Our jigsaw project

We are currently in the process of speaking to people about a jigsaw project we hope to launch in 2015. We're inviting all organisations in Redditch to register their interest in the project and then we'll get everyone together to start organising it.

Aim:

The aim of the project is to focus on all of the aspects which together make up a person's quality of life including their mental and physical health, by looking at three aspects: how they can keep themselves happy and well, how they can help a friend and how they can help the community. Through this project, we hope to engage as many people as possible within Redditch to take part in at least one activity which will promote not only the specific aims of the project but also those of the organisations taking part from the voluntary and community sector.

How it will work:

Participants will work towards being 'Health Smart' by collecting pieces of a jigsaw, which together will make up an entire body. The jigsaw is made up of six pieces, which each represent a part of happiness/quality of life: the head (mental health), chest (heart health ie looking after friends and family), stomach (food), left arm (community), right arm (creativity) and legs (physical health).

There will be a number of sessions and activities run from the start of 2015 right through to Wellbeing Week in October which will focus specifically on one aspect of the jigsaw – for example comedy, writing or sewing sessions for creativity, making and preparing meals for food or sport for physical health. Once a person has attended one of the sessions, they will be given the corresponding jigsaw piece and it is hoped people will work towards attending six sessions throughout the year and thus being able to complete the jigsaw.

Organisation:

The project will bring together a consortium of organisations, mostly from the voluntary and community sector, who will put forward one leader for each of the six identified health factors (mental health, heart health, food, community, creativity and physical health). Each of the six leaders will be responsible for putting together a programme of activities leading up to October next year, liaising with as many relevant other organisations as possible and in encouraging people to join in and collect the jigsaw piece which matches their factor.

As a whole, the consortium members will also be responsible for promoting the project as widely as they can through the media, existing contact lists, liaising with the public and private sectors and promoting it at any events they host or attend.

Mission statement:

To engage and unite as many different groups and individuals within Redditch in a project to celebrate all aspects of health and wellbeing incorporating mental health, heart health, food, community, creativity and physical health. By giving thanks for positive factors within their lives, encouraging them to think about how they can improve less positive aspects of their emotional or physical health and by focusing not only on self-health but also the health of other people and the community as a whole, this will spread awareness of the different aspects which come together to improve their quality of life.

What are the issues and what are the solutions we are offering?:

Lack of awareness about the meaning of words such as mental health and wellbeing

• Sessions which will specifically inform people about the meanings, solutions to work towards better mental health and wellbeing.
• A visual representation (with the jigsaw) of what exactly incorporates health.
• A chance to learn more about aspects of health which they may not be familiar with.

A perceived lack of input from statutory services surrounding lower level mental health issues (ie they don't step in until the situation has reached crisis point

• Opportunities to meet people in similar situations, engage in positive activities and form new groups.
• Information and signposting towards relevant services which could assist.
• A chance for those struggling and the people who are looking after them to 'have a break' away from the issues faced.

There are so many organisations within the voluntary sector, often they are unaware exactly what is going on with other groups

• Closer working opportunities between all of the groups within the Redditch voluntary sector.
• The chance for groups to join together to offer activities, thus increasing the time and potentially the funding available for them, as well as the number of volunteers able to help.

Often the focus with mental health is on the negative aspects, such as the problems within the statutory services

• Turning the focus around so it is on positive activities being provided in Redditch.
• Giving people the chance to talk to others about what helped them when they were facing issues.
• Giving people a wide variety of activities to take part in, for example: sport, writing, cooking etc.