NETWORK NEWS NEWS FOR PEOPLE WITH INTEREST IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGHOUT SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE ISSUE 45 Winter 2012 Inside this issue Keri’s Random Mumblings_________2 Camilla’s Page___________________3 Job Advert and Poem_____________3 Volunteer News __________________4 Rural Outreach Project ____________5 Dance 123_______________________6 Spiritual, Religious and Pastoral____ 7 SSNMH General Meeting___________7 My Story, by Sue Wyke____________8 Smoke Free Trust & StampScheme__9 Richmond Fellowship Life Links____10 My Recovery Journey, by Abi______11 Information Directory ________12—15 Noticeboard and Bromford Floating Support________________________16 When you have finished with this magazine PLEASE pass it on or recycle it. Photo by “Simply Rhona” South Staffordshire Network for Mental Health: The Service User’s Network www.ssnmentalhealth.co.uk Keri’s Random Mumblings Write to us at: South Staffordshire Network for Mental Health, FREEPOST MID 23594, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6LL or email us on [email protected] Welcome to the Winter than I did! Camilla was key to our Edition of Network News... Inpatient Meetings at Margaret Stanhope, so has real experience in This is the first issue with myself as helping people to have their say! editor, as I’m now in my new role as Karen, our Admin Officer, has kick- ANNUAL SURVEY Project Coordinator, so I really do started our website and facebook hope this meets with your RESULTS page. Please check these out and expectations. find out even more about what’s In the last issue of Network News, we Network News belongs to the going on. You can even use facebook had our annual survey. Network Members – Please let me and the website to tell us your know how you feel we can make it thoughts about mental health We didn’t get a huge response to this more about the things you want to services: in comparison to previous years read about! We are always, always (about 2% of our membership this www.ssnmentalhealth.co.uk looking for contributions – your year, from around 10% less year). success stories, poetry, photography, facebook.com/ssnmentalhealth More people completed the survey artwork, news about services make In November 2012, we held our online than on paper this year, which the News come alive. If you fancy Annual General Meeting . It was is interesting. And it appeared that giving it a go and seeing your work great to see so many people come people still value having a copy published, please send to us at the along and support us. The Annual posted out to them, which is useful to addresses above. General Meeting celebrates our note. achievements over the past year and We had several changes over the last is this is also the time to elect our Out of the people who rated our few months. As reported in last issue, Board of Trustees. We had a really services we provided to themselves, Suzanne and Tracey have left the moving story celebrating the recovery 71% rated us good or excellent, Network to pastures new. Also Sean journey of someone volunteering at whilst no one rated us poor or very and Brian, long standing board Quest’s Food4Thought cafe, thanks poor. members have completed their roles again to Sue for arranging this! All of as trustees. Please join me in wishing Out of the people who rated our our members are invited to our AGM them all the very best for the future services in general, 64% rated us and next year it would be great to see and sincere thanks for their passion good or excellent, and whilst no one even more faces! and dedication. rated us poor or very poor, it does look like we’ve got some work to do We are happy to report Camilla I also wish to offer thanks to All to improve! We would be grateful to Freeman, volunteer for us for four Saint’s Church at Alrewas for their hear your suggestions and ideas on years, has taken over the kind donation of £300 towards our this... Development Worker role for the time ’Fighting Fear and Discrimination’ being and has done a great job in Talks. This money will help these Have a great Christmas picking up all the hard work it brilliant volunteer-led talks continue in and New Year... requires and getting round even more the future! Keri Lawrence, Project Coordinator Wouldn’t it be great if you could help raise money for our charity without it costing you a penny? Well, if you shop online, you can! Simply sign up at easyfundraising.org.uk and select South Staffordshire Network for Mental Health as your cause. Whilst signed into easy fundraising, search for your retailer, click on ’go shopping’ for that shop, and when you've got to their website shop as normal. Lots of the online shops you might already use have signed up to this scheme. A percentage of what you spend will be donated to us by the company. Our fundraising page is www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ 2 Camilla’s Page Camilla Freeman, Acting Development Worker Well, when I wrote my contribution to Network. This helps the Network by the last issue’s Volunteer News I making us visible to potential certainly wasn’t expecting to be members and partners, it also gives offered the exciting opportunity to be us the chance to put mental health on the Acting Development Worker for the agenda and learn about other the South Staffordshire Network for services who we can signpost our Mental Health. members to. be leaving this role to take up a permanent contract with a day Thanks to the volunteer work I have An example of an event I have opportunities service, but my done for the Network and other attended is the Welfare Benefits involvement with the Network will mental health organisations over the Reform Awareness Raising Event I continue as I’m going to rejoin the years I was able to get stuck straight attended just this morning. There was Network volunteer team when I’ve in visiting groups I already knew and a presentation by a representative of settled into my new job. gathering comments from people the Department for Work and about the services they are receiving. Pensions about the benefit changes I have really enjoyed being the Acting being implemented in response to Development Worker, Keri and Karen I’ve also been to some groups that The Welfare Reform Bill. This was have been very patient answering my were new to me and had a lovely useful for the Network because many questions, the Network’s welcome from the people who attend although we do not give advice about Volunteers and Trustees have been them and the staff and volunteers benefits, we get asked a lot of supportive and our fantastic members who provide them. questions about them and if we have have been very welcoming and There is a lot more to the information from events like this we accommodating whilst I get up to Development Worker role than just know we have the right awareness speed with what I’m supposed to be visiting and gathering comments and can hopefully point people in the doing. about services. Once someone right direction to alleviate some of So I’ll be seeing you again but next passes on a comment we have to do their fears about the future. something with it! Anonymously time it will be from the more familiar passing on the views of people who Some of you may have noticed the setting of the volunteer page. use services to those who run them is word “acting” forms part of my current Things I’m up to at the Moment how we help service providers job title. This is because I am currently working on a temporary develop by learning from their Working with Quest to find ways of contract that was offered to me successes and listening to the other making sure that the people who because Keri was “Acting Project comments so they can continue to go to Quest have the chance to put Coordinator” for a while when improve what they do. forward their views to help the Suzanne left the Network and they service develop in the future. I’ve also attended meetings and needed someone to cover the events as a representative of the Development Worker role. I will soon Representing our Network members during the planning of an JOB OPPORTUNITY at SSNMH: Development Worker event about how to improve the This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to work for SSNMH. The Development effectiveness and awareness of the Worker’s role is to promote and facilitate the empowerment & involvement of adults who Care Programme Approach. have mental health needs in the planning, development, and improvement of mental health services in the six districts of South Staffordshire. In addition, they take a key role in Reader Submitted Poem coordination of volunteers, and signpost people to access possible care, treatment, accommodation, occupational and training opportunities available. Psychology Hours: Up to 34 per week When I was small We are happy to consider job share & part time working arrangements I had aspirations Salary: SCP 24 to 28 (£20,858 to £23,708 pro rata) A psychologist Closing date for applications: 5pm Monday 4 February 2013 I wanted to be Interviews to be held on 19 and 20 February 2013 Now I’ve grown up For application packs and further information, please request an application pack from Karen Hunt, 01543 301139, or email [email protected] I’d gladly be anything SSNMH is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applicants from all communities.