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W-rap parcels provide much needed wellbeing boost during COVID-19

Margaret Baderin, the W-rap Project Coordinator, writes about how Re-instate has been providing their parcels during Covid-19

Margaret Baderin is the W-rap Project Coordinator

Re-instate’s W-rap – Well-being, Recovery, Activity Parcels – was created in 2017 in response to Re-instate’s clients and service users, who had suffered difficult experiences after being hospitalised due to their poor mental health. W-rap offers five full-sized gifts to help make a stay more positive, which tie into The New Economics Foundation’s Five Ways to Well-being.  

These five ways to well-being are a set of evidence-based actions which promote well-being, outlined as; Connect, Be active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. In late 2018, we were funded by the Maudsley Charity to provide W-rap throughout the hospital sites of South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and by Bexley CCG to supply W-rap to older people isolated in their homes. 

Playing a crucial role during the challenge of COVID-19

With the challenging situation presented by the of spread of COVID – 19, the W-rap project has been playing a crucial role in adapting its well-being and recovery parcels to meet the community and other needs identified during this season of change. 

We cover the whole spectrum from younger – older people and recently delivered over 1,400 packs to varied organisations during the pandemic, including Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, Isolation Help Bexley, Evergreen care Bexley, Carers Support Bexley, Mind in Bexley, Crossroads Care, Age U.K, Erith Hospital Urgent Care Centre, and many other establishments, helping to support the mental health and well-being of their service users. 

Supplying W-rap parcels to South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

We have also targeted local care homes and delivered a wide range of varied W-rap packages to residents and carers alike. Our packs have also been supplied to the Bethlem Royal Hospital’s Mother and Baby Unit, the South London and Maudsley Home Treatment Team and will be provided to the Repton Community Trust. 

 

"Hi, just wanted to thank you for our wonderful packs that you so kindly donated to the residents. they are going to give them hours of pleasure especially at this difficult time when they are missing their families so much. Thank you"

Maples Care Home

Images courtesy of Parkview Care Home in Bexleyheath, Avante Care & Support

The stress balls went down well too. One of my clients said that she found this a good way to distract herself from negative thoughts, whilst a male client really benefitted from them as they worked really well with tense and relax exercises he's been working on to manage his anger and frustration.

Parkview Care Home

Future goals: “We want to support people to be the best they can be”

We will continue to develop services that are valued by the local community. Increasingly, organisations of all sizes understand the need to support their employees’ well-being, but may lack the knowledge of how to do so. It is key to our future that we build on our strong reputation of helping people to retain their jobs.  

Additionally, we will develop provision of support to organisations looking to implement best practice and develop sound policies around mental health and well-being. We are aware that we are working in a mental health arena that is currently high priority, though we fully understand that this may not last and that future funding may be compromised. With everything we do, we want to support people to be the best they can be, reach their goals, not be stigmatised, and be respected for what they can do, rather than what they can’t.

Watch a video about W-rap parcels below: