Since the Coronavirus pandemic forced a temporary closure at AMH Promote’s Bangor base in March 2020, the team has continued to reach out, connect with and support clients with learning disabilities, who already experience higher levels of loneliness and social isolation. These issues have been tackled and inspirational ideas explored, to bring about different ways of maintaining friendships during this unusual time.

Learning new skills, keeping active and eating well improve health and wellbeing. Not surprisingly, virtual versions of this tried and tested approach have been a big hit with AMH Promote clients, as they sofa surf engaging in video tuition from the AMH Promote Facebook page and avail of learning opportunities as they take part in a diversity of activities. Learning Monday’s Makaton sign of the week, creating hand outline artwork, appreciating nature during Wednesday Walks and building life skills such as simple healthy cooking , are just some of the fabulous activities on offer!

60 group Zoom sessions have offered regular engagement and learning opportunities for clients all helping to reunite and strengthen the group.  The timetable of Zoom sessions has grown to 12 each week and attendance has been consistently high.  Promote clients have also availed of 20 individual Zoom sessions.

Taking a positive approach by locking down the importance of friendships during this pandemic has become the theme behind this year’s Learning and Disability Week, which runs from Monday 15 to Sunday 21 June 2020.

Find out more and get involved with #LDWeek2020

Some 80,000 people in Northern Ireland have been ‘shielding’ during the pandemic – isolating themselves from others due to underlying health conditions.

That’s 80,000 people at risk of loneliness. This week the One Less Lonely Voice campaign to combat loneliness shines the spotlight on those people – and everyone else who feels lonely, even in a houseful of people.

Loneliness Awareness Week was launched by the Marmalade Trust to break the stigma attached to loneliness and encourage people to speak about it openly.

With the one-to-one events and get-togethers which usually mark the campaign moved online this year due to the coronavirus situation, the #LetsTalkLoneliness campaign is encouraging everyone to have conversations about loneliness to combat the stigma attached to it.

The campaign is all about empowering people to understand loneliness one conversation at a time, to help ourselves and others manage feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness has long been associated with mental ill-health, but in these unprecedented times, and with restrictions on our movement still preventing us from hugging people we love, those feelings of loneliness have, for many, gone to the next level.

AMH staff have been engaged in a number of virtual support programmes, continuing clients’ vocational training and arts and crafts via Zoom and the like.

At AMH New Horizons Foyle, clients have been front and centre during the lockdown. Service Manager Pauline Flanagan explained: “Staff have been providing virtual support and training since Covid 19 shut down at end of March. Clients said the support prevented crisis onsets and helped to maintain their well-being.”

Similarly, in Fermanagh, staff at AMH have been helping to prevent clients from feeling lonely during the continuing pandemic restrictions.

Service Manager of AMH New Horizons Fermanagh said: “Staff felt it was important to connect in a more personal way with clients during this time and we agreed that each of them would receive a personalised activity pack which would be delivered to their door. These deliveries have gone out to more than 70 of the most vulnerable clients across the county.”

In such a prolonged period of isolation that the world has rarely seen, people of all ages have been impacted like never before. Children have been denied the social aspect of school, while there is also particular concern about the effects of isolation on the elderly, particularly those with pre-existing mental health problems.

A survey by the college of 1,300 mental health doctors from across the UK found that 43 per cent had seen an increase in their urgent and emergency caseload while 45 per cent had seen a reduction in their most routine appointments. Doctors have said it was important for people suffering mental ill health that services were still available, even during these difficult times.

The Patient and Client Council is conducting a survey of people advised to shield due to the risks of COVID-19, and those who are supporting them. You can take it here.

The findings from this survey will outline key themes for the Department of Health to consider when adapting current restrictions for those shielding.

For help on dealing with mental health issues related to loneliness and other matters visit the websites below for a variety of information and helplines, if you are in crisis or distress please call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

https://covidwellbeingni.info/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/loneliness-in-older-people/

Men’s Health Week this year focuses on the coronavirus pandemic and encourages men to Take Action on Covid-19. The week-long campaign looks at avoiding the spread of the disease and ways men can adhere to social distancing guidelines.

One particular aspect, however – which concentrates mens’ efforts on ‘taking action to get the best out of lockdown and the new normal’ – allows us to explore its impact on men’s mental health.

It will be further explored in a specially-curated event being offered by Action Mental Health’s MensSana team when men will be invited to learn self-care techniques to support their mental health.

The bitesize session, based on AMH MensSana’s ‘Provoking Thought’ programme, will identify issues facing men during the lockdown and will offer signposting to further support services available to men.

The event takes place twice per day during Men’s Health Week at 10.30am and 7.30pm via Zoom and will last 30 minutes. Sessions are free and you can enrol for them here.

Largest psychological experiment ever

Dr Elke Van Hoof, Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, described the continuing lockdown as the largest psychological experiment ever, with some 2.6bn people across the world its reluctant subjects.

With one in ten people suffering from a mental health disorder around the world – and one in five in Northern Ireland – the Covid-19 pandemic will be proving a particularly anxious and uncertain time.

A new well-being hub for Northern Ireland launched last week and is packed full of helpful resources and links to support, the site can be reached by clicking on: mindingyourhead.info

As Men’s Health takes place, we should all encourage the men in our life to:  

• Connect with others
• Help and support others
• Talk about your worries
• Look after your physical well-being
• Get enough sleep
• Try to manage difficult feelings
• Do things you enjoy
• Set goals
• Keep your mind active
• Take time to relax and focus on the present
• Get some fresh air

For more help and advice on managing feelings and relaxation techniques visit Every Mind Matters and NHS’ mindfulness page and NHS mental wellbeing audio guides

A new virtual wellbeing hub to promote positive mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic has been launched.

The Department for Communities and the Department of Health have partnered with 15 leading mental and well-being health charities and the Healthy Living Centre Alliance representing 28 local Healthy Living Centres to focus on promoting mental health and well-being during and after the Covid-19 emergency.

A UK wide study involving Queen’s University Belfast has explored the psychological impact of lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic on people here.  The survey of over 2,500 people  included 470 people from NI of which one third have been found to meet the criteria for anxiety (30%) and depression (33%), and one in five (20%) meet the criteria for Covid-19 related PTSD due to the current pandemic. 

Commenting on the launch of the online hub Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, said: “The CovidWellbeingNI partnership draws together an unprecedented wealth of expertise and support with one clear aim – to promote the positive mental health of people including those vulnerable people and communities who are struggling at this time.

“Existing inequalities have been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic and it is important that information and support reach as many people as possible.”

The CovidWellbeingNI partnership is calling on people:

• To acknowledge how they are feeling and coping at this time
• Take  positive action to look after their mental health
• Reach out for help and support.

The online well-being hub at www.mindingyourhead.info draws together information, self-help guides and ways to find support on a range of mental health and well-being issues.

Health Minister Robin Swann said: “This is a key part of the Covid Mental Health Response Plan I announced two weeks ago. I would encourage people to use this unique and impressive resource created as a direct response to the emotional impact Covid-19 is having on our society.”

Action Mental Health Chief Executive, David Babington added: “We are delighted to be involved in this brilliant initiative at this time, it is especially welcome to see so many organisations across different sectors pulling together to help support the well-being of our local communities.”

Employees at SDC Trailers in Toomebridge and sister company MDF Engineering in Antrim have together raised £25,644 for Action Mental Health during a 12-month charity partnership. As many fundraising events have been placed on hold due to COVID-19, the local trailer manufacturing group has signed up with the charity for a second year as they turn to digital channels to offer virtual sessions. The funds have been used to support Action Mental Health’s services which enhance the quality of life, and employability of people with mental health needs or a learning disability.

SDC Trailers President, Paul Bratton said: “Having seen the fantastic facilities and services that Action Mental Health offer, we were very keen to work with them for a second year. While the issue of mental health and well-being has come to the forefront during the pandemic, the services offered by Action Mental Health provide vital support to those affected. As well as fundraising, a number of our managers have been selected to participate in mental health awareness training online, which aims to give them the tools to recognise, understand and promote emotional wellbeing within the workplace.”

SDC established a joint campaign with the MensSana team to promote the charity’s ‘Healthy Me’ and ‘Provoking Thought’ programmes to eighty-three local primary and secondary schools. Before the pandemic, thirty-one workshops were completed with teachers and children at these schools, including Cookstown High School, St. Pius X College, New Row P.S., St. John’s P.S., Cookstown P.S. and St Columb’s P.S.

With social distancing measures now in place, Action Mental Health has re-shaped their programmes to offer sessions for children and adults at schools and community groups online. The charity’s Slieve Donard trek on 20^th June will be held as a virtual event where people take on the challenge of 2,230 steps – the estimated amount to go up and down the 850m peak.

 Fundraising and Communications Manager at Action Mental Health, Jonathan Smyth said:

“We are absolutely delighted that SDC Trailers and MDF Engineering have committed to supporting Action Mental Health for a second year. The staff have managed to raise an amazing amount already and those donations have been put to good use, providing vital services in our local community. As a local charity, we rely on fundraising and donations to help provide our services, so the support from SDC and MDF is sincerely appreciated.

We know that this period has been particularly difficult for many people, so this support is needed now, more than ever. Action Mental Health has been able to continue providing services remotely whilst face to face contact is not possible. Thank you to everyone at SDC and MDF.”

Since lockdown began, I have been working from home – in my bedroom!

It’s been an extremely stressful time for me and I’ve been quite anxious. At the start I felt I had no confidence and felt under a lot of pressure. I’ve been finding it difficult without the support of my work environment. I find it quite hard to adjust to and accept change, and this has been a big change for me and has affected me in many ways.

Life for me is now completely different, I don’t have a routine and it’s making me quite anxious.

The Workable (NI) programme has helped me through constant telephone contact and the knowledge someone is still there. Staying in touch with Nicola (AMH Employment Support Officer – Workable N.I.) has helped me a lot. I contacted her quite a bit at the start of the Coronavirus apedemic, when I was feeling extremely stressed and nervous. Nicola has helped me so much to settle into home working. She helped to calm me down and made me feel like I had her for support.

Going forward it is reassuring to know that Workable will be continuing to provide support and be there for me.

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Rachel has been receiving support on the Workable N.I. programme since January 2017, and works as a Social Media Advisor for BT.

AMH is one of seven partners within the SES – Supported Employment Solutions consortium.  SES is contracted to deliver the Department for Communities Workable (NI) Programme across Northern Ireland and has brought together disability organisations to provide specialist employment supports to people with a range of disabilities and health conditions.

The SES partners include AMH and Cedar (Lead Partners), Mencap, Orchardville, NOW, RNIB and Action on Hearing Loss.

SES Aims to offer a Supported Employment approach in the delivery of programs to assist people with disabilities and health conditions to enter and stay in employment.

The Workable (NI) Programme is funded by the Department for Communities.

For more information – visit their website http://www.sesni.org.uk/

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

This year, people across the country are continuing to face new challenges as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support.

They need to be recognised for the difficulties they are experiencing, respected for all they are doing, and provided with information, support and understanding.

So during Carers Week, we’re coming together to help Make Caring Visible.  https://www.carersweek.org/

During Carer’s Week AMH Menssana will be delivering ‘open’ Mindset sessions aimed at adults (18yrs+) within youth & community settings across the Northern, Western, Belfast and South Eastern Trust areas. Find out more and register on Eventbrite https://bit.ly/3eAx9Nw

Mindset is funded by the Public Health Agency

AMH MensSana’s Michael McLeane will be hosting a webinar as part of the Western Health & Social Care Trust’s Carer’s Week activities.

Carers must register for these events in advance. Once registered a link and password/pin will be emailed to access the online event.

Please email: [email protected]

Or call 028 6634 4163 or 028 7135 5023

AMH New Horizons Foyle is promoting the Western Trust Carers events to clients with daily text alerts all next week via sinch. 

In addition AMH Foyle are encouraging carers to register for AMH Foyle’s virtual mental health support via our website (ref. #OK02B0k).

AMH Foyle have made a pledge to offer virtual support for carers in Derry-Londonderry. Information will be available on the following websites : Carers NI and Western Health Trust.

In addition our AMH Employment Officer will be hosting a morning with clients informing them about an opportunity to be a carer rep.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is seeking 1 carer representative to join the RCPsych in Northern Ireland Devolved Council as Workers.  The successful applicant will have recent lived experience of caring for someone with mental illness. The Carer Representative will be an integral member of the committee working with the chair and vice chair, to engage the wider membership and partner organisations in advocating for the Devolved Council patient group. Find out more here.

As we near the end of National Volunteer Week we acknowledge the support and commitment of all our volunteers in Action Mental Health.  Time is the greatest gift that anyone can give and AMH volunteers make a difference in the lives of others.  Hughena Gregory and Kirsty Reilly are two of our volunteer stalwarts who have supported AMH New Horizons North Down & Ards over many years.  Selwyn Johnston, Service Manager has paid tribute to their dedication and  warm welcome they have for each and every client or visitor on arrival to the New Horizons service.  Both have also been involved with supporting fundraising events for the service and look forward to returning to their volunteer roles in the near future.  He noted that volunteers are unpaid…not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.