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“Sport in Mind began with one simple intention: to help a friend who was unwell,” Neil Harris, founder and CEO of Sport in Mind, told Positive News. “Today, having supported more than 60,000 people, I’m reminded every day of the power of sport.”
Founded in 2010, the charity runs free sport and physical activity sessions for people experiencing mental health problems, from walking and football to gardening, dance and movement. Working with the NHS and community partners, it creates welcoming spaces where sport is treated less as competition and more as a route back into routine, confidence and recovery.
Image: Sport in Mind
The Bluetits Chill Swimmers is a free, volunteer-led community built around cold water swimming and dipping. What began in Wales has grown into a global network of informal local groups, where people meet outdoors to swim, dip, chat and build confidence in the water. Its appeal is not endurance or elite sport, but the chance to spend time in nature, challenge yourself gently and find companionship through a shared ritual.
“The Bluetits was founded to help people build confidence, connection and wellbeing through the simple act of being around and getting into cold water together,” said Sian Richardson, founder of the Bluetits Chill Swimmers.
Image: Ella Richardson
