Darwen business continues wellness walk tradition for mental health awareness

The Hakim Group team during their mental health walk.

Over 50 team members from Darwen based business, Hakim Group, completed a two-hour walk to Darwen Tower summit in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week.

This year’s focus for Mental Health Awareness Week ( May 15-21) was anxiety, which led the group to join together for a team walk, combining exercise, fresh air and a sense of community.

The team spent two hours on Thursday May 18 making the climb towards the historical monument, around four miles in total, making for a very different break from the typical day at the office.

Teams from Hakim Group HQ, which represent independent opticians across UK and ROI, have undertaken several walks throughout the past year around the Darwen area to encourage team members to take a wellness break and spend some time in nature.

In further support of mental health awareness, Hakim Group partnered with Lancashire based organisation, Shine Coaching, who strive to provide support and resolution to men who are dealing with stress, anger and conflict in their daily lives.

Founder of Shine Coaching, Lian Frankland, said: “We’ve found that when it comes to mental health, nature and exercise can be excellent healers. It provides a space that is calming as well as giving us a break from the stress and worries of everyday life.

“This can be particularly useful for those struggling with anxiety but taking time to recuperate and immersing yourself in nature is important for everybody’s mental health and wellbeing.”

Nick Lowe, Head of Communication at Hakim Group, added: “It’s always great to see the team join together, especially for such a worthy cause.

“We have such a beautiful landscape right on our doorstep and it never fails to help bring people together and lift everyone’s spirits.

“Mental health is so important and often gets overlooked so we’re really grateful for any impact we can make by taking steps in the right direction to ensure everyone in our local community is supported and cared for, if and when they need it.”

If you would like to donate, you can do so via the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/shine-coaching?utm_term=68dZZJKb8

For more information about Hakim Group, please visit: www.hakimgroup.co.uk. For more information about the work Shine Coaching carry out, please visit: www.shine-coaching.com