Wellbeing festival programme is packed full of bright ideas

Variety and creativity are key elements in a month-long series of events designed to improve health and wellbeing across Fife.

People of all ages are being encouraged to take part in OnFife’s Ways to Wellbeing Festival – and to spread the word among friends and family.

From 2022 to 2024 Ways to Wellbeing will also be part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund-funded partnership project Dunfermline & West Fife Wellbeing Through Heritage to support a Covid-19 recovery focusing on access to heritage through a series of facilitated and enriched activities to promote wellbeing.

OnFife’s recently launched Cultural Wellbeing sessions – which are tailor-made for people living with dementia and their carers – provide a perfect start to the programme.

Mindfulness practitioner Craig Gilbert will lead a session at Kirkcaldy Galleries on Tuesday 10 May, and newcomers will be particularly welcome.

Craig’s session, which is supported by The Life Changes Trust, will provide a mix of artistic flair and mindfulness to help relaxation and improve wellbeing.

And there’s time for more reflection on Wednesday 11 May when book lovers of all ages can join a Scotland-wide reading initiative that seeks to boost mental health.

The Keep the Heid and Read campaign is inspired by recent research, which suggests reading for just six minutes a day can boost wellbeing by 68 per cent.

The campaign is being led by the Scottish Library and Information Council, in partnership with mental health charities and Scotland’s 32 public library services, including OnFife. People can pledge to complete six minutes of reading by visiting www.keeptheheid.scot

After this moment of calm and quiet, comes something altogether more raucous – a feel-good evening that offers a light-hearted look at the menopause.

The Midlife is a Cabaret – Laughing in the Face of Menopause! is at Rothes Halls on Friday 13 May. It promises to be eye-opening, enjoyable and a whole load of fun.  Fab comedians Raymond Mearns and Pauline Eyre, as well as the ever-wonderful, dynamic duo Red Velvet

Revelry, will be there to keep the crowd on its toes – more details and booking here:  The Midlife is a Cabaret – Laughing in the Face of Menopause.

As Fife celebrates Ways to Wellbeing, younger readers can take part in Bookbug Week, from 16-22 May. All events are suitable for families with children aged 0-4 and every event is free, although booking is essential. This year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Journey, and it’s full of interesting twists and turns along the way.

And don’t forget OnFife’s Lego Club. They’re the perfect opportunity for everyone – families, children over 8 to adults over 80 – to have fun as they construct, create and chill out. These weekend sessions will take place at Kirkcaldy Galleries, Duloch, St Andrews, Buckhaven, Cadham and Jennie Lee libraries. Contact the venues for details.

There are also free Ways to Wellbeing scavenger hunt and activity packs available in all libraries from 7 May.

A five-day event in Lochgelly will be bringing people together to share stories. The town is one of four Scottish communities chosen to host a five-day storytelling event from 23-27 May.

The Community Campfires project – run by the Scottish Book Trust – will invite local residents to celebrate the people, places and events that make their town special. Everyone from Lochgelly and its surrounding towns and villages is invited to the Lochgelly Centre to share stories linked to the area.

Elsewhere, three OnFife Libraries are promoting the physical and mental health benefits of walking, reading and sharing books.

Anyone can take part in the Walk ON wellbeing initiative – no matter their age or fitness level. The idea is simple – take part in a short health walk, and then relax with your fellow trekkers over a chat about books. You don’t even need to read anything in advance.

To find out more about these free sessions, get in touch with OnFife Libraries staff at Cupar, Duloch and Rothes Halls.

And, lastly, if it’s craft activities you have been yarning for… then why not try the Kirkcaldy Galleries crochet club or the knitting group at Templehall library? Contact the venues for details.