Stay Well This Winter: Cornwall’s Campaign to Keep You Healthy

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has launched a new campaign to help residents stay well during the colder months, working in partnership with local health and wellbeing organisations. The Stay Well campaign offers a wealth of advice and resources, focusing on immunity, mental health, staying warm, eating well, and looking out for vulnerable people in the community.

Practical Tips for Winter Wellness

Community champions are at the heart of the campaign, sharing practical tips to support wellbeing. These include:

• Looking out for others: Be a good neighbour and keep an eye on those who may need extra help.
• Cost of living advice: Save money with tips on cutting bills and managing your finances.
• Eating well: Nutrition plays a key role in staying healthy through winter.
• The 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, learn, stay active, take notice, and give.
• Staying warm and well: Access support through local community hubs and resources.
• Staying active: Find ways to stay physically active during the colder months.

Expert Advice from Community Champions

Stay Well champion Peta Coote, engagement lead at Kooth, highlights the importance of adjusting routines during winter. Peta suggests creating a self-care checklist with questions such as “Have you been outside today?” or “Have you spoken to anyone today?” to maintain both physical and mental wellbeing.

For those struggling with energy bills, Stay Well champion Wailim Wong, Communications Officer at Citizens Advice Cornwall, advises seeking help early. “Citizens Advice can give you advice ranging from grants and benefits to energy-saving measures,” Wailim explains. “They all help and can save you a lot of money. Have a look at our website for lots of tips too.”

Weekly Advice and Winter Wellbeing Guides

Aisling Crombie, Director of Nursing at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, emphasised the importance of early action. “Winter always brings a higher risk of health issues, especially for older people and those with other underlying health conditions. Following the tips from our community champions will help you stay well this winter,” Aisling said.

New advice will be shared weekly as part of the Stay Well campaign. Residents can find resources on the Stay Well this winter in Cornwall webpage, including practical tips and support from local champions.

In addition, winter wellbeing guides have been distributed to over 96 pharmacies, 52 GP practices, 50 community hubs, foodbanks, and libraries. Compiled by Inclusion Cornwall in collaboration with Cornwall Council’s Public Health team and other local partners, the guides offer tailored advice to help residents navigate the colder months.

Spreading the Word: Social Media and Cinemas

The Stay Well campaign is also part of the Healthier Together initiative, which promotes small lifestyle changes to improve long-term health. A short film (at the top of this article) outlining the 5 Ways to Wellbeing is being screened in local cinemas and shared online, on social media, and on digital screens across healthy venues.

Throughout December, a festive advent calendar will feature daily wellbeing tips from local health and wellbeing professionals, running across social media platforms until Christmas Day.

Photo: Jeremy Rowe – Volunteer Cornwall, Wailim Wong – Citizens Advice Cornwall, Craig Handford – Active Cornwall, Peta Coote – Kooth and Qwell.