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Local Update, 31 January 2022

Barnet Voice for Mental Health [[link removed]]

020 3475 1314

[[email protected]]

Welcome to our weekly newsletter about mental health services and support available in Barnet and beyond. Also bringing you updates on Inclusion Barnet mental health news. Produced by Ed Peston, Communications Assistant.

Inclusion Barnet Events and News Staff blog: The importance of sharing lived experience

by Sam Earle, Project Officer, Equivox

At Inclusion Barnet, we think that, through giving space to sharing the nuances of lived experience, we can start to unravel some of the stigma around disability, increase empathy, and tease out some tangible interventions that can make life more fulfilling and purposeful for disabled people.

We have therefore launched a new campaign, Equivox, to do just that. We encourage disabled people to raise their voices by making short videos or writing a paragraph shedding light on their own experiences. Equivox’s hub will be on Instagram, where there are large communities of disabled people already and where it is easy to share videos. However, we will also share our stories on Twitter, and on the Equivox blog. If you’d like to share your thoughts, but would prefer not to make a video, we also want to hear from people in text documents, mini photo-essays, via text, email or voice note.

Read the full blog [[link removed]]

Other Events and News Talking About Mental Health Issues, Wednesday 2 February, 10.00 - 10.45am

This free webinar is for anyone who would like to understand a bit more about mental health and wellbeing, overcome stigma and discrimination, and learn how they can spot the signs of someone who may be struggling and start a conversation.

Book [[link removed]]

The mental health benefits of woodlands, Thursday 3 February, 6.00 - 7.00pm

A recent study by Forest Research has shown that access to woodlands is very important for individuals to support their mental health.

Book [[link removed]]

"Participants wanted for an online study investigating the role of mental images in worries about health

At the University of Oxford they are interested in learning about how thoughts and mental images related to illness can make people feel when they think about them. They hope the findings from this study will help us better understand anxiety about health and improve how people are supported. They would like to hear from you if you are aged 18 and older, live in the UK and experience health anxiety or difficulties with OCD. Taking part involves answering online questionnaire and an online interview task.

For more information, please visit [[link removed]]

Let's Talk: Black Mental Health, Tuesday 1 February, 6.00 - 7.30pm

Inside Out Wellbeing, in partnership with the University of Sussex, investigate how ethnicity and culture is connected to mental well-being

Register [[link removed]]

Time to Talk Day: How to Have a Mentally Safe Conversation, Thursday 3 February, 3.00 - 3.45pm

Be it with a colleague, friend, family-member, peer or just someone we know, it is always difficult to see someone we know struggling with their mental health.

We often want to help them and want to see them feeling better, but having a helpful conversation with them can feel daunting.

Book [[link removed]]

Online mental health and wellbeing workshops available to all adults anywhere

More information and book [[link removed]]

Free Online Course: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) - Level 2 Certificate

Learn about different types of mental ill health and how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses in this free mental health course.

Register [[link removed]]

Podcasts The Lion’s Roar Podcast: Anxiety and What to do About it with Bruce Tift

This episode of The Lion’s Roar Podcast features psychotherapist and author Bruce Tift.

Listen [[link removed]]

January Blues: Are we prioritising our mental health?

With the difficulties many have faced during the coronavirus pandemic, and the uncertainty created by a cost-of-living crisis, looking after our mental health is more important than ever. But how can we improve our wellbeing?

Listen [[link removed]]

Articles Beat the January blues with Barnet Council

Anyone who is struggling or just wants the opportunity to lead a fitter and healthier lifestyle can take advantage of some of the great services Barnet offers and get the support you need.

Read [[link removed]]

8 Slightly Quirky Ways to Reclaim Your Mental Health

These uncanny strategies backed by science are worth trying.

Read [[link removed]]

Caroline Flack's former dance school focuses on wellbeing

The death of TV presenter Caroline Flack exposed the toxic culture of social media and prompted a national focus on mental health. At the dance school where she trained as a teenager, lessons in wellbeing have become part of the timetable.

Read [[link removed]]

Liverpool Becomes First PL Club to Hire Mental Health Therapist

This is in response to a number of online abuse incidents over the past year, including several of a racist nature.

Read [[link removed]]

Martine McCutcheon praised for inspiring post about mental health struggles

Martine McCutcheon has been praised by fans for opening up about her mental health battles in a candid post shared to Instagram.

Read [[link removed]]

Regular Events in Barnet Building Friendship

Building Friendship is a free weekly drop in every Friday for those with mental health difficulties.

Meet at East Barnet Baptist Church hall, EN4 8PS. Come along for a cup of coffee and a friendly chat between 10am and 12noon.

For more information email: [[email protected]]. Or leave a message with your name and contact number on 020 8449 5320.

Mind and Mood Support Group

Mind & Mood Support Group has returned to face to face meetings at 55 Christchurch Avenue, London N12 0DG. To enquire about becoming a new member, please contact either Peter or Sandra below.

Peter Sartori e: [[email protected]]

Sandra Turner e: [[email protected]]

Both Peter Sartori and Sandra Turner have extensive experience of the mental health system.

We are an independent support group, run by ex service users, for service users, their carers and supporters.

About Inclusion Barnet

[[link removed]]

We are a Peer-Led Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO).

Nearly all of our directors and staff have lived experience of disability, including mental health issues and/or long-term health conditions.

We believe that learning to use our lived experience for social change is a skill. We have become experts in harnessing the lived experience of our staff, members, volunteers and the people who use our services to design and deliver higher quality, more person-centred services.

Other services run by Inclusion Barnet that you might be interested in are:

Benefits Advice Service [[link removed]] (supporting disabled people in Barnet to access the benefits they are entitled to).

Touchpoint [[link removed]] (supports people experiencing any form of disability in Barnet to access the services and resources they need).

Healthwatch Barnet [[link removed]] (an independent, statutory organisation dedicated to improving health and social care services in Barnet).

For more information about the wider range of other work we do please visit our website [[link removed]]

Useful links for mental health and wellbeing

Click on the title to go to the individual websites.

LOCAL

Mind in Barnet [[link removed]] - counselling Mind in Barnet Sanctuary [[link removed]] - find calm, make space, move forward Barnet Wellbeing Service [[link removed]]BEH-MHT* crisis helpline 0800 151 0023 24/7, 365 days a year.

(*BEH-MHT = Barnet, Enfield Haringay - Mental Health Trust)

LONDON & NATIONAL

The Help Hub [[link removed]] - free online emotional support sessions Good Thinking [[link removed]] - free online Mental Wellbeing for London Kooth [[link removed]] - free, safe and anonymous online support for young people Qwell [[link removed]] - free online safe and confidential space to share & support

Shout [[link removed]]- free, 24/7 text messaging support - text SHOUT to 85258 Samaritans [[link removed]] - free phone & email support in a crisis Turn2Me [[link removed]] - free online Support Groups Useful links from Sussex University [[link removed]] - lots of useful links to MH resources

Independent Living Centre, c/o Barnet & Southgate College,

7 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London NW9 4BR

Inclusion Barnet is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Registered Charity Number: 1158632

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