As December 25 draws closer, it can sometimes seem that there's no escape from Christmas.
And whilst some people adore the festive season for all the family meet-ups, parties and merriment, there are many others who find it a difficult and lonely time, for a multitude of reasons. One Newcastle man wants to make sure that anyone who is alone on Christmas day, feels lonely, or needs some mental health headspace has an outlet and is holding a 5K walk in two of the city's best loved green spaces.
Alex Wright welcomed up to 20 people to his Christmas Day mental health walk in 2021, which he set up through his business WoeMan after struggling with feelings of loneliness. And he's hoping that this year's will attract more people on a route through Heaton Park and Jesmond Dene.
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Alex said: "Last year the walk was borne out of just coming out of lockdown, I was thinking of just something nice to do for people around Christmas who struggle with loneliness and anxiety as I do. I don't really do anything on Christmas Day, I've got a small family, and I'd prefer to do something in the morning which gives it more of a purpose."
Alex's business WoeMan aims to help businesses visualise conversation and action around mental health and masculinity through film and creative visual storytelling. He has also set up a running club which is aimed at getting people out of the house and talking about their mental health, and despite having a particular interest in how such issues can affect men, both the running club and Christmas Day walk are open to all.
He continued: "I started the running club because I thought if I can provide the headspace for myself, maybe I can do that for other people and if they turn up, then great. This year, I'm hoping more people will come to the Christmas Day walk as it's been given a bigger and better reception.
"I'm ambitious and I'm hoping for more than the 15 - 20 people who came last year. But if there isn't, and just one person turns up, I'll be happy."
"Being alone at Christmas, for example students who haven't gone home for whatever reason, can be hard. This is something to do that would maybe bring a little iota of happiness or Christmas Joy which I think everyone wants to get."
The WoeMan mental health walk takes place on Christmas Day, December 25, at 11am, with the meeting point at Sambucca Pavilion in Heaton Park. For more information, visit the WoeMan website.
What do you do when you need some space during the festive period? Let us know!
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