SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Casting light on mental health Comment: Pippa Dannatt – The battle on the front line PAGE 4 Mental health matters in church and faith PAGE 6 One Day: Sweden’s Mental health Focus On: Mrs Burrington 4th emergency first aid St Stephen’s, Writes: her final service 15 18 Norwich 26 column 30 The Only Calendar with a Free FOR FRESHNESSFOILED Christmas Story-Activity Book The Real Advent Calendar is a great way to share the Christmas story. Includes our largest 24 page Story Activity Booklet illustrated by Alida Massari. There's a page for each day of Advent and some fun challenges along the way. There is also a line of the Christmas story behind each of the 25 windows. Donations from the sales of this calendar will help equip a clinic in Kenya. 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No: (Daytime) Email: Christmas. This is a tipping point. No. of Case of 18 Real Advent Calendars cases Total £71.82 (£3.99 per calendar) must be ordered in multiples of 18 Could you be a champion? The best way is for a champion (maybe you) to collect orders Postage & Packaging FREE* *order by 1st November for free postage or £4.95 using the free resources available from www.realadvent.co.uk www.realadvent.co.uk Grand Total ** Survey findings from ComRes 2007, 2010, 2012. From the Editor Contents THE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 “I wanted to move beyond “them and us” thinking on the issue of mental health – the idea that church is for the fixed, while the 5 PAUSE BUTTON: Rest – enjoy – broken are out there. The Bible tells us that when it comes to our pray – Jonathan Meyrick struggles, there’s just us. And when it comes to lasting help and hope, there’s only him. It’s only as we see our shared need and his rescue that we can move forward as his people.” o says author Emma Scrivener much by simply listening, being open in her book reviewed on page to learn and understand. But we also 12, echoing the sentiments need to advocate, as Pippa Dannatt so of many of the articles in this clearly states in her Comment article issue. Shona Jackson (pg 6) shares three (pg 4) in the face of ongoing health 6 FEATURE: Mental people’s experiences of how the church cuts. The mental health service is often health matters in Simpacts their mental ill-health and urges the “Cinderella” of the NHS. Local MP church and faith that: “Anyone can help someone who is Norman Lamb tirelessly campaigns on experiencing a mental health problem.” this issue and we must speak up too. Hearing Voices (pg 10) details more 10 Hearing Voices; sharing individuals’ stories and teenager Hannah experiences of struggles with shares hers with searing honesty (pg 17). mental health A new local network offers a way to journey together to support one another 12 REVIEWS: books on mental (pg 13) and other initiatives such as health Community Champions (pgs 14 and 23) and mental health first aid training 13 Recovery friendly church – (pg 18) offer practical help. The Pathway I hope this edition will enable you to join the conversation Café in Yarmouth (pg 31) and Emmaus consider your own wellbeing and that community in Ditchingham (pg 40) are of others, and to see how, as individual 14 North Norfolk churches two local projects that offer a safe place to Christians and as a faith community, providing mental health those who may be experiencing mental we can make such a powerful friendly communities health problems. A safe space is the focus difference. As Shona concludes in her of Colin Reed’s study of Elijah’s story (pg article: “What a great opportunity to 23 Community Champions 25) along with a plea to model similar love like Jesus loves us.” at the Cathedral care shown by God to those around us. Blessings, 24 Comings & Goings and Supporting someone with a mental illness can be heart-breaking, energy- Petertide Ordinations sapping, thankless and more. Being the 25 SOUL SPACE: After the fire came person suffering from a mental health Barbara Bryant illness can be even worse. We can do so Editor a gentle whisper 28 OUT & ABOUT: snapshots from The Magazine design: Get in touch Adept Design www.adeptdesign.co.uk across the Diocese 01603 882348 (Editor) Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily [email protected] those of the Diocese and the acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement. Diocesan House, 109 Dereham Road, Easton, Norwich NR9 5ES Cover photo: Amelia photographed by Tim Rogers at Christ Church, Eaton, Norwich. www.dioceseofnorwich.org/magazine facebook.com/dioceseofnorwich @DioceseNorwich The next issue (deadline Monday 18 September) focuses on sharing 32 faith in the workplace. Coach Trip to the Shetlands: smiles per hour To advertise in The Magazine please contact Sally on 01603 882322 or email [email protected] 35 Welcoming Church Award 3 The battle on the front line of mental health service funding am often asked from where my and very frightened; as their men While still involved in some relationship interest in mental health stems, deployed to war zones with no certainty counselling, I also work with the Sue and partly it is born out of personal that they would return home well; or Lambert Trust in Norwich. SLT provides experience. I had postnatal indeed, return home at all. PTSD is now counselling and support for individuals depression and, although not severe in well recognised, but 20 years ago it was who have suffered rape or sexual abuse comparison to others, it was enough to not. In that respect at least, awareness in their childhood or beyond. Tellingly, we Imake me aware. And when I trained as of mental health issues has improved have a waiting list of over two years. Only a counsellor for Relate in the mid-1990s, beyond measure. this week I learnt that a vulnerable client I worked with clients in the military for of mine was losing both her care support But while recognising and openly whom mental health issues were seldom workers with five days’ notice. No funds. discussing our mental health is one thing, discussed, not even with their GPs, such funding treatment is clearly another. We Another, desperate for help in battling her was the fear they would be medically all know the statistics: at least one in six severe eating disorder was fast-tracked for downgraded or reported to their of us will suffer a mental illness at some assessment by her wonderful GP, only to Chain of Command. This in turn, it was point in our lives; suicide is the biggest be told 'she wasn't yet thin enough.' The suspected, would lead to discrimination; killer of young men under the age of 35 cessation of grass-roots charities through possibly blocked promotion. in the UK today; over 650,000 young and lack of funds (Sweet Arts in Norwich, It wasn't much easier for their partners old suffer from dementia in this country, Fakenham’s Wensum either. Wives living perhaps in Germany 18,000 in Norfolk alone. And so it goes on. Group) is tragically short- or Cyprus, a long way from families in If awareness is at last improving, funding, sighted; only serving to the U.K., often very young, very lonely very sadly, is not. increase isolation and despair, while placing existent services under unprecedented pressure. I wish I had an answer, or at least a very large money tree. Sadly, I have neither. All I can do is to ask readers to bring this desperately sad and ultimately untenable situation to the attention of our leaders at every opportunity. Sometimes even to live requires an act of enormous courage. Or, in the words of C.S. Lewis 'Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain. But it is more common and also harder to bear.' The Church has largely got it. Our local and Over 650,000 national politicians of every persuasion young and old suffer need to get it too. from dementia in this country, 18,000 Philippa Dannatt is married to General the Lord in Norfolk alone. Dannatt. She was an army wife for 34 years; she and Richard have four grown up children and eight young grandsons. She sits as Vice Chair of the SSAFA Adoption Panel and during her time as High Sheriff took mental health as the theme for her year. 4 Rest – Enjoy – Pray s I write this I have recently therefore receiving forgiveness; this would Of course, recognising this does not let returned from a General in effect put you out of the church.