A senior nurse at our Trust who has led a wild swimming project that improves the wellbeing of young people has been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony.
Claire Hickman, Deputy Manager and Specialist Nurse for the Children and Young People’s Community Team won bronze in the Mental Health Nurse of the Year category at the British Journal of Nursing Awards. The awards celebrate the hard work and positive impact of nurses.
Claire was nominated for her outstanding work on the wild swimming project, which enables young people aged 12-18 who use our services to come along with a parent or carer and have a supervised dip in a natural lake.
Participants are referred to take part in the project by mental health clinicians. Sessions are run by wild swimming coaches and provide an opportunity to enjoy the local environment, be active and socialise, whilst using the health benefits of cold water to improve mental health.
The pilot project received fantastic feedback from participants:
• 85 per cent reported feeling less anxious
• 71 per cent reported feeling more connected with nature
One participant said: “The dips completely reset my body and mind every time.”
Another said: “It’s fun, inclusive and a great thing to do with others.”
The scheme has now received further funding from St Kilda’s Trust, meaning that the Wild Swimming Project will continue throughout 2024 and into 2025.