go outside and socialise so it being hosted online was ideal. 

I’ve made some friends through the Coffee Mornings  who I see now. I speak to Heather who is also on the Digital Storytelling activity I will talk about later. I also met Dorothy who then came to stay in our guest room here at St Catherines Court. We had a great time together and the location is lovely being by the sea. 

So that's how I came along to the Coffee Mornings and I'm so glad I did.

Flexibility to try a range of activities and connect with people across the country

There’s such a variety of things to try available from Be Well. You can try the yoga classes or attend the Book Club or a Coffee Morning. If it doesn’t work for you and your schedule or your lifestyle, you can always just try something else. The flexibility of Be Well is beneficial as you can give different activities a go and choose something that fits you. 

A variety of activities to get excited about 

We had a Walking Football programme where there were 10 of us who would meet every week and do physical activity with a soft football. We would do keepy uppies and juggling the ball. It was a really enjoyable way of keeping active and there was some healthy competition as well as memorable quizzes. 

I’m now getting involved in the Be Digital side of Anchor and taking part in Digital Storytelling. It’s a new way to help you learn how to use different programmes on your computer. You can even do illustrative work to tell your own story. I’m new to it, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

The positive impact Be Well has on the lives of our residents

I think taking part in the different activities Be Well has to offer has had a positive impact on my daily life. You’re always learning something new, and it can be quite interesting meeting new people. By joining Be Well, I’ve met people from all over the country. I enjoy hearing about their lives and sharing what’s going on in mine. It's like we’re all a big group of friends.

Some people join activities now and then, but others are there more often, especially the team at Anchor who run the sessions for us. You really get to know them, and it starts to feel almost like family.

Barbara’s advice for any Anchor residents considering signing up to a Be Well service

I can only speak well of Be Well and my advice to anyone who is thinking of joining would be to have a go. You have nothing to lose. If you don’t like something, you can always try something else, and you might find a hobby or activity you really enjoy. 

With everything I have joined, everyone has been welcoming and non-judgmental. People listen and help you, and I’ve made some friends along the way. When I first joined, we were just coming out of lockdown which was an unusual situation. I think we were all surprised at how reticent we had become to go out and about again. Be Well really helped people join in and socialise from their own home, it really felt like a lifeline.

Find out more about Be Well

Be Well is our free wellbeing service, open to all Anchor residents. If you are an Anchor resident and want to find out more information about our Be Well offerings, learn a new skill or make new friends at our Coffee Morning, please visit here.