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The easing of lockdown! will it be the solstice surprise?
Summer Solstice
Here at Zetetick, we look forward to the super Summer Solstice and the longest day, on 21st June. We hope the forecast will be for fine weather, to enable safe gatherings outdoors, where we can support one another with exercise and open-air activities, to improve and sustain good mental health.
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year – that means it has the most hours of sunlight. In the northern hemisphere (where the UK is) it usually falls on 20th or 21st June
The summer solstice marks the end of spring and the start of summer. It will end with the autumn equinox, which this year falls on 22 September.
Midsummer is of course the time for getting out in the sunshine. Outdoor or open-air activities can be in a variety of locations, whether this is by water, the sea, a river, canal or a lake, or even a park, forest, woodland or even back your back garden at your own home. It could be in or out of a town, but being outdoors more often than not in a peaceful setting, has proven to improve and enhance mental well being.
Supporting living – supporting outdoor lifestyles
Zetetick is dedicated to providing a supported and happy home environment to our tenants with learning difficulties. It has been proven that being outdoors can play a significant role in improving mental health and wellbeing and this is particularly important to those with learning difficulties, who may be more susceptible to mental health issues.
If you are struggling with your mental health, help is available in a variety of ways. Information and resources are available here from the Mental Health Foundation website.
Easing of Lockdown – 5 reasons why Summer solstice may not return to normal
Whatever the weather, the forecast for the final stages of easing of lockdown, are looking less bright, unfortunately. We had hoped that life would return to normal and the UK would complete the “one-way road to freedom” we had all eagerly anticipated.
However, the mutation of the coronavirus – now known as “Delta” – has meant that some of the restrictions that had been anticipated to have been lifted, will now remain in place for a while longer, until the vaccination programme has been comprehensively taken by a greater proportion of the population, and the increase in case numbers begin to subside.
But there are growing signs that Covid-19 restrictions will remain in place long after the summer solstice.
5 reasons why
- Social distancing – may/will remain in place
- Sporting events – to be temporarily postponed/limitations applied
- Covid Marshals
- Vaccine passports and test for entry – TBC
- Face coverings – will remain in place for the foreseeable future
However, these factors do not prevent Zetetick Housing from working across the board and improving the lives of people who suffer from learning disabilities, autism or mental or physical disabilities.
Could you volunteer to help?
At Zetetick, we have several roles available for anyone who wishes to improve the lives of those in supported living. We already have some amazing volunteers who help keep our tenant’s outdoor spaces a pleasant and uplifting place: planting flowers and shrubs, clearing borders, cutting edges and lawns, cleaning patio areas – any way to improve the outdoor environment for our tenant’s homes.
Not only can you volunteer for this over the summer months and beyond, but we are also looking for someone who would like to work on our social media sites, to promote the work we are doing, which is expanding. If you are a copywriter too, there is work available here that would be very worthwhile.
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