Worrying about the rising cost of food, energy and other essential household items can be stressful and have a major impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to take time out of your day to relax or do something you enjoy.

Things you could do to help yourself and others

• Talk about stress and its effects – let's work together to reduce the stigma that is associated with stress by talking about the topic openly and freely with friends, family, and colleagues.
• Share your coping mechanisms – if something has worked for you why not share it. It might benefit someone you care about and, in the meantime, it might help you take your focus off your own challenges.
• Be nice to those who are stressed and anxious – we are all undoubtedly going to experience stress and anxiety in our lifetime so treat others going through it with compassion and empathy.
• Look after yourself – we all need to think more about self–care. Take time out of your day to relax or do something that you enjoy. Don’t forget to exercise and eat well, even when you feel too stressed.
• The most crucial thing you can do when you are stressed or anxious is to make sure you are continuing to look after yourself. Make time to relax when you need to and learn to say no to requests that are too much for you.

You can find lots more information and free resources on how to recognise and manage stress on the NHS Every Mind Matters website.

Stress - Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

5 ways to wellbeing

The five ways to wellbeing are about making your life that bit brighter without having to make dramatic changes to your lifestyle.

Simple things like connecting with the people around you, going for a walk, wheel or run, being curious about your environment, trying something new, or doing something nice for a friend, can have a major impact on how you’re feeling.

Explore the link below to find out more about what is available in Cheshire West to help lift your mood and improve your wellbeing with ease.

5 Ways to Wellbeing

Several Council, local. and national schemes are available to help residents across the borough to address the energy efficiency of their homes, helping to reduce energy use, lower bills and improve health and wellbeing.

Home Upgrade Grant
This is available to homeowners or private tenants living in properties that are not heated by mains gas and have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of Band D, E, F or G.

To qualify you must meet one of the following criteria:

• You receive an income related benefit, for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit Guarantee, Council Tax Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Tax Credits
• Your total combined annual household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £31,000
• Your total combined annual household income before tax, National Insurance and other deductions is no more than £20,000 after your housing costs have been deducted. By housing costs, we mean mortgage payments, rent payments and Council Tax

More information and how to apply can be found using the link below.

Home Upgrade Grant

Home Improvement Agency
This service, delivered by ForHousing, supports older people, people with disabilities or those on low incomes to repair, improve or adapt their homes, ensuring that they can continue to live independently.

Home Safety Grants and Decent Homes Loans can help with urgent and essential repairs. More information on eligibility criteria and examples of the types of work that a grant or loan can be used for is available.

Home Improvement Agency

Details of additional, local and national energy efficiency schemes can be found on the Council’s Home Energy web page along with links to advice and guidance to help reduce energy usage.

Home energy | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dealing with everyday challenges relating to the cost of living can affect anyone including currently serving troops and their families, veterans, and cadets.

To support veterans and ex-service families, the Armed Forces Community Support charity, with the support of the Council, provide drop-in sessions four times a month in Ellesmere Port and Chester.

The Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) Break Drop-in is open to veterans, Regulars or Reserves, and their dependents, to come together in a relaxed social environment to share similar experiences.

It also offers front-line help where needed and direct access to support, advice, and guidance on topics like employment, debt, benefits, welfare, mental health difficulties, housing, homelessness, drug and alcohol problems.

Location and times
Ellesmere Port Library – second and fourth Thursday of every month between 11am and 1pm

Dale Barracks, Chester – first and third Thursday of every month between 11am and 1pm

Brio Leisure also provides current and ex-members of the military, along with those who are medically discharged, the opportunity to receive a discounted or free membership. Ex-members of the armed forces can benefit from Brio Leisure’s discounted Work Fit Membership, and this is available to those who have left the forces in the last five years.

For more information on employment, housing, health and leisure support, visit the Armed Forces Covenant pages on the Council’s website.

West Cheshire Armed Forces Covenant

NHS: Healthy Start FAQs

At the Cheshire West and Chester Work Zones, you can access free maths courses to improve your skills, learn how to manage a budget, or get qualifications to help you find quality employment. All you need is to be over the age of 19, and to not already have a Level 2 qualification in maths (A-C at maths GCSE).

The government-funded Multiply programme is designed to help people gain skills and feel confident using maths in their daily lives. There are a wide range of courses available.

Maths workshops

If you don't want to do a qualification but do want to learn practical numeracy skills, the Work Zones offer interactive courses that help you apply maths to everyday tasks like cooking. For example, the Ellesmere Port Work Zone offers courses on food budgeting and money managing. Learning how to cook an affordable meal and stay on top of how much you're spending on your groceries is more important than ever as the cost of living rises.

Alternatively, you could do a 'Brush up on your Maths' course at Chester Work Zone to build your confidence in maths.

The workshops take around 5-10 hours and can be completed in a couple of sessions. They're very flexible, so you can do them in-person, in the Work Zones or school hubs, or online.

Get a maths qualification

If you want to get a qualification in maths, you could do a Functional Skills Maths course which will have an assessment at the end. You can do Entry 3, Level 1, or Level 2 functional maths skills. A Level 2 qualification is equivalent to an A-C GCSE in maths.

Maths Award courses

If you're less confident in your maths or find assessments stressful, you can take a Maths Award course. These courses will be adapted to fit your ability and your learning style to help you gain maths skills that will be useful in your daily life. You can use your coursework to achieve the award instead of an exam, and then go on to do a Functional Skills qualification afterwards if you wish.

How do I book a course?

To find out more about the courses and sign up, please contact your local Work Zone from the list below to see what they offer. If you don't want to phone, you can pop into the Work Zone.

• Ellesmere Port Work Zone, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65
• Tel: 07990 532 869
• Northwich Work Zone, Waterside House, Navigation Road, Northwich, CW8 1BE
• Tel: 07833 236 675
• Winsford Work Zone, Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford, CW7 1AH
• Tel: 07766 205 389
• Chester Work Zone, The Bluecoat Buildings, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 4EE
• Tel: 07775 717 122

Alternatively, you can send an email to multiply@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk to get more information and sign up for a course. Or, you can call Simon Dutton:

• Tel: 07798 742 100

Multiply for parents

If you are a parent, Multiply also offers courses in certain schools, including how to 'Help your child with maths'. For more information, contact your local Work Zone from the list above.

Book-keeping courses coming soon

From September 2023, Work Zones are also going to be offering workshops on bookkeeping. So, if you want to set up a business or run one already, you can gain the skills you need to manage your own finances.

Live Well Cheshire West

Ofcom: Cheaper broadband and phone packages