Update from the chair: February 2014

February has been a fairly busy month for MHAG, starting off on the 1st with some of the group attending the LGBT event at Redditch Library - having a table at events like this is something we are very keen to do as it enables us to speak to people who either may need to access mental health services but need pointing in the right direction or to those who might be interested in getting on board with MHAG and campaigning for better services. All in all, it was a great networking opportunity for us.

The following week we met with representatives from Redditch Borough Council and the Redditch Community Amateur Boxing Club - the former was to find out more about the events they are hosting throughout the summer. We should have a packed schedule with these events plus our own we are hoping to organise. The latter was to hear more about a new project they're hoping to launch and we have a representative coming to our meeting tomorrow to share some more information about that.

On the 7th, we held our Valentine's Ball which was a great event and saw us raising nearly £500 to add to the funds we started gathering last year. We're really hoping to hit our £5,000 target soon and hopefully the combined efforts of these fund-raising events and our Three Peaks challenge will get us much nearer that total!

We've also met with Jestaminute who have some great ideas about Wellbeing Week (to be revealed at our March MHAG) and some of our members have been busy putting together proposals for a mentoring project - the pilot of which should be ready to launch soon.

To round the month off, we have a representative of the Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group coming to talk to us tomorrow at our monthly meeting which will be followed by a talk from some people who've completed the Three Peaks challenge who'll be sharing some top tips.

Harriet.

Christmas and New Year support and services

Early Help

Families with children under 19 can call 0800 085 8106 free for help and advice. There will be an answering machine on the number from December 24th to 27th but on any other weekday the phone will be manned from 9am to 4pm.

Children's Centres opening times:

Cherry Trees, Batchley First school (01527 592675) - 23rd 1pm to 3pm SALT, 27th 9am to 1pm antenatal, 30th 1pm to 3.30pm My Time, 31st 9am to 1pm antenatal, 2nd 9am to 1pm antenatal.

Holly Trees, St Stephen's First School (01527 61360) - 23rd 9am to 1pm paediatric clinic 1pm to 4.30pm antenatal, 30th 9am to 1pm antenatal, 31st 9am to 1pm My Time, 2nd 9am to 1pm antenatal, 3rd 12.30pm to 2.30pm quit smoking drop-in.

Maple Trees, Roman Way First School (01527 503200) - 24th 9am to 1pm antenatal, 31st 9am to 1pm antenatal, 2nd 1pm to 3pm My Time.

Oak Trees, Oak Hill First School (01527 517185) - 23rd 9am to 1pm antenatal, 30th morning baby bistro and antenatal clinic, 2nd morning My Time.

Willow Trees, Church Hill Community Centre (01527 65668) - 23rd 12.30pm to 2.30pm quit smoking drop-in, 30th 12.30pm to 2.30pm quit smoking drop-in, 31st afternoon My Time, 2nd 10am to 12pm CHC, 1pm to 5pm antenatal.

Woodlands at Woodrow First School (01527 517935) - 23rd 9am to 1pm antenatal 11am to 1pm contact 1.30pm to 3pm CHC, 31st 9am to 12.30pm antenatal, 9am to 11pm My Time, 1.30 to 3 CHC, 2nd 9am to 2pm antenatal, 3rd afternoon quit smoking drop-in.

Headgym

The festive season can be a challenging time. If you are suffering with anxiety, stress, depression, addiction issues, weight problems, relationship difficulties, low self esteem or lacking in confidence, call 07768 920752 or e-mail info@headgym.co.uk for a free consultation 24hr call back.

Headgym use up to date NLP and hypnotherapy techniques to help you overcome issues and make the changes you want.

Nightstop

Nightstop and Churches Together in Redditch will be offering a daytime shelter to those in our community who are lonely and isolated, have no family of their own and no one to share Christmas with. We will offer a welcoming place where they will receive warmth and kindness, recreation and refreshment, care and compassion. We would like to stress that those eligible to attend the day centre need to be clients who ‘are most in need’ – those that are alone and isolated at a time when other services close down.

The provision is for individual adults only and we do not have any facilities for families with children. Any individual under the age of 18 who might turn up at the day centre will be referred to children’s services. The day centre will be located at The Ecumenical Centre, 6 Evesham Walk, Redditch B97 4EX and will open at 10 am on Monday 23rd December through to and including Thursday 2nd January 2014.

The centre will operate from 10 am to 6 pm and will provide guests with refreshments throughout the day, a hot lunch and activities to participate in. The centre will be managed by a day centre manager with the support of a team of volunteers. For more information please contact Ben on 0788 7777 692.

Oasis Christian Centre

Redditch Food Bank will be open at Oasis Christian Centre on Monday 23rd 10am to 2pm, Friday 27th 1pm to 4pm and Monday 30th 10am to 2pm.

Redditch Borough Council

Redditch Town Hall is open on the 23rd and 30th and then back open as normal (9am to 5pm) from January 2nd.

Batchley, Woodrow and Winyates One Stop Shops are closed from 5pm on the 23rd and reopen on the 2nd.

For emergency action including homelessness, call 01527 67666.

Redditch MHAG

Christmas meeting – Thursday 19^th December

7pm Redditch Town Hall

Come along and find out more about the group, our plans for 2014 and meet organisations who support residents in the borough.

Redditch Mental Health Action Group is a voluntary group made up of residents with personal experiences of mental health issues and organisations which support residents within the borough. We meet on the last Thursday of each month at Redditch Town Hall at 7pm.

We are planning to host a number of fund-raising and awareness raising activities during 2014 including the town's second ever Wellbeing Week following on from the success of the first held in October this year.

Samaritans 

08457 909090
jo@samaritans.org

Sandycroft

Sandycroft will be holding their mental health support group from 12pm to 2pm on Friday, December 27th. All are welcome.

Support Group

Mary Jones is available to speak to residents needing support over the holidays - call 07989 154258.

Two Pennies

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust is the main provider of NHS mental health services within the county. In order to meet the needs of those people with mental health difficulties in Worcestershire, the trust provides a range of services from inpatient care and intensive home support to primary care mental health services working closely with GPs and, where appropriate, helps people back into employment. Services are available for both adults and children, mainly via referral from a GP. Visit www.hacw.nhs.uk for more information about the trust and the services it provides.

Busy times ahead of Christmas

Here at MHAG we're not quite ready to wind down for Christmas yet and instead have a very busy week ahead raising funds and awareness. Our own event runs from 10am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday (December 14th and 15th) where we'll have information and representatives of borough organisations on hand in the town centre (Church Green area) to let people know about what services and support are available over Christmas. If you'd like any more information and are around in the town centre at the weekend make sure to pop over and have a chat - we'll be wearing our new MHAG t-shirts for the first time so we should be easy to spot!

Our final MHAG meeting of the year will take place on Thursday, December 19th. It'll be much more light-hearted than our normal meetings and we'll be using it as an opportunity to look back over the year's events and enjoy a mince pie or two. Existing and potential members are all invited to join us at the Town Hall at 7pm.

Update from the chair: November 2013.

November may have looked very quiet compared to the buzz surrounding October and Wellbeing Week in particular, but rest assured we have been very busy behind the scenes progressing MHAG and trying to ensure we start 2014 in the best possible position to further the aims of the group.

One of the things we're increasingly keen to do is formalise the group's structure, which would see us have a constitution and eventually applying to become a charitable organisation. We think that will put us in a much stronger position in terms of being able to fund-raise for projects in the town and also as a pressure group. So lots of the work this month has been about researching what the best way forward would be, thinking about how we can raise the money required to take on charity status and putting together a constitution.

However, we want to keep taking action whilst all that work is ongoing - MHAG definitely isn't about sitting round discussing options and never getting anything done - so we've been putting together an event in December which will see us going out into the town centre letting residents know what extra support is available to them if they encounter issues over Christmas. It's one of the key times of the year where people can feel especially vulnerable so hopefully we will be able to point a few people in the direction of a service they might need. Myself and vice-chair Rebecca did a similar thing last December with Samaritans which was well received so hopefully this year with a whole host of organisations on board it will be even more of a positive event. If you'd like to volunteer to help us out for an hour or so on either Saturday 14th or Sunday 15th please do let us know.

There's also lots of planning going on for our 2014 events, we're keeping them under wraps at the moment while the details are decided on but we should be able to start letting you know soon! It's exciting to know we have nearly a whole year of events before we even get to Wellbeing Week 2014 - we've got a range of things going on so there should be something for everyone, fingers crossed!

Key dates for December:
14th and 15th - Town centre leaflet hand out, highlighting services available for residents over Christmas.
19th - Our last MHAG meeting of the year, this will be an informal one so mince pies, a chat and a chance to reflect on 2013 and look forward to 2014!

Harriet.

Coverage of our December event

Stories about our December event are now up on the websites of both local papers -
 

Redditch Standard

 

Redditch Advertiser

If you'd like to volunteer for an hour or so during the event please let us know, alternatively if you'd like some information about services and support over the Christmas period, we'll be in the Church Green area from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, December 14th, and Sunday, December 15th.

Tackling loneliness this Christmas

We all know Christmas can be a particularly hard time for people, finances can become more of an issue while anyone not able to spend the festivities with loved ones can feel especially vulnerable. In a bid to do our part to tackle that, we'll be spending the weekend of December 14 and 15 in Redditch town centre aiming to let people know that they're not alone this Christmas - there is plenty of support and advice out there.

We're asking organisations from across the borough to let us know what activities, services and support they have running over Christmas and New Year, we'll then be able to hand these details out to residents from 10am to 3pm on both days. There will also be representatives from some of the organisations on hand to talk to people about what support they can access.

How you can help:

- Let us know about a service you run or support you're providing for Redditch residents over Christmas.
- Volunteer to help (we're asking volunteers to give up just an hour of their time, but you can do more if you like!).
- Spread the word - if you know someone who might benefit from the event please let them know.

Redditch town centre (Church Green area)
10am to 3pm
Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15.

To find out more, please e-mail us redditchmhag@gmail.com or call chair Harriet on 07788 379389.
You can also find us on Twitter or Facebook.