Energetic staff at Coca Cola HBC are endeavouring to clock up 160km this summer as part of a major fundraising drive for their charity partners, including Action Mental Health.

The distance of 160km has been chosen to reflect the distance between their Northern Ireland site at Lissue Road, Lisburn, and its counterpart in the Republic of Ireland, where it is based in Ballycoolin, Dublin.

Employees will be running, swimming, cycling and walking or taking the exercise of their choice to count down the miles, close to home.

One staff member stated: “I’m undertaking Coca-Cola HBC’s 160km Challenge in aid of our charity partners Action Mental Health and the Marie Keating Foundation. All donations will go directly towards helping these charities through this difficult time and any support would be greatly appreciated.”

Coca Cola staff are keeping active to help support and promote good mental health and well-being. The benefits of exercise are well documented, with physical activity playing a huge role in keeping people’s minds healthy. On top of the advantages it brings to our bodies, exercise also helps reduce stress and clear the mind.

Action Mental Health’s Fundraising and Communications Manager Jonathan Smyth said: “Physical activity plays a huge role in keeping our minds healthy as well as our bodies and it is fantastic that Coca Cola staff are boosting their health and well-being through physical activity and raising funds to support our vital services at the same time.

“With one in five people in Northern Ireland experiencing mental ill-health at some stage of their life, it’s important to remember that keeping active can really help to reduce stress and clear the mind and help with overall mental well-being. Looking after your mental health is especially important right now, as we deal with the impacts of the pandemic on our daily lives.”

Clients at AMH Foyle have taken artistic action against the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic, to help support their own well-being while raising vital funds for the charity.

AMH Foyle clients, dubbed ‘Experts by experience,’ are showcasing their creative talents across a diverse range of mediums with the end products being sold in the local community and proceeds benefiting the charity.

When the lockdown shut New Horizons’ nine services across Northern Ireland on March 23, staff got creative to fill the gap and to continue to provide avenues to maintain well-being and mental health among clients.

Staff set about devising a ‘Stay at Home with Foyle’ activity pack that provided instructions and materials for clients to engage in arts projects. The move reflected recent research that showed participating in artistic activities helped reduce anxieties associated with Covid 19, decreasing feelings of isolation, and helping people feel connected.

Some 120 clients were involved in seven unique projects, allowing them to utilise their talents and flair in the Covid Seeders, sunflower and wild flower growing project, the Covid Muse creative writing initiative, the Lock What You See photography, the Crafty Covid sculptors scheme, the Big Covid Bake-Off course, the Covid Dudes sock sewing project, as well as the Unravel Covid knitting collective.

The knitters have created Derry/ Londonderry’s first ever 8ft knitted Christmas tree, comprising a knitted square for every client who has attended New Horizons Foyle over the last 28 years. The unusual tree will be displayed in a central city location, to be a symbol of positive mental health and emotional well-being, with donations by the public welcome.

• 

• 

Each project encouraged participating clients to cultivate their hobbies and skills to produce collections and showcases of a variety, some of which will be on sale soon.

The programmes delivered at AMH New Horizons service are part of the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

NHS staff and keyworkers who worked tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic have been praised by staff and clients at Action Mental Health New Horizons Foyle.

Clients returning to the service after the lockdown wanted to pay tribute to the NHS on its 72^nd anniversary, as well as key workers who worked through the pandemic for the community.

The Foyle service wanted to show particular appreciation for the 28 GP practices of the Derry GP Federation’s Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary Teams of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, which continued to refer people to AMH New Horizons Foyle during the crisis.

AMH New Horizons supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health who are interested in progressing towards further education/training or employment. Like other New Horizons around Northern Ireland, the Springtown Industrial Estate-based service is currently delivering a phased, blended timetable of face-to-face and remote sessions of accredited and non-accredited training at clients’ own homes.

Those returning to the Arts and Crafts department in Foyle immediately got creative, designing and throwing ceramic ‘well-being’ pots to be offered in appreciation of NHS staff.

Pauline Flanagan, AMH New Horizons Service Manager said it was important to acknowledge the key workers from the primary care multi-disciplinary mental health teams who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, referring adults presenting with mental health difficulties to AMH Foyle.

“We want to say thank you, and to acknowledge the amazing collaborative work between both sectors during the pandemic in supporting and encouraging adults with mental health to access support, and to reaffirm that services are available,” she said.

Stephen Brown, who leads the primary care mental health team within the GP Federation said: “We worked very hard throughout the lockdown, ensuring adults in County Londonderry presenting with mental health issues received the information and timely interventions to ensure support and appropriate help was accessed.” 

One client who was referred to AMH Foyle by the mental health team during the pandemic, wanted to highlight the importance of getting support for mental health issues.

“They have a wealth of expertise on services available in the county and more importantly they know how to access them,” she said. 

Commenting on the well-being pots, another client commented: “This was a great way for us to showcase our new-found skills. We are studying Level 2 Creative Craft Skills Award and the benefits of working with clay and receiving holistic support and training at AMH Foyle is the prescription for a successful recovery.”

The programmes delivered at AMH New Horizons service are part of the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive David Babington has been appointed as a member of an important new body designed to influence the shape of Belfast’s future.

Mr Babington joins other leaders from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors, to advocate their views and to influence and advise the city’s Community Planning Partnership in taking forward Belfast’s long term strategy for the future – the Belfast Agenda, and the community planning process in Belfast. 

The sectoral advisory panel was initiated by Belfast City Council in late 2019 and plans to enhance participation of the community, voluntary and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors in community planning. It will also play a key role in shaping how people are engaged n future city plans for delivering better services and improving citizen well-being.

Sitting alongside the panel is a wider network of organisations from across the city’s VCSE sectors and key to the panel’s work is improving communication and providing feedback to this network on panel activity, achievements, and impact.

Chair of the panel, Irene Sherry from Ashton Community Trust said,

“We are all looking forward to the challenges ahead as we bring our experience of working with people and communities to the heart of decision making in this city. There is an opportunity for the community planning partnership to build on the great work that took place in recent months as neighbours, families and communities reconnected during difficult times.

“As we emerge from COVID 19, we want to build on the cross sectoral working that we have all committed to over the last number of months. We want to maintain this momentum and will be meeting over the summer to ensure that the voice of communities shape this city’s recovery and beyond.”

Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Christina Black said,

“We recognise the vital role that community and voluntary organisations play in city life, and this has been very much evident over recent months in responding to the Covid-19 crisis in neighbourhoods across the city. As we look ahead to rebuilding and recovery of our economy and communities over the coming years, strengthening representation and participation from the third sector in community planning is vital to strengthening collaboration, and to ensure that voices of our communities are heard.

We look forward to working with the Panel, and strengthening connections with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors in delivering the Belfast Agenda through community planning.”

The complete list of panel members, along with information on how to sign up to the citywide VCSE network can be accessed at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/vcse

“It’s hard to believe that a few short months ago and a world away from here, I knew nothing of coronavirus, lockdowns or social distancing. Another thing I knew nothing about was Zoom.  Zoom, for the uninitiated, is the platform of choice for many of those who wish to meet-up and chat online. All kinds of activities are being hosted as the lockdown continues, and organisations like Action Mental Health are bridging the distance between New Horizons services and its clients. You are probably already familiar with Zoom, as many TV shows have been using the technology for years: you know the sort of thing, lots of boxes on a screen, each with a talking head inside. It can look a lot like Celebrity Squares, if anybody is old enough to remember that – Bob Monkhouse, with a grand handcuffed to his wrist! If you haven’t used it yet, you might be wondering what it’s like, so here are a few thoughts on how I have found using it in the sessions on offer at AMH.

“In order to participate in the sessions, you need a device such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop etc, a connection to the internet and an email address. Once you have these, it’s as simple as clicking on a link, sent to you by the session host, which takes you to the virtual meeting area. Before entering the virtual meeting area, you will be asked if you wish to connect with video and audio, so you choose your preferred options and it is as easy as that – you are into your session. Simple right? Ah, hell NO! Far from it, because on choosing video and audio all of a sudden there are people looking at me, in my parlour and there’s me with my double chin and thick neck in among them, looking back. Now, I’m new to New Horizons, having joined just as the lockdown began, so I don’t know anybody and I don’t know how to behave. I’m awkward in real life and have been being coached out of the house by a wee Occupational Therapist for years, and now suddenly I’ve got five people in ma front room with me! I wave and say “hello” and my session mates wave back; I’m struck dumb. The session host chats with some of the other participants. I look at myself – I can’t stop looking at myself. Is my nose really that bulbous? Have I shaved? Have I got a handlebar moustache? Can they see that pile of washing in the background? Can they see up my nose if I lean forward? On and on I picked myself to pieces. Everybody seemed so relaxed with it. Am I a freak? Have all these people been doing this for years and I didn’t know? I mumble something in response to a question directed at me, my heart racing. Oh God, let this be over soon. Forty agonising minutes later, my first Zoom session ends.

“Now, you might think that the story would end there, given my allergic reaction to my first session. But no, and for a couple of reasons, but primarily because, in this time of Covid-19, I was left with little alternative so I went back on again – and again and again. Slowly, I started to warm to the experience and I even found a voice and started joining in discussions.  I stopped worrying about the pile of washing in the background and obsessing about my online appearance. I would even go as far as saying I started to enjoy the different sessions I attended. I even started to look forward to them, in fact they kind of became the highlight of my lockdown.  So, if you have been toying with the idea of joining in the Zoom sessions hosted by AMH, give it a go.  Don’t expect to feel 100% comfortable with it straight away, but hang in there – who knows, you just might enjoy it.“

The client author of this personal ‘Zoom’ story, attends New Horizons Belfast, which will return from the annual summer holidays on July 27, offering a blended services.

The AMH New Horizons activities the client participates in are operated through the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

This summer AMH New Life Counselling have host of different types of sessions which have been adapted to be delivered via Zoom!

There are also two new Therapy at Home sessions from our Family Therapy team

please get in touch if you are interested – or read more about AMH New Life Counselling here!

AMH New Life Counselling is an Organisational Member of BACP and adheres to the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/

Keep learning to help your children’s well-being

As Action Mental Health focuses on parenting as part of the #CovidWellbeingNI campaign and the benefits of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, we’re urging mums and dads to encourage their children to keep learning, as we emerge from the lockdown – and beyond.

Keep Learning

It can be daunting learning something new, especially in these uncertain times when we lack structure and routine in many areas of life. But, as we all know, variety is the spice of life. If your children keep learning new things, or find a new hobby they’ll feel more confident, they’ll have something new to enjoy and it will boost their self-esteem and improve their overall well-being.

There is a whole host of opportunities out there to try, whether learning a new language (try Duolingo app for free and fun language practice); learning to cook, (try BBC Good Food’s recipes); delving into the myriad free podcasts available; or by developing a consistent reading habit (try World Book Online’s 3000 free ebooks and audiobooks or libraries NI); or learning the fundamentals of a new physical hobby, like yoga.

The Mental Health Foundation also encourages us to learn on a number of other fronts:

Learn to control what can be controlled – there are a lot of things you can’t control that cause fear and anxiety – but there are some things you can manage or plan for. Having an action plan for managing things we might find difficult can help.  

Learn to pace yourself – recognising that we need to go at the right pace is important. Don’t let others bully or pressure you into doing things you don’t want to – but try not to let that be an excuse not to push yourself, especially when it comes to reconnecting with friends safely, outside your home, when rules allow and the time is also right for you. It can be hard to let others move forward without you – maybe your child wants to see friends or needs to return to work, but you can’t. It’s important to discuss concerns with those close to you, but also to allow other people space to move at their own pace.   

Learn to build up tolerance – try doing something that challenges you every day, or every few days. Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go well but keep at it. Keep a note of things you’ve achieved, enjoyed or surprised yourself doing.  

Learn to vary your routines – try and vary your routines so that you see different people and encounter different situations

Learn to cope with uncertainty – there has been a lot of talk of a ‘new normal’ – but normal is changing and uncertainty, and managing risk, is going to be the reality for the foreseeable future. This is not something that’s comfortable for many of us, particularly when we’re only just about coping with our mental health. The ‘new normal’ for most of us will mean ‘what we need to get through today, or this week’ – it’s going to be very difficult to predict what the course of the rest of the year will look like, and with so much of the media talking about possibilities and stages without certainty, it’s easy to get caught up in ‘what-ifs’. 

It can help to focus on the things we have learned and achieved in the last few months.  

Most of us have been tested in ways we never imagined, have passed those tests and found new ways to manage – or even flourish. For many of us lockdown has challenged our values and what is important to us. The life, values, and attitudes we had in early March might not be the ones we want to return to in July, and there may be opportunities for us to make positive changes in our lives as well. 

Read more at amh.org.uk/ or vist the hub here: https://covidwellbeingni.info/, you can also visit The Mental Health Foundation here, and also the NHS here.

We all know the old adage, ‘it’s better to give than to receive,’ but did you realise that altruistic gesture not only benefits others, it is also good for you.

As Action Mental Health this week focuses on parenting as part of the #CovidWellbeingNI campaign and the benefits of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, we’re urging mums and dads to encourage their children to give to others, as we emerge from the lockdown – and beyond.

Giving is good for the community, for individuals and for you. Likewise, by encouraging your children to give of themselves and of their time to help others, you’ll be leading them down a path that has been proven to:

• Lower blood pressure
• Increase self-esteem
• Lower levels of depression
• Lower stress levels
• Lead to longer life
• Lead to greater happiness

The Mental Health Foundation cites research that has shown that people who are kind and compassionate see clear benefits to their well-being and happiness. They may even live longer. Kindness can also help reduce stress and improve our emotional well-being, so there’s no greater example to set your children than to encourage them to adopt this type of approach to life.

Giving of yourself and your time can be difficult in life, especially with conflicting daily stresses in our busy lives – not to mention the current coronavirus pandemic. It can therefore be difficult to commit to volunteer your time, or give back to your community. But the research has shown the if we take the time to be kind to other people – whatever way we give of ourselves, we can reap emotional dividends. It can really make a difference and especially for people who are vulnerable or struggling.   

The coronavirus has led to something of a kindness revolution and it would certainly be beneficial for society as a whole if, once the pandemic is over, we could count increased kindness among the myriad effects the crisis leaves us with.

The Mental Health Foundation proposes that now is the time to re-imagine a more giving and kinder society that better protects our mental health.  

This new approach could be built into business decisions, government policy and official systems in a way that supports everyone’s mental health and also reduces discrimination and inequality.

The Foundation has compiled an inspiring and helpful guide to show the positive impact helping others can have on our own mental health. Read more here.