Richard White – Life on Lockdown

These past five weeks has certainly been a life changing experience that we were not prepared for. I have tried to stay positive and tried to make sure my own health and wellbeing is good so I can then also help others, including my family, friends and those who are classed as vulnerable. Although most staff at Millwall Community Trust have now been furloughed, there is still a team of staff that are continuing to manage community projects remotely and delivering activities for young and older people to take part in online or over the phone. Routine From Monday to Friday, I have kept my same routine. I set my alarm as I normally would do when getting up for work. I take my dog for a morning walk before I return home and log onto my work laptop to communicate with colleagues, partners and clients over email, video, and telephone calls. With colleagues, we have been developing new programme ideas which can support our local community both short and long term. We have also been evaluating and reporting on past delivery from the last year which we are sharing with some of our local and national partners. I make sure I find time to have a 30-minute exercise workout in the early afternoon in my garden which I appreciate I am fortunate enough to access this space to help improve my fitness levels and to help have a clear mind. I am also trying my best in supporting my teenage son in completing his daily home-schooling work which has had some of its own challenges which I am sure many parents have also experienced but we are getting through and his school are being extremely supportive. Staying positive after setbacks I did have a personal knockback a few days ago as I rolled my ankle and I believe I have severely ruptured my ankle ligaments from an exercise workout out in my garden. It was a complete freak accident as I slipped and ended up laying in extreme pain on the floor with a badly bruised and swollen ankle. I did not want to take myself to the hospital to get a confirmed diagnosis as our NHS are already under huge pressure with COVID-19 so I immediately started the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). I was confident of treating the injury myself as I have experienced similar ankle ligament tears from my earlier football playing days. Shortly after the injury I could feel my mental health mood change as I was previously feeling good about my improved fitness levels and was actually enjoying my daily workouts so I refused to let this injury get me down and I have since adapted my workouts so I can continue doing so without causing any strain on my injured foot. Upskilling There has never been a better time to complete online courses. I have so completed two Continue Professional Development (CPD) online workshops which were both certificated on completion. One was around health and wellbeing with Southwark Council Public Health and the other was an FA Safeguarding Adults workshop. I will certainly be looking at further online workshops in the coming weeks to help support and improve my knowledge around my area of work. Supporting Vulnerable people I normally manage and deliver weekly Walking Sports Clubs activities which helps support older people who may be inactive and those with two or three limiting long-term health conditions, including dementia, mental health, limited mobility to stay fit and healthy. The programme helps bring older people from different backgrounds together through taking part in fun walking sports activities which also helps reduce stress, isolation and loneliness. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have tried to keep in touch with as many of my clients as possible on a weekly basis and have been asking them how they are and if there is anything I can do to help. Some have accepted my offer of doing their weekly grocery shopping as they cannot get out of their homes which makes me feel pleased that I can help them. When I drop off their groceries, it is also extremely nice to be able to have a 5-minute face to face catch up conversation with some of them whilst social distancing. Adapting to new ways of thinking Since we have been in a lockdown, it has certainly made me think about things I would not have before. Such as looking up at a clear blue sky from reduced pollution, communicating with people in different way’s and looking after my personal health and supporting others where I can. At Millwall, we provide youth inclusion programmes which are designed to help create opportunities through taking part in free regular structured football and sports activities which also include pathways to qualifications in coaching and helps reduce the risk of involvement in crime for those living in the London boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark. We have recently been developing projects such as online gaming and podcasts to continue our engagement with local young people which we believe should also continue after the lockdown and once all our football sessions can resume. Outdoor football sessions can at times get called off throughout the year due to poor weather conditions. This lockdown has made us think about how the show can still go on by still engaging with local young people from the delivery of podcasts and online gaming from the comfort of our own homes or when we can return back to our local community centres. Missing football I am sure most football fans are all missing watching live football matches. When the English football leagues suspended all fixtures, I certainly was not in favour of the idea of professional football matches played behind closed doors. I would do anything just to watch a live football match on TV but we must wait for it to be safe for all the players to return as they also have their own families and friends to take care of during this crisis. I have recently watched full 90-minute matches of past Millwall games from 2004. It brought back great memories for me which was a fantastic season for the Lions and being able to recall my favourite Millwall home match at The Den which was when we beat rivals West Ham 4-1. I also watched our FA Cup semi-final win at Old Trafford which was a cup final day to Lions fans that celebrated that weekend and beyond. It was certainly a memorable weekend for me in Manchester with other Millwall fans. I was in my local Tesco’s store last week when a stranger started a conversation with me as he noticed me wearing my Millwall uniform, so we engaged in a conversation. It highlighted how football can do much to support our mental health in a positive way. We spoke about how much we were missing it and especially not being able to enjoy watching our own son’s play for their local teams on a Sunday. Look out for latest updates Even though some of our services have had to pause for the time being, many programmes are continuing remotely so we can continue to stay in contact with people. Please look out for updates on our website and twitter pages with regards to opportunities which young and older people can benefit from. If you have any queries then please don’t hesitate to contact myself at: [email protected] Stay safe and keep well! Thanks Richard White – Community Development Manager