Uplifting Mindful Monday Success!
Fantastic weather and wonderful people helped make Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind’s session on Monday a huge success under difficult local restrictions.
Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique as well as a mental state achieved by focusing awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.
It wasn’t going to be an easy task for Rebecca and Caroline from TOG Mind to set up a Mindful Monday outdoor session, taking in the sights and sounds of Stamford Park, but adding in an extra session at the last minute ensured everyone could attend and more importantly, do it in a safe way.
Participants received an introduction to mindfulness, then enjoyed a 20 minute mindful walk, followed by a chance to feedback on how they found the experience. Positive comments included how it was a nice change to get away from the laptop and enjoy being outdoors, how being mindful enabled them to hear the small details of birds in flight and feel the ground beneath their feet, the sun on their skin, seeing squirrels burying nuts, and seeing patches of the riverbed where the sun was cutting through the water.
Rebecca who helped facilitate the 3 sessions on Monday 21st said “Although our new online zoom sessions are ongoing and have been really well received, we know that people have been really keen to do something face to face but in a safe way. The sessions were really well attended and from the feedback it’s clear that the demand is there, and more local people would like to access walking and mindfulness sessions outdoors just like this”.
TOG Mind are using the event as a springboard to provide more outdoor walking wellbeing group activities and mindful walking sessions over the coming weeks with at least two planned per month. You can find out more about these sessions and book on by contacting Rebecca or Caroline on 0161 330 9223. You can also see all the latest updates by following togmind_wellbeing_hub on Instagram.
If you or anyone you know would like to access support or training with TOG Mind or get involved with Covid relief fundraising, please call their office on 0161 330 9223, visit the website at: https://www.togmind.org/home or check out the Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/TamesideOldhamGlossopMind
Check out some images from the event below!
Clare has been with us at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop for a few years and we couldn't have been happier to have her along for the ride with us through everything! She's moving onto pastures new, but she didn't want to leave without sharing her experiences during her time with us.
Alternatively, view the journey by clicking here.
Walking across England for better mental health
Local fundraisers are planning to walk across England and raise vital funds for Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind.
The Coast to Coast walk is one of the most iconic long-distance walks in England with many experts recommending at least 15 days to complete the entire journey. Peter Keenan, Jamie Hallows and two other fantastic fundraisers are setting off Friday 14th of August and plan to complete the full walk in 10 days whilst raising funds throughout for National Mind and Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind.
Individual branches of Mind (over 100 in England and Wales) are responsible for their own fundraising so local help is always needed and hugely appreciated.
The team have already gained support from several local bars and public houses in Mossley including The Commercial, The Butchers Arms, The Britannia Inn and The Gillery but any additional help would be hugely welcomed by the guys taking part with the funds helping to supporting the most vulnerable people locally, especially at this difficult time.
Peter said “The team are all taking part for different personal reasons but collectively we recognise and understand that many people are struggling with their mental health now and we wanted to do something to help. If people can donate even a little, it’ll mean more support can be provided locally”.
Jason who’s worked with TOG Mind for almost 4 years said “It’s fantastic that the guys are raising funds and encouraging the conversation about mental wellbeing. We’ve seen a 400% increase in referrals during the last 4 months (our Buddy Project) so any support from the local community helps and is always hugely appreciated”.
If you would like to find out more about the walk and consider supporting, you can contact Jason at TOG Mind on the number below to make a direct donation, pop into one of the named businesses supporting or visit the JustGiving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/coasttocoast-2020
If you or anyone you know would like to access support or training with TOG Mind or get involved with fundraising, please call their office on 0161 330 9223, visit the website at: https://www.togmind.org/home or check out the Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/TamesideOldhamGlossopMind
Jamie Hallows (left) and Peter Keenan (right).
TOG Mind aims to promote a culture where discrimination is eliminated, and to provide an environment of equal opportunities where everyone recognises the positive contribution a diverse workforce and community can make.
Over the last 3 years, we have continued to learn, talk to people directly and increase mental health and wellbeing support that’s better designed and able to be accessed in easier ways and in various community locations.
We are aware that continued learning and even greater provision of varied support is needed across our footprint and we will continue to talk and listen to local communities to achieve this.
It's what we refer to as 'co-production' and your voices and opinions are important in shaping mental health services locally.
If you would like to help us with our ongoing co-production and build stronger wellbeing services locally, please contact us at: office [at] togmind.org or by calling our office on: 0161 330 9223.
Click here to view a PDF version of the statement.
Our friends at IntraQuest recently got in touch and asked if we would like to provide content for their Wellbeing Weekly - Issue 9.
It seemed like the ideal opportunity to update people on our currently work, how people can access support and how we can all help ourselves.
Click here to view the Wellbeing Weekly PDF file.
Link to event.
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Date and time: Fri, 24 July 2020, 11:00 – 12:15
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Event type: Virtual support
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Venue: Online/Virtual
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Address: Manchester
As a business owner you know that your staff are your most important asset and ensuring your workforce is fit and well – including their mental health - has never been more important.
Event details
Dealing sensitively with staff illness and long-term absence has always been a challenge for smaller businesses lacking the HR support and protections larger firms enjoy. And while an upset stomach or the sniffles is one thing, when the illness is not ‘physical’ but mental, it can seem a far more thorny subject for businesses to approach.
Join FSB for this virtual session with a panel of mental health experts looking at the common types of issues employees present with, how managers and team leaders should handle the situation sensitively, and look at the measures firms can take to make mental health less of a taboo subject in the workplace to start with.
Following the devastation of coronavirus, nobody really knows how the nation’s collective mental health will cope with the increased stresses and strains of life, so while we can only second guess that this will be more of an issues tomorrow, now’s the time to prepare. As a business owner you know that your staff are your most important asset and ensuring your workforce is fit and well – including their mental health - has never been more important.
This session will help you as a business to:
- Encourage you and your staff to look after their mental well-being
- Show you where and how to access advice and guidance specifically for employers on mental health issues
- Encourage your team to talk about ‘issues’ before they become full blown ‘problems’
- How to prevent staff from going on long term sick leave
- How to start conversations about mental health
- Warning signs for managers to look out for
- Common issues faced by employers
On the panel we have:
Chris Minogue, from Greater Manchester’s Working Well programme
Christine Husbands, Managing Director at RedArc who provide FSB Care for members
Jason Bromley, Senior Manager, Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind
Chrissie Gibson, Deputy Director, Stockport & District Samaritans
Follow FSB Greater Manchester Facebook page for all the latest events and updates.
Event contact
For general enquiries regarding the event, please email rose.buckle [at] fsb.org.uk or telephone 07917 628 916.
For any difficulties experienced connecting to the webinar, please contact Samuel Yates on 01253 336016.
Further information
New to virtual networking? Find out more about FSB virtual events and a quick guide to getting started here.
Link to event.
We want to take a moment to send a big thank you to Leigh Drennan who in his recent mayoral role in Tameside donated £2500 to TOG Mind in the memory of Curtis Higgins. Hugely appreciated and a great help at this difficult time for so many.
Our Buddy Project buddies do some really fantastic work and we couldn't be more proud of them. One of our recent volunteers who has now gone onto paid employment within mental health gave us an insight into their experiences working with the Buddy Project.
"My experience as a buddy for the Buddy Project has been extremely rewarding and life changing. Throughout my role as a buddy volunteer I have gained invaluable hands on skills, knowledge and experience with clients on a 1 to 1 basis.
I now have invaluable skills and knowledge within the mental health field which is something I was really keen to get to gain. I have also had the opportunity to complete a number of training courses and also gained a nationally recognised level 2 qualification all of which as a volunteer was available to me free of charge.
I've also had experience with the brilliant manager of the Buddy Project Kelly Smith shadowing her and seeing exactly what goes on behind the scenes to make all of this amazing work happen which was very interesting and just another opportunity which the Buddy Project had to offer! I would highly reccomend being a buddy volunteer to anyone who is interested in the mental health field and helping others as this has been an extremely rewarding experience helping clients to become more at ease within society and helped me to achieve my goal of working in a paid role within mental health."
--Amy Kellett
Please help us to help others - Have a say, feedback and support your local mental health charity. If you have accessed any of our services in the last few months, it would be a huge help if you would take a few minutes to complete this short survey.
At the end of July, two people will be selected (one for each survey) to receive a £20 Amazon Gift Voucher. Your feedback and suggestions are hugely important to us and help to ensure we continue to provide support locally in the best possible way for local people.
Adults Services Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MBGT3K9
Children and Young People’s Services Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/N6JSLRK
Click here to view the full document: Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook
Alternatively, visit the website here.
