A free public Mental Health Wellbeing event is being staged in Torbay next month to provide information and raise awareness on mental health issues in the region, after local concerns were raised on the matter.
The ‘Living Well’ Event invites you to “Make the connection between your physical and Mental Health” on Saturday 16 May 2015 – during National Mental Health Awareness Week – from 10am to 3pm at Paignton Library.
Raising awareness of how work stresses, anxiety, sleep deprivation, lack of social activities and exercise can impact on physical and mental health will be central to this event, and you can even find out more about ‘How to look out for someone at work or at home” over a free cream tea.
Local independent health & social care consumer champion Healthwatch Torbay – based at Paignton Library – are working alongside Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust (TSDHCT), South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Devon Partnership Trust (DPT) to stage the free public event, which will include activities such as:
- An opportunity for people to ask questions directly to mental health experts, including a GP, Psychologist, Pharmacist, Psychiatrist, Mental Health Nurses and Mindfulness practitioners.
- Advice and Taster sessions including Bay walks, Tai Chi, Zumba, smoking cessation, eating well, Interactive quizzes, volunteering and BMI checks.
- Rolling Information Talks on a variety of issues, including stress, anxiety, panic, low moods, OCD, phobia, medication advice and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
- Information stands from a variety of local services, including Healthwatch Torbay, Depression and Anxiety Service, Bipolar group, mental health employment support, post-traumatic stress, Veterans services, Time for change, DPT pharmacist, , pre-birth & post-natal depression, drug and alcohol services.
- An opportunity to meet with those who commission and provide mental health services and discover how they are using public feedback to make changes to those services.
- Free cream tea from 11am (limited availability) for visitors, and more activities planned on the day.
“It’s our job to gather real public feedback on the health and social care services they use in Torbay, and one of the main concerns that we hear from the public surrounds mental health issues,” said Pat Harris, Healthwatch Torbay CEO, “After escalating this feedback on to various different health trusts and commissioners, the need was identified to provide the public with free information on local mental health support services. We are happy to host this at Paignton Library and really hope the public join us for a landmark event that we hope will make a real difference to improving the mental health and wellbeing of Torbay residents.”
“By using a variety of techniques, we aim to raise awareness about mental health and empower people to take responsibility for their own mental health. We hope that it will interest the general public to promote, maintain and improve mental health and wellbeing and reduce mental health stigma within the community,” commented Jacqui Bamford, Mental Health Involvement, TSDHCT.
Every year in May, the Mental Health Foundation raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues. This year’s National Mental Health Awareness Week theme is ‘Mindfulness’ and focuses on the ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ part of the National Foresight Campaign; with evidence pointing to five steps that we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. ‘Wellbeing’ is generally understood to include feeling good and functioning well, with evidence also showing that good mental wellbeing is important for our physical health.
For more information on mental health issues please visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk. For more information on the ‘Living Well’ event at Paignton Library, call free on 08000 520 029 or visit www.healthwatchtorbay.org.uk.
