Bankside Boosts Wellbeing with Better You

The Better You programme returned this January with an expanded offer of free wellbeing activities for everyone who lives or works in Bankside. Running from 12 January to 6 February, the programme supported physical health, mental wellbeing, personal enrichment and community connection through a varied mix of classes and workshops.

This year, Better You expanded beyond in-person events with Wellbeing Buzz offers from local partners and new online training through SEEDL, giving participants more ways to get involved.

Programme highlights included Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Salsa, Reformer Pilates, Wellbeing Walks, Dry Drink & Draw, Knitting, Women’s Self-Defence, Terrarium & Pottery Workshops, Aerial Slings and Bouldering.

Online, participants could also access sessions such as Standing Office Yoga, Overcoming Social Anxiety, and Change Your Mindset and Achieve Your Goals via SEEDL.

Strong participation

The programme proved extremely popular, with 20 in-person events, most fully booked well in advance, and more than 450 bookings in total.

Online engagement was also strong, with 345 SEEDL bookings across December, January and the first week of February, demonstrating a clear appetite for flexible, accessible wellbeing support alongside the in-person programme.

Outstanding feedback from attendees

Feedback from the events survey highlights the impact of Better You:

• 100% of respondents rated the events as either “Excellent” or “Very Good”
• Everyone who attended said the session helped them achieve their goals, such as learning a new skill, trying something new or improving their wellbeing
• 94% of attendees connected with at least one new person, reinforcing the programme’s role in building community and connection

Participants also shared overwhelmingly positive comments about their experiences:

“We were made to feel so welcome by Mus [from BOST], and Katie who was from Better Bankside. Clearly a lot of effort had gone into preparing for the event too.” (Terrarium workshop)

“It felt very open to all abilities and welcoming as soon as I walked through the door. It was great to learn aside other newbies at the same level of myself, and to generally unwind after a busy working day.” (Knitting workshop)

“Great chance to take a break from everyday worries and do something hands-on – it’s really lovely to be able to get your hands dirty on something physical, especially when work is so centred around screens / emails etc!” (Hands On, Screens Off Workshop at The Goodlife Centre)

“The atmosphere of the session was incredible! I attended a women’s self-defence class, and I can truly say that I came away feeling empowered to stand up for myself, not just in the event of an attack, but in everyday situations as well.” (Self-defence workshop)

“It was a joyous get together, and it was flawlessly put together. I learnt, it was thrilling, the moderator/teacher was fabulous. All great things.” (Dry Drink and Draw)

What’s next?

The feedback has already sparked ideas for the future. We’ve received lots of suggestions for other sessions to run, and planning for more events will begin soon. If you have feedback from the Better You programme, or if you’d like to find out more about our events programme throughout the rest of the year, please get in touch with Charlie Stanley.