This is the Tameside & Glossop edition of our wellbeing column for the months of August & September!
This edition we're talking about Schools, Training, and the Café!
A huge thank you to Delph Primary School and Denton Community College work for both of your fantastic efforts in raising funds to support the services TOG Mind provides!
Delph Primary School organised and held a 'Trading Day' event where they managed to raise a whopping £522.33!
Denton Community College took part in the Born Survivor Obstacle Course challenge and as a result managed to raise a fantastic £294.10.
The money raised will go directly into funding the mental health support offered at TOG Mind, who work across the Tameside, Oldham and Glossop areas. Every year, more people are facing problems with their mental health.
TOG Mind work to ensure that they can offer help to anyone that needs it, through guided self-help, mental health advocacy, drop-ins and more. Their other work involves teaching the community about mental health problems, how to recognise mental health symptoms and ways to reduce the negative stigma which, sadly, is still a barrier to people asking for help.
Thank you to everyone who took part in these events, we couldn't be any happier that you chose to support us at TOG Mind! The combined total raised between the two schools reaches an incredible £816.43 raised!
For more information about TOG Mind and the services offered, visit our website www.togmind.org; or you can drop us a call at 0161 330 9223.
If you’ve been inspired by this story and are interested in running your own event, or if you just want to donate, contact fundraising [at] togmind.org.
For the month of July, the Picture of Health is Physical Activity! There are loads of ways to get active, take a look at some below!
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Mind in Greater Manchester have this week announced their new ‘Blue Light Programme’, which aims to improve emergency service staff mental wellbeing by providing unique services, and destigmatising mental health among workers in the region.
Available to all Greater Manchester Fire, Police, Ambulance, and Search and Rescue personnel; the programme offers staff eight unique interventions from a menu of services – including:
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Mindfulness
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Counselling
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CBT therapy
Which have been specifically designed to help individuals manage stress, build resilience and identify trauma.
Mind in Salford are one of the five local Mind organisations involved in the delivering the programme, which the organisation hopes will provide a much-needed layer of support for emergency services personnel. Chief Exec, Markus Greenwood stressed how important it is that staff have access to such services:
‘’This is a wonderful opportunity for Mind to help support our emergency services. They do fantastic work but it can be very stressful at times and we all need help when things are tough. We have a menu of tried and tested services on offer that will give a choice of interventions to help with stress and promote resilience for the personnel of these vital services.’’
As a national charity Mind have championed equality between mental and physical health for years, and are still a key figurehead in the push for better mental health support in workplaces. More recently the organisation has identified emergency staff as a specific group that is more at risk of experiencing mental ill-health – their latest research finding that 87.57% of personnel said they had experienced stress and poor mental health. Subsequently, the charity has committed £4 million to be spent exclusively on ‘Blue Light’ services since 2015.
Rob Potts, Assistant Chief Constable at Greater Manchester Police said:
“The wellbeing of our employees is paramount within a workforce that is frequently exposed to difficult, stressful and traumatic situations.
The Blue Light programme will help the way we change GMP, creating a work place environment that challenges the stigma surrounding mental health issues, whilst providing the best support and advice and ensuring we are all given the opportunity to reach our full potential.”
Who are Mind in Greater Manchester?
Established this year, the organisation is a partnership of Greater Manchester’s five local Minds, working together to ensure people experience better mental health, and support people to live well and feel valued in their communities and at work. By pooling their expert resources, the organisation hopes to offer targeted support that will dispel stigma and empower staff to overcome personal mental health struggles.
As well as the provision of services, Mind in Greater Manchester have declared clear intentions to put mental health front-and-centre of the region’s social, political, and commercial landscape by campaigning for change and delivering workplace training together.
Mind in Greater Manchester Coordinator, Stuart Lucas, this week outlined the organisation’s desire to make a concrete difference to the mental wellbeing of emergency services staff:
“Through our partnership of five local Minds we are working harder together to achieve better mental health for everybody. The Blue Light Programme is a Greater Manchester specific initiative to ensure that we can be there for those whose job is to be there for us.
The Blue Light programme illustrates our commitment to find positive ways to make sure Greater Manchester’s emergency services staff feel valued, are able to live well, and develop their full potential. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect.”
Mental Health in Greater Manchester
Mental health has been firmly on the public agenda in Greater Manchester; last summer £134 million pounds was allocated to mental health services, with the ambition of putting mental health on ‘an equal footing’ with physical health. Part of this investment was used to set up the ‘Manchester Resilience Hub’, which was launched to support the victims and families of last May’s arena bombing. One year on, those directly involved – including emergency services staff – may still be feeling the mental impact of such a traumatic event.
Furthermore, Mental Health Awareness Week, which took place last month saw corporations in the region such as Barclays, Manchester Airports Group, PwC, Sellafield, and United Utilities support the ‘This is Me’ campaign, which encouraged staff to break the silence around mental health in the workplace.
Within the emergency services, recognition of staff mental health continues to grow and there is an increased appetite for extra support services. Wayne Norris, a Greater Manchester Firefighter and mental health activist explains:
“Over the past five years attitudes towards mental health in our workplace have gotten a lot better, but it’s still vitally important to get the issue out there.
We need to be able to walk in to work and tell someone what’s affecting us, and why it’s affecting us. Having Mind in Greater Manchester’s Blue Light Programme available is brilliant – hopefully it will help staff to improve their own mental health and continue speaking out.”
The Blue Light Programme is available now for any Greater Manchester emergency services employee or volunteer. To see the course details or to book on to a service, visit their website, or contact Mind in Greater Manchester’s Blue Light team directly on 0161 212 6461 or by emailing bluelight [at] gmmind.org.uk. Alternatively, individuals can approach their Wellbeing or HR departments, who can discuss the most suitable options with them and make a referral.
Additional Blue Light research statistics (2015) for journalists and communications departments:
Causes of poor mental health amongst emergency services staff:
- Excessive workload (56%)
- Pressure from management (55%)
- Organisational upheaval (52%)
- Long hours (45%)
- Exposure to traumatic incidents (42%)
More statistics on previous Blue Light Programmes elsewhere in the country can be found in Mind’s case for support.
Between Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th July, Oldham will be hosting its first 'Get Oldham Chatting Week'! Between 10am and 12pm Monday to Friday there are ten separate venues offering a Chatter & Natter table which is where customers can sit if they are happy to talk to other customers. Customers sitting on the table will receive a free toasted teacake with the aim of the week to Get Oldham Chatting!
The following venues are taking part:
- Monday is Charles Morris House in Failsworth which is a sheltered housing scheme.
- Tuesday we have Costa in the walk in centre and Costa in Spindles.
- Wednesday is Salt Cellar.
- Thursday there are two venues taking part; Dovetails Centre in Shaw and The Ageing Well Hub in Werneth.
- Friday we have two fab Saddleworth cafes; Reclamation Room and Station Brew.
- Saturday it is at Play Diggle.
- Sunday will be Café Mandels in Dunwood Park.
Please come by between 10am and 12pm to get involved!
There is a good mix of venues so we can bring all kinds of people together; for example, Play Diggle is aimed at people with children who can often feel lonely and isolated. Get Oldham Chatting Week is being run by The Chatty Café Scheme, a local initiative which is now across Britain. All the venues taking part have a regular Chatter & Natter table for customers who fancy a bit of company with their coffee.
For more information about TOG Mind and the services that we offer you can visit our website www.togmind.org or you can call 0161 330 9223 where we will be happy to help.
Annual Fitness Fundraisers meet Incredible Success!
Earlier this year in April we shared an article about our work with the Holt family and their events and activities in memory of their loving and caring daughter, Chloe.
Despite the pain experienced by Chloe’s family, they voiced one key resolution – to highlight the struggle that Chloe faced, and to do all they can to prevent it from happening to another family. Through the hard work of Matt Hoyle, Chloe’s Uncle, and Emily Harvey; the family put on an incredible series of Fitness Fundraisers in Chloe’s memory and brought together, friends, family, colleagues, and the community to celebrate Chloe’s memory and to raise money for us at TOG Mind to help support other families going through similar situations.
See the pictures below to see how our colleague Amy got on at the Blood, Sweat and Tears class run by Matt (very sweaty!) and pictures from the Family Fun Day – which was all bouncy castles, face paint, and a tough Cross Fit Taster!
They have raised an absolutely amazing £2,484.74 through their events and through support from their friend Katie, fellow personal trainer with Matt, who ran in the Great Manchester Run this year in Chloe’s memory. See more about Katie’s run in our article here.
We are so grateful for their support and look forward to being involved in future events and activities and helping wherever we can!
Watch this space for an exciting collaboration with Emily Harvey, Concept Artist and Illustrator coming this Christmas time...
In Memory events such as this are so important for us at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind to not only raise vital funds for our services and support individuals and families in a similar situation but to help us share what we can offer and sign post everyone out in the community to what help they can access. If you’ve been inspired by this story and are interested in running your own event, or if you just want to ask us to have a chat with us about how we can help you with an event, contact fundraising [at] togmind.org.
For more information about TOG Mind and the services we offer you can visit our website www.togmind.org or you can call 0161 330 9223 where we will be happy to help.
We recently sat down with one of our lovely trustees Vicki to discuss what it's like being a trustee with Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind. Being a Trustee with TOG Mind can mean any number of things, it really comes down to what you want to get out of it and how much time you're able to put in.
If you're interested in becoming a Trustee with us, you can learn more on our Volunteer page.
How did you come across Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind?
"I was obviously aware of National Mind both through initiatives being run through my work place but also through encountering National Mind at various charity events, but it was only when I started talking to a couple of friends locally that worked for Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind that I understood how the local structure of Minds works and that it’s a different organisation to National Mind.
I then started to notice activities that Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind were doing locally. So I think that was my first experience of working with you guys."
What are your thoughts about Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind?
"I think TOG Mind provides unique services both in supporting the more traditional mental health services provided by the local authority, and by the NHS; but actually also in providing services that didn’t previously exist and aren’t covered by any other organisation.
Particularly for me raising awareness of mental health issues providing I guess what you might call a ‘one stop shop' for people to come to and be signposted to services; also quite a lot of the work done around building resilience, asset building work, trying to equip the community to deal much better with mental health issues rather than necessarily diving straight into a medical solution, and also two particular areas for me around young people and helping support specifically teenagers with mental health issues and then also hard to reach communities; which is very much a challenge in the Tameside and Oldham areas."
How did you become a trustee for Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind?
"So I became aware that TOG Mind were recruiting for trustees through a couple of friends that were already working there. I met the chairperson at the time and had - I guess you might call it an interview, but it was more a matter of us working out between us if it was something that was to be mutually beneficial.
I also spent time with some of the other trustees and some of the other employees of TOG Mind. I attended a trustee meeting as an observer just to find out if it was something I was interested in and if I could bring some value to the organisation, I then went through a bit more of a formal process in terms of training to be ready for the approach. It was a really nice and straightforward process though, everyone was really friendly and helpful along the way and I felt that it was something I wanted to be involved in because I feel passionately about mental health."
What does being a Trustee for Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind involve?
"Well, in a way you can make as much or as little of it as is comfortable for you and fits your lifestyle so there’s a minimum expectation that you would participate in monthly trustee meetings. They’re all about guidance and support for the organisation and that’s the opportunity for you to bring any particular skills you have to the party and share them with the wider organisation.
There’s also an away day once a year, and also an expectation to some degree that you would visit some of the services and understand some of the initiatives that are being put in place. On top of that you can participate as much or as little as you want to do, there’s always opportunities to get involved with the wider team and to experience some of the services that are being provided for yourself."
What would you say to other people who are considering becoming a TOG Mind Trustee?
"Other than the time requirement which is something we covered previously, I guess some people may be concerned about what they have to bring to the party and I think the answer to that is everybody has some skill, so you’re either in the workplace currently or you’ve got experience of bringing up a family, you may know people who have had challenges with mental health issues and I think all of those experiences are really valuable to TOG Mind.
We’re really looking for quite a diverse collection of people who can bring lots of different things into the organisation. I think personally as well it’s a super rewarding experience to be involved with TOG Mind; it’s a really happy place to be and I’m always inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication of the team that work here so I would encourage people to come along, see it for yourself and get involved."
If Vicki has inspired you to take part and become a trustee, then you can click here to learn more and to apply.
This is the Oldham edition of our wellbeing column for the months of June & July!
This edition we're talking about Blazing Saddles, Summer health, and services for children and young people!
This is the Tameside & Glossop edition of our wellbeing column for the months of June & July!
This edition we're talking about Mindfulness, Summer health, and Counselling Skills!
Through their current storyline the topic of Male Suicide has recently been highlighted by Coronation Street. In the UK and Republic of Ireland more than 6,000 people take their life each year, this means on average there is one death by suicide every two hours, with many more people thought to attempt suicide each day. Currently in the UK suicide is the leading cause of death among young people aged 20 – 34. However suicidal feelings can affect anyone of any age, gender or background, at any time.
In March, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) launched their Project84 by positioning 84 sculptures on the roof of the ITV Studios Tower, each representing a life lost to suicide. In the UK approximately 84 men take their life every week, these remain largely unseen other than by the family and friends they leave behind. Project84 aims to raise awareness, strive for change, and encourage individuals to start a conversation about suicide.
Suicidal feelings can range from being preoccupied by thoughts pertaining to ending one’s life; or feeling that others would be better off without you; thinking about methods of suicide; or making clear plans to take your own life. Everyone experiences suicidal feelings in a way unique to them, you may feel scared or confused by your feelings, you may not understand why you feel this way, or feel like you’ll never be happy or hopeful again. Suicidal thoughts aren’t permanent however – things can improve through support.
Initially, it may feel difficult to open up to people, you may feel unsure of who to tell or concerned that they won’t understand or feel fearful of being judged. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, there is support out there and you deserve to be supported.
Where can I access support?
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If you are experiencing suicidal feelings going to your GP is a good starting point, they can support you to access talking therapies or refer you to specialist services, such as a community mental health team.
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If you don’t feel you can keep yourself safe right now, seek immediate help by calling 999.
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Go to any hospital A&E department.
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Contact The Samaritans on Freephone 116 123, they’re open 24 hours and are there to listen.
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Counselling:
Talking about your feelings in a safe, confidential, non-judgemental, and impartial therapeutic space can help you to explore and address your suicidal feelings and those areas of life currently causing you distress. At TOG Mind we offer counselling to all residents of Tameside and Glossop aged 16 and over. Counselling is a series of 50 minute one to one sessions which take place at the same time each week. For more information please visit our website at https://www.togmind.org/ or call us on 0161 330 9223.
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Peer Support:
Peer support groups offer an opportunity to connect with others who’ve had similar experiences, share your experiences, learn and develop a better understanding of yourself and others. The Anthony Seddon Foundation run several peer support groups aimed at supporting individuals to manage their mental health. For more information visit: https://tasfund.org.uk/
