Residents find friendship and support through free wellbeing sessions
Sport England-funded wellbeing sessions prove a hit with local residents
A free community wellbeing initiative that began as a simple idea to help people feel healthier and more connected has grown into a thriving support network.
Regulate and Restore Community Wellbeing, organised by Healing Minds and Hearts CIC and funded by Sport England and The National Lottery, offers free weekly sessions designed to improve physical and emotional wellbeing. Open to anyone aged 18 and over, the sessions welcome people of all fitness levels and experience.
Held every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm at The Local Hub on Sneyd Lane, Bloxwich, and every Friday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Bentley Bridge Leisure Centre, the sessions combine trauma-informed somatic exercise, guided breathwork and community connection.
Founder Edit Antal said the response had exceeded all expectations.
"What we've created is so much more than a weekly wellbeing event. People arrive as strangers and leave feeling like they belong. They support one another, laugh together, celebrate each other's progress and remind one another that nobody has to face life's challenges alone."
Attendance continues to grow as more people discover the benefits of the sessions, which are designed to help regulate the nervous system, reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing.
Many participants attend because they are coping with stress, anxiety, grief, burnout or the effects of difficult life experiences. Others simply want to improve their wellbeing, build confidence and meet like-minded people.
The organisers say that while talking therapies can play an important role in recovery, some people continue to carry stress physically. Somatic exercises are designed to release tension held in the body, while guided breathwork promotes relaxation, emotional processing and a greater sense of calm.
Each week explores a different wellbeing theme, including confidence, resilience, self-worth, managing stress, emotional wellbeing, healthy relationships, self-compassion, hope and personal growth.
Organisers say the project's success highlights the value of providing safe, welcoming spaces where people can move, breathe, connect with others and focus on their wellbeing.
The free sessions continue every Wednesday in Bloxwich and every Friday at Bentley Bridge Leisure Centre, with new participants welcome.