#THANKFULTHURSDAY We’re keeping calm and carrying on!

For some of you, the last week may have been frantic. Those of you who work in HR, IT, policing, the NHS and a whole host of other roles will have been having to deal with queries, confusion and preparations for the unknown. Can we just say a huge thank you to you on the behalf of the entire nation for keeping calm and carrying on.

For others, you may have had to completely adapt and change the way in which you work. For some, it may have been the opposite. With many businesses having to make the difficult decision to close, you may be finding that you have more time on your hands than you are used to and, with that, comes challenges too.

Alongside all this and the new rules and regulations under which we now live, Boris Johnson subconsciously highlighted something that we already knew. By saying that we are allowed to leave our houses for groceries, work and daily exercise, he showed the value and importance of being active for our physical and mental health.

For that reason, we at the Mintridge Foundation felt that we couldn’t just shut up shop until this all blows over. Therefore, we have had to adapt and change the way we work. Luckily for us, sport has taught us, our partners and our ambassadors the skills of adapting and resilience already, so we were already half-way there.

Minty the Mintridge bear has been thinking of ways you can stay active (read all about them here) and, with the help of Nibble Protein, has found a way to keep us active with her Active Challenge game. Whilst originally designed with children in mind, now children and adults alike are honing their athletic skills by completing in activities that requires very little equipment and, for most, very little space (please make sure you adhere to the government guidelines whilst undertaking these challenges). Thanks Minty and everyone at Nibble Protein!

Our incredible ambassadors, who themselves are facing challenges caused by the COVID-19 lockdown, are still making the time to touch base with their mentees.

Asma Elbadawi  will begin her her silver programme mentee work with Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, Ben Smith has been catching up with old Squadkit and Ingham mentees during this difficult time, Liz Cann & Sri from Howells School have been in touch to set individual fitness targets, Pamela and her Manor School mentees from the programme sponsored by Bowbridge Mentees have created their own core workout with the benefits of the internet and ensured that netball can continue in the garden (adaptation is key!) ,and  Eboni and her Gresham’s mentees have looked at how to make the new normal the norm.

A huge thank you to all of them and to their mentees who have shown great resilience and enthusiasm at this time.

We’re also super excited about something else that our ambassadors are busily preparing for us. Keep an eye on our social media channels to see how your favourite sports stars are going to help you to stay active over the forthcoming weeks.

Another bit of good news! We have received a wonderful anonymous donation which will enable Olivia Rae and Laura Sugar to share their insight with the younger generation. At a time like this, when many of our usual fundraising schemes are unable to go ahead, a donation like this is a lifeline to enable us to continue doing what we do best.

If you would like to support our cause in this very difficult time, we would love to hear from you! Get in touch with Alex (alex@mintridgefoundation.org.uk) or visit our ‘Support Us’ page to donate or see how you can support us through our partners.

We appreciate that many people are feeling the pinch right now, but there’s one easy way you can help us whilst shopping online (because that’s the only way you can shop now). Visit Easy Fundraising here or download the app and choose The Mintridge Foundation as your chosen charity. If you shop with Amazon, don’t forget to shop through Amazon Smile and to choose The Mintridge Foundation as your chosen charity.

RELATED POSTS