Creating opportunities for participation and recovery
Cosmo Lewisham Community Opportunities Service newsletter Issue 8 winter 2011
Right at the limits of Lewisham, Downham’s attractions demand not to be left on the margins. Take D ownham – a diversion and discover the way to hidden treasures. Many of the roads are named from the legends of out and about king Arthur, so keep looking around for the holy grail. Here it is no longer “the same old story” – there are lots of places to try out. Using the theme again of “five steps to wellbeing”, on page two we make many suggestions about places to visit in the new year and beyond. If anybody would like to recommend ideas to feature in the next newsletter, all submissions will be warmly welcomed. You can contact us at [email protected]. Pause Donna Walker and for thought Neil Bellers Winter is in Photograph: Grove my head, but Park station is southern eternal spring Lewisham’s gateway to is in my heart. Downham and district. Victor Hugo (Jaiteg).
In this issue
stars shine hear us celebrating “today I bright roar hope feel positive”
slaM community South east lions world hearing Pamela’s team of 2010 football club voices congress story Page 3 Pages 4&5 Page 5 Page 6 Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 2 cosmo five steps to wellbeing
Co-editors Downham – out and about Frances Smyth Peter Robinson Connect Simply, connect with the people around you. 1With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, The newsletter team work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the Christian Papantoniou cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them Donna Walker to support and enrich you. Jaiteg 999 Club, 424 Downham Way, BR1. Meeting place for people Joseph Johnny who are homeless or living with mental health or drug issues. Laurent Downham Community Centre (Wesley Halls), 2 Shroffold Neil Bellers Road, BR1. Parent and toddler, yoga, dance, keep fit, martial arts. Pamela Moncrieffe Go to downhamcomcentre.org.uk or phone 020 8698 1464. email Be active Go for a walk or run. Cycle. Play a game. Do [email protected] 2 some gardening. Dance. Exercise makes you feel good. go to So discover a physical activity that you enjoy, one that suits www.camhs.demon.co.uk your level of mobility and fitness. Downham Health and Leisure Centre, 7-9 Moorside Road, COSMO is a newsletter in BR1, phone 020 8461 9200. 25 metre swimming pool and which users of Lewisham teaching pool, fitness suite, aerobics studio, badminton and Community Opportunities table tennis, martial arts and outdoor floodlit astroturf area. Service report on local Beckenham Place Park BR3, contains large areas of ancient initiatives and organisations woodland, a golf course, tennis courts and football pitches. they are involved in. Our purpose is to share Take notice Be curious. Catch sight of something positive stories about people 3 beautiful today. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the and services we find inspiring moment, whether you are walking, eating lunch or talking to or think could be helpful to friends. Awareness of the world around you, what you are people who are living with feeling and your experiences will help you appreciate what mental distress. matters to you. There are many roles Downham circular walk, Thursdays, 10.30am, meet in you could get involved in at Downham Health and Leisure Centre main reception area. Cosmo, including editing, Grove Park circular walk, Wednesdays, 10.30, meet at publishing, photography, Ringway Centre, Baring Road. Phone Sonja 07836 548870. writing articles, interviewing and administration. Keep learning Try something new. Rediscover an old We meet Wednesdays, 4 interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different 1-4pm, COS Central, 1 Aislibie responsibility at work. Learn to play an instrument or how to Road, Lee SE12 8QH. Phone cook your favourite food. Learning new things is fun and will 020 3228 9370. make you more confident. To get involved, phone Community Education Lewisham, Grove Park Centre, Pragnell Frances on 020 8694 6519 Road SE12, phone 020 8314 7775. Adult education classes or 07973 218 851, or email including art, cooking, textiles and supported learning. [email protected]. Grove Park Library, Somertrees Ave, SE12, 020 8314 7686 If you have any comments Downham Library, 7-9 Moorside Road, BR1, 020 3049 1980. about an article or would like to have something included in Give Do something nice for a friend, or even a stranger. our next issue, why not send 5 Take time to thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. us an email? Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community COS North can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the 32-34 Watson Street, people around you. Deptford, SE8 4AW. Community Allotment Group, Oldstead Road, Downham, Phone 020 8694 6519. BR1. Contact Nigel Carroll from COS on 020 3228 9370, COS Central Grove Park Community Group, 268 Baring Road, SE12. Go to 1 Aislibie Road, www.gpcg-ringway.org.uk or phone 020 8857 7980. Lee, SE12 8QH. Compiled by Donna Walker (pictured in the gym) and Neil Bellers Phone 020 3228 9370. All photographs by Jaiteg, other than Community Allotment Group Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 3 five steps to wellbeing slam community team of 2010 award Downham – out and about Stars shine bright
Patrick Moore from the Enhanced Recovery Team (ERT), at the Ladywell Unit, writes here about the work of his team and why it was Highly Commended in this year’s prestigious SLaM Nursing Award ceremony.
hen ERT was announced as one of SLaM’s Community Teams of 2010, among the applause there may well have been some murmurs of “Who?” W ERT, formerly the Lewisham Rehabilitation Team, is based at Ladywell House and works across Lewisham. We recently changed our name to reflect the recovery model which underpins our service. Recovery is now – quite literally – our middle name. We are a multi-disciplinary team, composed of six The Enhanced Recovery Team, with Patrick on the right. care-coordinators from nursing, social work and occupational therapist backgrounds. We also have and implementing the WRAP (Wellness Recovery psychology and consultant psychiatry input. Action Plan) – a personal guide that helps service ERT works with individuals with severe and users to focus on how they can improve their quality enduring mental health problems whose support of life and avoid relapses. Our previous research into needs include residential settings, outreach service the Mental Well-Being Impact Assessment was and high support independent living. We aim to published in a journal last year. support individual recovery and rehabilitation, We also successfully moved residents out of promoting maximum independence and quality of Westwood Hill, a “hospital in the community” which life. This involves working closely with residential was closing. Our service evaluation showed that providers, including providing training, and participants generally felt very supported throughout supporting relatives to maintain their involvement. the process and there was no relapse amongst this group at the time of evaluation. Close-knit We are delighted to have our achievements We are a close-knit team and pride ourselves on being recognised with this award. Through enabling our more like a family – only less dysfunctional than clients to achieve greater independence, we not only most. We are bonded by a shared commitment to the support them in their recovery process, we also save Recovery model and our legendary team lunches! money for SLaM, which should ensure the enduring ERT’s other recent achievements include adapting value of ERT in the changing times ahead.
heather close recovery group
A meeting what they wanted without patients at Heather Close, surprise everyone there got of minds fear of being judged. the moving-on team, social involved, asking questions “Some really good things workers and doctors. and giving their opinions. From Heather Close – an came out of it, mainly “We did a presentation “When that happens it is inpatient rehabilitation unit based on our experiences at Heather Close. To our like, ‘Oh wow, people have in Hither Green – comes an of recovery. We decided had similar experiences, they example of organic recovery. what would be good topics understand what I’m talking A talking group found its to discuss. We covered about’. own direction and the shopping, budgeting, “The whole idea was discussion was put on paper safety, and moving on to to help people move on. as a booklet. independent living. Help them survive in the “We used to meet every “We decided it would community and have a week in a cafe in Catford and be a crime not to write decent standard of life”. talk about many different our experiences on paper. Interview by Laurent things. People could say We gave the booklets to and Pamela Moncrieffe Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 4 ask a professional south east lions football club Your worst critic H ear us roar
Negative thoughts can have a big impact on our mood, energy levels and behaviour. Patterns of negative thinking, such as self-criticism, can become habits that we get so used to that we do it without even being aware of it. One way of tackling this is to develop a more “compassionate mind”. This can be particularly useful for people who tend to be judgemental and critical towards themselves. The first stage is being able to notice what you are doing, and this is not always easy. However, you can start by pausing for a moment when you feel down, stressed or angry and notice what thoughts are going through your mind. You may start to notice an “internal bully” and thinking habits such as being self-critical, always expecting the worst, comparing yourself to others, having unfair expectations of yourself and basing what you think on how you feel.
Automatic Alison Cox reports on the recent football event Because many thoughts tend to be automatic it is not organised by COS’s Trevor Wyer and held at Millwall FC, easy to change them and putting pressure on yourself where South East Lions FC triumphed over all comers to do so can often make things worse – as you may and won two trophies out of two. end up judging and criticising yourself for not controlling your thoughts! n 11 October, South East Lions, the COS Instead, being aware of your thoughts, accepting football team, hosted a football them for what they are but training yourself to be tournament. Its aims were to celebrate more compassionate towards yourself may help to World Mental Health Day 2010 and to ease the distress these thoughts can bring. Ohighlight the benefits of engaging in regular This may start with being more empathic and physical activity on mental health and well-being. sympathetic towards yourself, not blaming yourself The event was the brainchild of Trevor Wyer, for these thoughts or avoiding them but trying to face head coach of the South East Lions. them with understanding like you would towards a He successfully applied for funding from South troubled friend. London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Congratulate yourself for being aware of your Charitable Funds, specifically to host an event to thoughts and feelings and count it as an achievement celebrate World Mental Health Day. when you get through your day in spite of these Sufficient funding was gained to enable hiring of rather than judging yourself for not coping with them an astroturf pitch at Millwall Community Scheme, better or getting rid of them. where the team have often trained over the last Try not to give the “internal bully” the reaction five years. it is looking for; instead, compassionately Five-a-side teams consisting of mental health acknowledge the thoughts and feelings as you service users from all over London were invited to experience them while training participate and there was an excellent turn-out of yourself to notice negative twelve teams on the day. thinking habits and develop a more try to be Camaraderie compassionate response understanding The atmosphere and camaraderie on the day were to them. like you would observed by all to be very positive. Matthew Richardson, with a troubled There was much appreciation of the organisation psychologist, “ friend of the event with all matches running to schedule Northover Community and maximising the involvement of all teams. Mental Health Team “ The tournament was won by the South East Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 5 south east lions football club world Hearing voices conference H ear us roar Celebrating hope
The second World Hearing Voices Congress was held outside Nottingham in November. Some participants from the Deptford Hearing Voices group attended the congress and here two of them give us their impressions.
The opening address of the two day World Hearing Voices Congress was by Marius Romme, a psychiatrist and one of the founders of this movement. Later we were honoured to meet him. There were four varied talks, including one about how the hearing voices movement has changed psychiatry, which was interesting and insightful. Another talk was from a lady who explained how art has helped her healing process. This was inspiring, particularly because it was outside of the Lions A team, making the most of home advantage medical model. in a hard fought final against a team from It was a great experience to attend the congress Greenwich. The final score was 4-1. with people from all over the world, and hear There was also a shield competition for losing different stories. It was also encouraging to hear how teams to compete for concurrently. This was won many voice hearers have studied or trained and gone by the South East Lions B team, wrapping up a very on to better things. successful day for the club as a whole. Julie Harper, co-facilitator, To cap it all, medals and trophies were Deptford Hearing Voices Group presented by the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, who congratulated all teams on their Having experienced distress and mental instability performance. in the form of hearing voices, the chance to talk of the To get involved contact Trevor Wyer on 020 8694 6519 or voices is a chance to keep us intact. Richard Mascarenhas on 020 3228 9370. There was the safety of participating in a group. I felt accepted. Being part of a movement can be a defence mechanism against stigma and prejudice. Sharing messages and questions created solidarity, supporting each other’s path where the normal social support (family, work or community) may not have. Caring for myself means accepting the voices, and integrating these within our potential. Hearing people’s stories of what is possible created a shift in awareness. Reflection with empathy makes for catharsis and resilience. The responsibility is to challenge alienation, to find meaning for experiences. The secret is to make sense of things and not judge ourselves. The conference was a celebration of hope, with power in communicating truths. The mind is an uncharted territory but it can survive and thrive. Laurent For more information about the Deptford Hearing Voices Group contact John Robinson on 020 8694 6519 or go to Above: Lifting the trophy aloft. Top: The two Lions teams. www.dhvs.freeuk.com. Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 6 pamela’s story “Today I feel positive”
Pamela Moncrieffe from our newsletter team is nothing else but fear and despair. putting the stress of her illness behind her and feels I used to worry about what I said and how I did she is travelling in a positive direction, thanking God for things. This was deemed to be part of my illness, but good friends and support. sometimes what is classed as an illness seems more like a situation. don’t know how people look at me nowadays The diagnosis at times can be worse than the actual but I feel a great deal more a part of society than experience. Even though everything and nothing is I did before. COS has brought me out of my happening to me, my fear is that something is timidity and into a realness that means so much happening. I guess that is why I was diagnosed with I to me. I now feel more involved and a part of the paranoia. I thank God there is a word for the feeling I things I do, because my manic depression and panic had, and that it was all in my head. attacks don’t prevent me from joining in all the activities that are open to me. The eyes of time My book entitled Eat Yourself Mentally Fit was Looking through the eyes of time I came to realise published thanks to COS staff who gave me strong that time is a great healer to all who feel forgotten support. I am doing well and feeling a lot better than I and friendless. However near or friendly anyone is to used to. Now I can look forward to the future me, it is never enough and so time was and is my optimistically. Gone are the days when I could see greatest friend. What ever time of day it is I know the next second, minute or hour will be here. The other day, my doctor asked, “How are you feeling today?” Believe it or not, it was a wonderful day and I was feeling ever so positive. I smiled and said, “Today is one of those days when I feel positive”. My doctor smiled at me and said, “Is that so?” I looked at him and said, “All I want now is some good friends, a lot of money and good health”. He just could not stop laughing. Only after the laughter stopped, I realised that I told him I was feeling positive. I asked myself, “What is positive, what does it really mean someone like me?” Well I can only put it down to feeling optimistic about the future. Eat Yourself Mentally Fit is published by Chipmunk. Pamela, with her usual warm smile. To download a copy go to Chipmunkapublishing.co.uk
volunteering in a charity shop
Sense of achievement does not allow me to do where they showed me attends a nursery in Catford. and accomplishment this. I have been doing it around the shop and a I just have to drop him off five weeks now and have health and safety training and go straight to work at I find work experience in attended three times, not session. I meet new people the shop. the British Heart Foundation including an induction and help customers if they I just went in to the charity clothes shop in request stuff which is not on shop and said I wanted to Catford most rewarding. the shop floor. I do clothes volunteer and was given an It gives me the same steaming, tagging, pricing application form. The staff feeling I used to get as and size checking. are very welcoming and a child after helping my So what made me keen to assist you and find aunt to do housework – a volunteer? Well I had my lots of things to do. sense of achievement, son’s nursery days increased Donna Walker accomplishment. and so I had an extra two Go to www.volunteer I do one day a week days childcare. It’s very centre lewisham.org.uk or – some weeks my health Volunteering can be fun. convenient as my son phone 020 8613 7133 Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 7 reviews Howzat for a good read?
Neil Bellers reviews cricketer Marcus Trescothick’s ground breaking book Coming Back to Me, which won sports book of the year, and the BBC’s Headroom website which tackled mental health issues.
he cricketer Marcus Trescothick has published a personal expression of his problems with depression and how he managed to deal with its effect on his life. TI have read the fascinating updated 2009 paperback version. He describes how a successful sporting career, which can include many personal awards and team achievements at the highest level, can also carry a lot of underlying stress. Marcus’ particular experiences contributed to Marcus Trescothick, publicising Time to Change. mental strain building up over the years, with constant thoughts of possible injury and anticipation quote from one of the articles. of criticism from the media, opponents and even Many different contributors to the website, team-mates. including Professor Kathy Sykes and Ruby Wax, have “I have learned to seek help first and worry about provided input in the form of text, pictures and video what people might think of me later”, he reflects. clips, demonstrating their expertise in mental health. Since the launch of the book his life and cricketing One ideal place to start exploring the information career have hit even new high points with more is to choose the A-Z listings and find a particular sporting success and now literary awards. reference point, then go into more detail as indicated with each click to the next link. Headroom “Unwind your mind” is a worthwhile headline to I found the original link to the book on the BBC remember. It encourages regular visits to the website, website covering mental health issues. Originally which is definitely worth a look. launched in 2008, the Headroom page had plenty of Coming Back To Me: The Autobiography of Marcus subjects for discussion available, although it is now Trescothick is published by HarperSport. no longer being updated monthly. For more information go to www.time-to-change.org.uk/ Headings to choose from still include Self-Esteem, news?page=1 and www.mhmawards.org.uk/shortlist.html. Managing Stress and Useful Contacts, all of which There are plenty of suggestions of further reading at help to “reduce stigma around mental illness” to www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/mental_health.
in my opinion
I’m an academic, popular culture isn’t exactly be dealt with, and often are face the horror alone. it’s what I do overflowing with characters granted one thing we don’t The important thing is like me. have in reality – power. It it brings up things from How does the academic So a long time ago I can be depressing. By their my viewpoint. What if side of me cope with being imagined a comic company, nature the characters have to people like me were, say, what I am? Well for starters I Ruler Comics – “Ruler is the the government? Or what analyse myself, analyse and yardstick!” – and have it would that character re-analyse, take every facet staffed by artists and writers have done? I have made of my problem and see how much like myself. So most of some story universes that it works. its titles, especially its horror have broken free of these Another thing, and a lot titles, include characters very limitations. I can set the less tiresome, is to see what simpatico. I’ve returned to terms of the argument and I can do with the perception it over the years. The basic the outcomes for the people. that my problem gives feature is that people like me That is the buzz. me. Because, let’s face it, are dominant and have to Christian Papantoniou Cosmo No 8 Winter 2011 8 Jaiteg’s seasonal photograph interview Carmen – “get involved”
Joseph Johnny spoke to Carmen Powell about being senior team worker in COS’s Black Users’ Forum (BUF).
What is the BUF and how did it evolve? It is a space for African and African-Caribbean people to explore issues of mental health and to support each other. It was the initiative of a Footprints found near Chinbrook Meadows, Grove Park. past black service user who identified that there was a gap in the statutory BUF’s Carmen Powell Dee time mental health services. How did you come into your post? The chill of Winter I have had many years experience of working in a hospital environment, social work teams, community The wind is like a Piranha cutting at your fingers and day centres and have qualifications in counselling leaving them numb and icy. Woow goes the wind and management. My role in the BUF is to apply for taking your breath away, gushing as it passes, funding, manage the budget and ensure there is a sometimes taking scarves and hats,attacking baggy regular and varied programme of events, like outings, skirts. Woosh goes the wind as it leaps and pulls and social events and educational sessions. I supervise sucks. Woosh then its gone, leaving calm and quiet. Bernadette Ofogu who is a part time service user Silence goes the peace that is left after the wind. Here worker employed by SLaM to help run the forum. it comes again – tug – knocking door knockers and What are your cultural interests? tearing tiles off rooves, turning over cars and blowing I like socialising with friends and cooking; travelling traffic cones over. to the Caribbean; listening to reggae music; going to Donna Walker church. I also read the Gleaner and the Voice. What does the BUF mean to you? The past seven years have been interesting and time out challenging. It’s satisfying to see members develop and move on to access further education courses and If you are interested in volunteering, Time Out’s new training employment and to receive thanks from members programme starts soon at Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, and families. Lee SE13 5SY. For more information email angela.morford@ For more information about the BUF phone Carmen or slam.nhs.uk or phone 020 3228 9350 or 07891 544 095. Bernadette on 020 3228 9370.
ask pamela: fatigue
Dear Pamela Dear Reader find a nap in the afternoon ripe plantain, baked as you I suffer from fatigue. Could Fatigue is a feeling of extreme can help preserve some would an ordinary potato, you give me some tips tiredness and lack of energy. energy for the evening. with a little soya or sunflower on how I might go about You can easily become tired Lack of exercise can spread. These two foods are controlling it? if you are feeling depressed increase feelings of fatigue. potent iron givers. or experiencing emotional If you’re not used to doing For a vegetable I suggest stress. exercise, long walks are a you have spinach which is First, make sure you lead a good way to start. also full of iron. healthy lifestyle. That means One of the most common Eat these foods more than a good diet, exercise and reasons for fatigue is lack of once to feel their effects and plenty of sleep. iron. Here are some of the they will help pick you up. Doing tasks more slowly foods which can be eaten to Pamela Moncrieffe and taking regular breaks help alleviate the feeling of If you have a question for can help stop fatigue fatigue. Pamela, email it to building up. Some people Try a sweet potato or a [email protected].