Seasons Greetings from Healthwatch Stockport
Like all of you and after a very busy year, the Healthwatch Stockport team are looking forward to the festive break to spend valuable time with loved ones and recharge our batteries ready for 2026!
We really want to thank all of you for being a part of Healthwatch Stockport – whether being one of our fantastic members who receive our regular communications, an Advisory Group or Enter and View volunteer, a community group or organisation or one of our health and social care partners, you’ve all had an input in the work we have done to improve care for everyone. Your enthusiasm, involvement and continuous support, big or small, have all made a significant contribution and continue to be the reason for all our achievements.
We hope that you have a joyful and restful festive break and a happy New Year.
From the Healthwatch Stockport Team
Healthwatch Stockport Festive Opening Hours
The Healthwatch Stockport office will be closed to the public from Friday 19 December until the New Year. We will continue to monitor our inbox and voicemail intermittently during this time in case urgent support is required.
Feeling Right as Rein(deer) - 'What to Know This Winter' Booklet Available
Have you downloaded or picked up your copy? Stay feeling right as rein(deer) with our super useful booklet shares tips, tricks, advice and important information to help you and your loved ones through the Winter months. We've included advice to help you manage your health and wellbeing, useful numbers, advice around your home, local services, costs of living support and so much more.
It's available digitally to download and share, or in a printed version. Many hard copies are already been distributed to libraries and local community venues. So feel free to pick one up! To ask for a copy, contact the team:
info@healthwatchstockport.co.uk
Please share this with loved ones and your networks.
Follow Our Winter Social Posts
We'll be sharing Winter advice posts on our social media so give us a ‘follow’, ‘like’ and ‘share’ our posts. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Threads and X (formally Twitter). This helps to spread the word about local health and social care and how we, Healthwatch Stockport, can help you.
Don't Forget to Check Out Our Advice Articles
How can your pharmacy help you? Did you know that pharmacies provide advice and information on minor illnesses and ailments? Find out how they can help you.
Looking after your mental health all year round: One in four people in the UK have a mental health condition. With everything going on in our daily lives, awareness of our mental health and how to care for ourselves or others is essential.
When should I use NHS 111: Learn what the NHS 111 service is for and how you can use it to get the care you need.
Bank Holiday Pharmacy Opening Hours
Details from NHS Greater Manchester (GM)
See the pharmacy opening hours for the Christmas and New Year bank holidays:
- Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day)
- Friday 26 December (Boxing Day)
- Thursday 1 January (New Years Day)
These include Boots and Asda in Stockport town centre and Heald Green pharmacy. Other pharmacies may be open, but have not notified NHS Greater Manchester.
The the most up-to-date information is on the Greater Manchester Community Pharmacy website.
We have also published an article listing Stockport pharmacies open on these days.
Christmas and New Year Health Advice
Details from Stockport Council
No one wants to be unwell over the festive period, so it’s a good idea to take a few simple steps to protect yourself and others.
Know where to go for healthcare: Make sure you know where to go to get healthcare help over the Christmas and New Year period. The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership has published a useful guide to services.
If you’re not sure where to go, visit NHS 111 online. It’s available 24/7.
Think pharmacy for minor illnesses and injuries: Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who can give you expert advice on treating minor illnesses and injuries. They can also, where appropriate, supply prescription-only treatment for some common conditions you would usually need to see a GP for.
Find out more about the help available at pharmacies.
Remember to check opening times for your local pharmacy before you go. Visit the Integrated Care Partnership website to find a list of Stockport pharmacies open on Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.
Stock your medicine cabinet: Stock up on things like cold and flu medicines, plasters and antiseptic creams to help you treat any minor illnesses or injuries at home. Visit the Healthy Stockport website for more tips on what to put in your medicine cabinet.
Live Well: Warm & Well Spaces Across Stockport
Details from Stockport Council & Sector 3
Stockport's "Live Well" over Christmas 2025 focuses on community support, with Warm & Well spaces offering free warmth, food, and activities in libraries and community hubs, alongside festive events like the Great Gingerbread Hunt in the town centre for families.
A network of Live Well Warm Spaces started opening from 15 December across the borough. Visit the warm spaces directory to find your nearest one, and check back regularly to find new spaces and explore what's going on.
Library warm spaces: Drop in and enjoy a hot drink, take part in activities, get online, and get advice, information and support. Visit the libraries directory to find opening times.
Stockroom: Every Monday, you can enjoy free hot drinks and biscuits at Stockroom’s Winter board games get together, from 10am to 12 noon. Lots more activities are running, so make sure you visit the Stockroom website to explore what's on.
Warm events and activities: Community groups and organisations are hosting free events and activities where you can connect with people in your community. There's lots to get involved in, from coffee mornings to tea dances, Funday Mondays to Friendly Fridays, and chat clubs to knit and natters. Visit our events calendar to find events near you.
Warm spaces for young people: Young people can enjoy dedicated youth nights across the borough, including Stockroom. Check out our events calendar to find your local youth night.
Mental Health Support Over Christmas
The holiday season can be a particularly challenging time for many. Here's a reminder of the free help available for anyone in Stockport, who is feeling worried, stressed, or low:
- Greater Manchester Mental Health Helpline: 0800 953 0285 (24/7 for all ages).
- Shout (Text): Text SHOUT to 85258 for immediate crisis support.
- Samaritans: Call 116 123 (free, 24/7) for anyone needing to talk.
- NHS 111: Call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk if you're not sure where to go. People of all ages, including children, in crisis or concerned family and loved ones can now call 111, select the mental health option and speak to a trained mental health professional. NHS staff can guide callers with next steps such as face-to-face community support or facilitating access to services (e.g. crisis cafés or safe havens).
Local Support:
- Open Door (Making Space): Crisis support, emotional help, and self-help tools. Call 0161 549 9717 or visit Progress House (no referral needed).
- Stockport Mind: Provides local mental health support; check their website for Christmas/Bank Holiday service details.
- Viaduct Care Wellbeing & Self-care: For those with a Stockport GP (over 18) needing support for low mood, anxiety, etc. Call 0161 204 4675
- Pennine Care’s mental health helpline is a 24/7 helpline to support people of all ages and run by NHS staff: 0800 014 9995
Young People:
Kooth (for ages 10 to 25) and Qwell (for ages 26 and up), offering anonymous support
Hopeline (ages 0-35): A helpline for young people having thoughts of suicide. Available for anyone under 35 or anyone who might be concerned for a young person. 0800 068 4141. Opening times: 9am-midnight every day.
Further support is listed in the Image below from Viaduct Care under 'Stockport Provisions'
Stockport’s Christmas Provisions This Year
Please see the attached documents with some helpful numbers and support over the festive period. These include financial and family advice, domestic abuse support, foodbanks, emergency numbers and so much more.
The 'Primary Care: Get to know where to go' booklet tells people all they need to know about primary care services – including new features of the NHS app, Pharmacy First offer, prescription costs and urgent dental and eyecare services. An online version is on the NHS GM website.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) have published Winter advice on their website to share useful service information, including when to call 999.
Support This Winter: Viaduct Care have produced this very handy one pager of useful phone numbers for over the festive period. A PDF version is also attached.
Stockport Foodbanks
- Stockport Foodbank Operates several centres across Stockport, including locations in Hazel Grove, Reddish, and Cheadle. More details, including specific centre locations and usual opening hours, are available on their website: stockport.foodbank.org.uk.
- Chelwood Foodbank Plus Located at Chelwood Baptist Church in Cheadle Hulme, this foodbank provides urgent practical support to local people. See their opening times for the festive period: chelwoodfoodbankplus.org/
Stockport Homes tenants: call the Money Advice Team - 0161 217 6016 (option 3 and then option 4).
Other Stockport residents, call Stockport Council’s cost of living line -0161 474 2140.
You can check what items your local food bank needs most here. For the full list of food banks closest to you, visit Greater Together Manchester.
Holiday Support for Families
Details from Stockport Council
If you work with families, Family Hubs have created a summary of Holiday support (See attached), with helpful parenting resources (including SEND), plus links to activities and events to make the holidays easier and more enjoyable.
Please share this page with the families you support – it’s a great way to connect them with practical advice and fun opportunities.
Bereavement Support in Stockport
When you’re grieving, the thought of celebrating Christmas may be quite upsetting and daunting. It’s so important to look after yourself as well as those around you.
There are suggested ways to help you cope but we understand that everyone copes in a different way; whether it’s lighting a candle, talking about them or simply having a quieter time to reflect. Here are some tips from Cruse Bereavement Support:
- Consider different ways of celebrating: Try planning in advance how you’ll celebrate (or not). You might like to keep to some traditions to pay tribute to the person, or prefer to ignore the day altogether. It’s important to do what’s right for you.
- Find ways to remember them: This can be as simple as visiting a place special to them, looking through old photos or hanging up a meaningful decoration. For more ideas, click here.
- Accept that others may have different ways of grieving: Try to be sensitive to others’ needs, and talk openly together about what will be best for you all.
- Try to maintain a routine: Keeping regular patterns of sleeping and eating where possible can make a difference. Connecting with friends and family can help.
- Look after yourself: It is common to drink more alcohol over Christmas. If you find yourself drinking to cope or numb the pain, it might be time to seek help. Get support.
- Take a break from TV: If it is getting too much, consider taking a break from films, TV and social media and getting some fresh air instead.
- Allow yourself to feel: You may experience a whole range of emotions and none of them are ‘wrong’. Feelings of sadness, anger, jealously and numbness are common, try not to push them away. You might also find moments of happiness or laughter. However you’re feeling, that’s ok.
- Talk to someone: If you’re struggling to deal with grief over Christmas, you can call the Cruse Helpline on 0808 808 1677, see here for opening hours.
The Greater Manchester Bereavement Service can also help to find support for anyone in Greater Manchester that has been bereaved or affected by a death.
Keep Warm, Well and Steady
Details from Healthy Stockport
Stay steady this Winter and all year round - preventing falls for older adults is especially important in Winter when icy paths, wet floors, and poor lighting increase the risk of slips and trips. But falls can happen at any time of year-often in the home due to clutter, loose rugs, or poor footwear.
Taking simple steps like keeping walkways clear, wearing supportive shoes, and doing regular balance exercises can help you stay steady and independent all year round.
Training: Think Carer!
Signpost for Carers have recently been awarded funding through the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Stockport VCFSE Work & Skills Fund 2025/26, a UK Government–funded initiative delivered in partnership with Sector 3, Stockport Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This funding enables them to deliver our new, Think Carer – Carer Champion Workplace Training Programme — a CPD-accredited course designed specifically to help Stockport businesses identify and support unpaid carers within their workforce.
Running from November 2025 to March 2026, this fully funded opportunity will allow up to 300 local employers to nominate a member of staff to become a Carer Champion or for larger organisations one per department. Champions will gain the knowledge, tools, and confidence to:
- Recognise and support colleagues with caring responsibilities
- Promote carer-friendly policies and culture within their workplace
- Improve staff wellbeing, retention, and inclusion
As part of Stockport’s Live Well initiative, this project supports local employers to reduce inequalities in access to work, strengthen inclusive recruitment, and build stronger connections with the voluntary and community sector.
This is a fantastic, fully funded opportunity to take positive action for your workforce and help make Stockport a more carer-aware borough.
Places are fully funded but available only until March 2026, dates until February 2026 are available now to book.
Book your free Carer Champion place today via Eventbrite:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/signpost-for-carers-111081186161
Training: 2026 Start Well Free Virtual Sessions
The Start Well parenting team have confirmed next year’s dates for their popular free online Emotional Regulation and Sleep sessions for parents and carers and evening sessions are available for the first time next year.
The first Emotional Regulation session will take place on 15 January and the first Sleep session on 5 February.
Please share this information with families who may benefit and encourage them to visit What's on in Stockport for further information and to book a free place.
