Buddy Project Volunteer Open Morning - This Thursday 9th January 10am till 11.30am at our Topaz Café and Wellbeing Centre on Katherine Street. Kick start your 2020 and explore volunteering opportunities with the fantastic Buddy Project in Tameside.
In addition, anyone who attends will receive a voucher for a FREE drink and snack as well as the opportunity to access a Wellbeing Check to gain support with general wellbeing, tools for mental health self-care over winter, information about social activities and signposting for practical help.
Our current buddy project volunteers have told us the role is hugely rewarding and provides a great sense of achievement from helping others. It’s a great way to start the new year, is often a couple of hours a week and really does make a difference in people’s lives.
Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind - Adults and Communities.
We are seeking a director with a minimum of 5 years’ experience of strategic work, service implementation and people management. If you’ve mastered the art of implementing truly person-centred approaches and have the creativity to co-design services to meet people’s needs, you’re just what we are looking for.
Full details can be found here: https://www.togmind.org/vacancies
Here's the latest (festive!) edition of the TOG Mind Wellbeing Column!
This edition is for the months of December and January going into the new year 2020.
This edition talks about some of the support you can find during these cold christmas months, such as our Winter Wellbeing project, as well as celebrating the fantastic year that has been 2019!
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What is SilverCloud?
SilverCloud provides clients with access to online, secure, supported CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) programmes which can be tailored to clients’ specific requirements. Client’s access SilverCloud alongside one of our supporters who will offer 4 -6 weekly online reviews signposting and guiding clients to specific support, modules and pages which are appropriate to client’s experiences.
SilverCloud consists of a range of online programmes covering a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, panic, phobias and stress which can each be tailored to client’s needs and experiences. Each programme consists of 6 – 7 modules which you can complete at your own pace over approximately 8 weeks.
SilverCloud can be accessed online via a mobile phone, tablet and laptop at a time and pace convenient for yourself, therefore, offering a flexible and accessible approach to resources and support.
How it works
SilverCloud consists of a range of online programmes covering a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, panic, phobias and stress which can each be tailored to client’s needs and experiences. Each programme consists of 6 – 7 modules which you can complete at your own pace over approximately 8 weeks.
Work independently - supporter will provide feedback and guidance.
SilverCloud offers a range of information and psychoeducational resources alongside containing interactive tools to support you in applying the information to day-to-day activities and experiences.
To sign up, visit: https://togmind.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/
Call us on: 0161 330 9223.
Exciting New Wellbeing Sessions for Christmas & Winter 2019!
We would like to invite you to our exciting December program of wellbeing sessions designed to increase wellbeing and improve mental health whilst connecting with others in a safe and supportive environment. All sessions are free. Please find below the upcoming sessions which we invite you to book on yourselves using the online links. If you have trouble booking on please feel free to call 0161 330 9223 and one of our reception team will be happy to help you with this, or ask for Caroline if you would like more information.
Please be aware of days and times for each individual session. Attendees are asked to arrive a few minutes early or you can enjoy some food or drink in our café before the session (not included). These will be regular sessions and will continue to run in 2020, further information about these and other events, will be emailed in a monthly “wellbeing bulletin”. If you do not want to be sent this monthly information please contact reception and ask to be removed from the mailing list.
Arts and Crafts Friday 13th December 1:30 - 3:30
Come and join us for a variety of Christmas crafts, this session we will be making festive decorations and community wishes to either take home, or to hang on our Cafe Christmas Tree. Leave a message for a loved one, or show some support to those who may need it during the winter months. We will provide a calming environment to help you get creative to reduce stress and increase self-esteem. Mindful creative activities like painting can help you to develop a greater sense of wellbeing whilst using all the senses. It can aid concentration, helping to relax the body and focus your mind. We plan to deliver a different activity each month.
To book your place, please click here.
Mince Pie & Mindfulness - Monday 16th December 5-6pm
Would you like to try mindfulness? Or have you attended a course and would like to keep practicing in a group? Why not come and enjoy our Mindful Monday with a festive twist? Come along and be mindful with a mince pie, enjoy some social time with others and learn the benefits of this great technique. Every other Monday we are offer an hours guided mindful meditation in friendly and relaxed group. Mindfulness can help improve wellbeing and manage mental health problems by increasing awareness and helping you to become more present.
To book your place, please click here.
Festive Singing for Wellbeing - Christmas Carol Service - Friday 20th December 1:30 - 2:30pm
Get into the Christmas spirit with a Christmas carol singalong! Come and get that festive feeling and either join in with our sing along or just sit and listen whilst enjoying a little festive treat! Singing is great for our mental and physical health in so many ways. It increases feel good hormones as well as regulates breathing, great for our minds and bodies. These monthly group singing sessions will be particularly beneficial as connecting with others, whilst practicing new songs has been found to very good for mental health. Don't worry if you've never done it before or think you can't sing. Come along, try something new and have fun!
To book your place, please click here.
We hope you can get involved this year and also help spread the word. Thank you from all staff and volunteers at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind.
Today (Tue 3rd Dec) is ‘GivingTuesday’, a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organisations to transform their communities and the world. It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.
Each year we aim to launch a fundraising appeal over the festive period. It's a really important time for us to talk about our work and to fundraise so we can keep providing support to anyone who needs us.
Today or any day throughout December - Can you help us to help others?
By donating £1.00 or more we will provide you with one of our fabulous TOG Mind pin badges and you can continue to support us and spread the word by wearing it whenever you can!
https://www.justgiving.com/…/cha…/togm/togetherthischristmas
www.togmind.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=4
It’s quick and easy to donate either through our website, our Just Giving page, PayPal or by just popping into our Ashton office on Katherine Street.
#FestiveFundraiser #GivingTuesday #MentalHealthMatters
The Buddy Project is a program run by Tameside, Oldham & Glossop Mind in partnership with LEAP and Diversity Matters North West. Its aim is to provide help and support to individuals by matching them with a Buddy, who will offer to accompany their client to events and activities in the local area.
There are many reasons a person might look to the Buddy Project for support. They might be suffering from a long term condition. They may be isolated, perhaps from recently moving into the area, or from experiencing a recent bereavement. They may feel too anxious to engage in the numerous activities that local organisations such as TOG Mind offer in the area. Often times it is a mixture of these reasons and this can mean a person is actually unaware of these activities.
The Buddy Project intends to be a presence that helps to open the door to these events, as well as the amazing benefits and experiences that they can offer. Our Buddies discuss their client’s hobbies and interests with the client, and we work to find opportunities that will appeal to them. After this, the pair will arrange to meet once a week for up to three months.
For an isolated or anxious person, it can feel like the rest of the world is a long way away – it may not feel like too realistic a possibility to get up and out there. Going it alone is tough, it’s challenging and it can be overwhelming. Our Buddies act as a guide in the right direction, raising awareness of the activities on offer in the local area and accompanying their clients to these activities.
Buddies do not act as a crutch for their clients. The aim of the project is to increase people’s awareness of community events, their independence in seeking them out and their confidence in attending them. In keeping with the earlier analogy, our Buddies open the door, but it is the client who walks through.
In addition to taking clients to these activities, Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind also hosts an array of our own events which Buddy clients are invited to. These are always completely optional, but they provide a fun and safe atmosphere, encourage mindfulness and are quite frequently an enriching experience where people can build upon their interests or perhaps pick up a new talent if they’re feeling adventurous!
It’s not just the clients who benefit from this though – our volunteer Buddies who accompany the clients may also enjoy the opportunities on offer, and their own awareness of community events will be broadened, which is always useful! Not to mention, learning more about a person and helping them to grow and strengthen is a very rewarding experience that makes this kind of volunteer work so enjoyable.
The Buddy Project exists with the help of our partnership in Tameside. Thanks to the work of Diversity Matters North West and LEAP, we’re all able to make this service more available, for more people.
Want to learn more about the Buddy Project, or become a buddy? Visit our page to learn more!
Here's the latest edition of the TOG Mind Wellbeing Column!
This edition is for the months of October and November.
This edition talks about our new Wellbeing Sessions, the upcoming RED January, and celebrates one of our fantastic fundraisers!
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World Mental Health Day is coming up soon on 10th October and it's going to be a really busy day. We'll be taking part and holding activities in both Tameside and Oldham, we hope to see you there!
Below are both of our posters containing information about what we'll be doing in each area on the day.
Left: Tameside
Right: Oldham
A Tameside primary school has been recognised for its work supporting the mental health of pupils, staff and parents. Mottram Primary School was presented with the AcSEED award by Tameside, Oldham and Glossop (TOG) Mind at a special assembly on Wednesday 25 September. After receiving support from Tameside Council’s Population Health team, the school was able to work towards the accreditation.
To achieve the award staff put in place a new health and wellbeing policy which aims to help children be healthy, attentive and emotionally secure. As a result of this new policy sessions have been organised to help parents and carers become more engaged in the education of their children. Pupils and staff worked closely with TOG Mind who delivered training for school employees and ran focused interventions for young people. The school now uses ‘shout out’ boards where pupils and staff can write positive comments about their peers or colleagues.
Staff now operate a play buddies scheme which makes sure no child spends break or lunchtime by themselves. The school’s mental health leads have been helping to improve the pupils’ self-esteem by giving stickers to anyone who’s done something positive. Mottram Primary also surveyed children, staff and parents to find out what they liked about the school. After receiving the results they invested in more equipment for children to play with, developed reading and reflection areas and gave parents more opportunities to talk about what they’d like to see at school.
Cllr Eleanor Wills, Tameside Council executive member for Adult Social Care and Population Health, said:
“It’s great to see another one of our schools has achieved the AcSEED award and is recognised for providing its pupils with fantastic mental health and wellbeing support. I encourage staff from other education providers in Tameside to get in touch to find out how we can support them with this accreditation.”
Melissa Scattergood, acting Mottram Primary School head teacher, said:
“I’m so proud of the effort from the team across the whole school to achieve this accreditation. Our pupils have enjoyed presenting assemblies and taking part in workshops with parents and carers. The interventions we’ve held have also given the children opportunity to discuss their thoughts, feelings, emotions and worries in a safe space.”
To find out more about the AcSEED award email Ali Sparkes at Tameside, Glossop & Oldham Mind at alisparkes [at] togmind.org.
