Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil
S.U.N. Newsletter January 2015
New Name for the Mental Health Involvement Project At the Service User Recovery Forum (SURF) in December, people looked at all the suggested names that had been put forward for the Involvement Project. After much deliberation and voting with sticky dots, the name that was finally decided on was “Involve 2 Evolve�. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a possible new name for the project and to members of the SURF group who selected our fantastic new name. A special thank you goes to John Bishop and Brian Mitchell who together came up with Involve 2 Evolve.
Footsteps Peer Support Group, (Ferndale) Footsteps are now Footloose!!! Members of the Footsteps Peer Support Group based in Ferndale have taken up their walking boots and started walking. As a result of a collaboration between Natural Resources Wales and Community 1st, they have been able to go on a series of walks such as bird watching over the Dare Valley Country Park, heritage walks to places like Cyfarthfa Castle and a "bushcraft" walk where we learnt different ways to light a fire, cook trout over an open fire etc. and we had so much fun none of us wanted to go home! We also had a visit to a "planetarium" and learnt about the stars etc in the night sky. There are six members of the group who enjoy going on walks and three members have been on a training day to train as Health Walk Leaders. We cannot emphasise enough the benefits of going walking as a group and apart from the obvious health benefits such as being good for the heart, and arthritic limbs, the improvement to our mental wellbeing speaks volumes. Jen Edwards Secretary of Footsteps 1
Feedback from Your Local Reps: The National Service User and Carer Forum meets quarterly at venues across Wales. The reps on this national group all attend the local Mental Health Partnership Board in their local area. The National Forum meets to share feedback that members have gathered from meeting with people locally and to decide together on the issues that need to be raised with Welsh Government. Here is a summary of what the forum discussed at their last meeting in November 2014. Service users and carers would like more information about; How the £650,000 made available to Health Boards in Wales for psychological therapies is being spent and how the impact of the investment will be measured. Also, will the funding be divided between the different tiers of mental health care or is it mainly for the interventions delivered by the Primary Care (GP) Mental health Support Services. The quality of Care and Treatment Plans. Reps have gathered concerns from service users and carers about what is meant by ‘crisis care’ as there may be times when service users and carers may have a different definition of a ‘crisis’ to service providers. In RCT and Merthyr Tydfil, reps are collecting feedback about your experiences of using local services that support mental health and wellbeing via the ‘Have Your Say’ survey. The survey can also be completed on-line at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9ZZB6FX. If you would like to request a hard copy of the survey, please contact Rachel Wyatt at Interlink on (01443) 846200 or Email rwyatt@interlinkrct.org.uk
An enormous thank you to Service user and Carer Representatives;
Sharon Phillips and Jane Treharne–Davis and Nicola John because without them service users and carers voices would never be heard! Bethan Edwards has recently stepped down as service user rep. Bethan has been a fantastic advocate for service users and we wish her all the very best for the future.
We need readers to design an eye catching logo for our new name!
“Involve 2 Evolve” A prize will be awarded for the winning design and the deadline is Friday 27th February. Please send your design to Rachel Wyatt, Interlink, 6 Melin Corrwg, Cardiff Rd, Upperboat, Pontypridd CF37 5BE or email rwyatt@interlinkrct.org.uk
So get the pencils out and start sketching! 2
Government pledges extra £150 million for tackling eating disorders National News:
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has pledged an extra £150 million of funding to transform the treatment of children and young people with eating disorders. This money, which will be rolled-out over 5 years, comes just a month after research revealed that an increasing number of young people, from as young as 5, are being admitted to hospital for treatment of eating disorders with those aged 14 to 25 most likely to be affected. The aim is to focus on channelling money from expensive institutional care to local provision and act as a base for the development of waiting time and access standards for eating disorders for 2016 by:
Supporting schemes to get young people with eating disorders and who self-harm early access to services in their communities with trained teams, making hospital admission a last resort.
Extending access to talking therapies so that children and young people have a choice of evidence-based therapies and a treatment plan agreed with their therapist.
By doing this, it is hoped that it will result in swifter access to community treatment, an end to the current cliff edge of transition for young people with eating disorders when they turn 18 and a more standardised level of provision.
The Rhondda Cynon Taff Beat Self Help & Support Group New Horizons, 16a Dean Street, Aberdare, RCT, Rhondda Cynon Taff, CF44 7BN. Wales Contact: Beverley and Rhian, by Email: aberdarebeatgroup@hotmail.com For information regarding The Rhondda Cynon Taff Self Help and Support Group Referral criteria & process: Self Referral
Age: 18+
The Service: Beat Cymru is holding new group meetings in Aberdare to support people over 18 years of age who are dealing with an eating disorder in their lives. Whether you are personally affected, a carer or a concerned family member or friend – we’d like to help.
The group is pro-recovery and provides an opportunity to offer support and share experiences. The group will support those with an eating disorder or concerns around eating, and also people who are carers, family members or friends.
The group meets on the 1st Monday of the month 6.30pm – 8.00pm 3
Tuesday 27th January 1.30 at the YMCA , Taff St, Pontypridd. Have Your Say on Mental Health Leaflets Cwm Taf Health Board will be consulting with people on the information leaflets provided by the Mental Health Unit at Royal Glamorgan Hospital. If you would like to come along and let the Health Board know your views on the information leaflets and how they can be improved, please meet with Sam Shore, Senior nurse on Tuesday 27th January 1.30 at the YMCA , Taff St, Pontypridd.
Wednesday 28th January 2.00 - 4.00pm at Merthyr & the Valleys Mind Pontypridd Resource Centre. Techy Tea Party: Merthyr and the Valleys Mind will be hosting a 'Techy Tea Party' (TTP) The aim of the Techy Tea Party is to help people to get more from technology, over a cup of tea, in an informal setting by bringing people together with a group of EE (T-mobile & orange) employee volunteers. Participants are asked to bring any technology that you may have issues with. For example, mobile phones , an I Pad / tablet or digital camera, etc. and share questions and queries around how to send a text message, shop online, or how to download music or pictures from their camera, etc. These sessions can really make a difference to people’s confidence in using equipment that many of us take for granted. Merthyr & the Valleys Mind have additional places available for up to 6 service users to attend The Techy Tea Party. Places will need to be booked in advance and will be on a first come first served basis. This is a free event with teas, coffees and cakes being provided. To book a place please contact Tracy James at the Pontypridd Resource Centre on 01443 484300.
Monday 2nd February Llanharan Welfare Hall, Bridgend Road, Llanharan Depression busting course Do you have anxiety or depression? If so and you are willing to try strategies to assist with the symptoms? Rhondda, Cynon, Taf Independent Living Service is running the award winning
DEPRESSION BUSTING COURSE at Llanharan Welfare Hall every MONDAY for EIGHT weeks, starting 2nd February from 12.30pm To book your FREE place on the course please contact Phoebe on 01443 229723 or email llanharancommunity@btconnect.com 4
Tuesday 3rd February 1.00-2.30pm The Eating Disorders Participation Group will be held on Tuesday 3rd February 1:30 - 230 pm at Interlink for people who have experience of an eating disorder and would like to have a say on how services are delivered locally.
Monday 9th February 11.30-1pm Care & Treatment Planning training meeting. The Involve 2 Evolve Project is looking for people who would be willing to share their experiences (Good & Bad) of having a Care & Treatment Plan. If you would be interested in sharing your story of Care and Treatment Planning, please contact Rachel Wyatt on 01443 846200 or email rwyatt@interlinkrct.org.uk People’s stories will be kept anonymous and may be used to share good practice in Care & Treatment Planning and to promote improvements in mental health services. There is also a meeting on Monday 9th February with Cwm Taf Health Board for people to be involved in developing training on Care and Treatment Planning for service users and carers. If you have experience of Care & Treatment Planning, please come along and share your views.
Monday 9th February 1.30 at the YMCA (Pontypridd). Workshop—Understanding and Engaging with the Welsh Assembly: During this workshop, you will find out about the role of the Welsh Assembly and its Members and how important it is for the public to get involved in the decision making process. There are many different ways to get your voice heard in Wales which include; taking part in Committee inquiries, petitioning, arranging to meet your Assembly Member or coming to the Senedd to watch live debates. You will also find out about the difference between the Welsh Government and the National Assembly for Wales.
Friday 20th February 1:00-3:00pm YMCA Buildings, Taff Street, Pontypridd, RCT, CF37 4TS Bipolar UK is starting a new group in Pontypridd For more information, please call Bipolar UK on 01270 230260 or Email: groupdevelopment@bipolaruk.org.uk
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ASTROLOGY
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A greetings card that can play ‘Happy Birthday’ has more computing power than existed in the whole world in 1950.
Oranges and lemons smell different due to chemically identical molecules that are mirror images of each other. An orange is really just a left-handed lemon.
As it grows, sweetcorn makes a squeaking noise like two balloons rubbing against each other.
From 1912 to 1948, painting was an Olympic event. In 1924, Jack Yeats, brother of the poet W. B. Yeats, took the silver:
A single bolt of lightning contains enough energy to cook 100,000 pieces of toast. (Taken from Lloyd, John; Mitchinson, John (2012-10-30). 1,227 QI Facts To Blow Your Socks Off. Faber & Faber. Kindle Edition.)
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John’s Gardening Corner Planting in the New Year:
Spicy Baked Trout
Always rotate plants/crops and don’t put plants in the same position because they become more at risk of disease. For example, cabbages can develop ‘Club root’. (Plasmodiophora brassicae ) Symptoms of ‘Club root ‘ will appear as yellowing, wilting, stunting, and galls on the roots, the disease is not exclusive to cabbages it can also affect broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips, wallflowers and other plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae). Plasmodiophora brassicae, once considered a slime mold but is now put in the group Phytomyxea. The Gall formation or distortion takes place on latent roots and gives the shape of a club or spindle. In the cabbage such attacks on the roots cause undeveloped heads or a failure to head at all, followed often by decline in vigor or by death. There is no cure for ‘club root’ although there are several ways in which it can be controlled, these are;
The use of sand will allow for the plants to grow in well-drained soil, thereby stopping the spread of the disease. Keeping the soil at a slightly basic pH of 7.1– 7.2 by the adding agricultural lime
Crop rotation will reduce the occurrence of cabbage club root in already infected areas.
Fumigation using metam sodium in a field containing diseased cabbages
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubroot)
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This quick and tasty trout dish combines the flavours of maple syrup, mustard, curry powder and paprika. The flavours combine to make a sweet yet spicy glaze that really compliments the meatiness of the fish. For a filling meal, serve this fish with some rice and vegetables or with some roast potatoes. Ingredients: 1 rainbow trout, halved lengthways, head and tail removed, scaled and boned ½ tbsp. grainy mustard 1 tsp. maple syrup ½ tsp. curry powder ½ tsp. sweet paprika Method of Preparation: Preheat the oven to 180C and place the fish onto foil. Mix the syrup and mustard together and spread over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with the curry powder and the paprika. Wrap the fish loosely in the tin foil and place onto a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish is flaking. A lovely way to serve this fish would be with some sweet chilli dipping sauce. This recipe serves two people.
Author: Laura Young http://www.troutrecipes.co.uk/ spicy.html
The bin was getting fuller and fuller. I couldn't just bag it up and empty it. I let it reach the top. I had no room left. Not even for the small little things. I couldn't see…. it was all a blur. It overflowed. Like rubbish on the ground it caused germs.
My Bin
I became unwell. Sick. In hospital. They took care of my body. Made that part better.
There isn't so much to say
But the black bag was still there.
I don't know where to begin,
In my head.
I'd say my head was in the shed
UN emptied.
But it felt more like bin.
I didn't realise how much damage it could cause.
Sometimes a bin is empty
Not only for family and loved ones.
just there…..
It hurt. Stabbing. Breathless. Dizzy.
Waiting…..
Like you're in a black bag gasping for air.
Waiting for someone to fill it. Like RUBBISH and STUFF.
Finally the bin man came. I now realise…. Looking back
He listened. I talked.
my bin was starting to get full.
He listened to my rubbish and told me…. it wasn't. Slowly the bag emptied…
Not only full of rubbish…My problems and worries,
and then I was wheeled out, just like a wheelie bin.
But they added extras like what's wrong with me? And who do I turn to?
Finally I could see. The layer of waste grew…
I could breathe
then this stigma….
and I smiled a relieved smile,
afraid to talk in case someone thought differently of you.
not a rubbish one!
Worried what people would say.
A poem, by: Lucy Foster
They'll think you were disgusting like a skip, not a NORMAL bin.
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Let it heal by Brian Mitchell
Normal
Let it heal my heart is broken, let it heal it won't heal, but the feeling turns to love There's a love in my heart let it grow.
There was a man, a normal person in every way, One day working, the next day playing, Living life and loving his family,
Is there a hole in my life is it like a hole in my tooth it can be filled The loss of my grandfather and mother and my father’s mother and father
His wife and child.
These cannot be filled but with my lovely grandchildren and all my new friends, And my bird and made bumblebees and all of nature in all its magnificence There’s a hole in my bank made by my bumblebee.
Now there's a man, a normal person in every way, And then one day, no work and no play, Living his life and loving his family,
The hole can never be filled, there's love in my heart let it grow
Whoever they are.
Fill it with love the long-lasting pain that will never fade The hole in my life will never go altogether nor will the love We can bring it to the front whenever we want to
Now there's a man, a normal person in every way,
For you and me.
One day striving, the next day learning, Living his life and loving his family,
When your children leave home it leaves a hole in our life Fill it with love share my/and your love
He has a picture.
There is a hole in my heart and it will be filled by love Your love and mine
Now there's a man, a normal person in every way,
It is time to become an apprentice
One-day walking, the next day talking,
My robin still sings
Living his life and loving his family, Recognising faces.
The hole can never be filled, there's love in my heart let it grow Fill it with love the long-lasting kind that will never fade The whole in my life will never go altogether nor will the love
Now there's a man, but not, a normal person, I say,
We can bring it to the front whenever we want to
One day working and the next day playing,
For you and me.
Living life to the full, When a friend leaves our lives the fun and companionship
and expressing his love for his family,
Will never be forgotten but must be filled in some way
Every minute of every day,
Although my pretty queen bumblebee is thinking of hibernating
happy in his own special way.
In the spring she will carry on with life until all the gaps in her life The robin however these young have now left you must endure the winter
A poem, by: Gareth Rees
And start and start again for us to survive that is what we must do.
(Stroke Survivor) The hole can never be filled, there's love in my heart let it grow
Thank You
Fill it with love the long-lasting kind that will never fade The whole in my life will never go altogether nor will the love
Lucy Foster, Brian Mitchell and Gareth Rees and all the readers (budding poets ) who sent poems in.
We can bring it to the front whenever we want to For you and me. I was moved on from my last project the hole was filled with Interlink And many other things the whole was filled with interest and hope Not all has to be love but filled with fondness and respect. 9
Please feel free to send in your poems so we can share them with our readers.
Mental Health Support Focus groups Mental Health Support have set up focus groups for service users to contribute to the Mental Health Support website. It is about shedding your thoughts and experiences on a number of topics that have could have an effect on your mental health. We also encourage people to share their creativity by adding their poetry, artwork and reviews to the site and also to share their thoughts on Facebook. It is a good opportunity for people to gain confidence in using computers and the Internet and IT training will be provided where there is a need. We have two focus groups at New Horizons in Aberdare and at Appletree Stores (Dinas). We are looking for volunteers from RCT to help with the above. We can provide training opportunities for you to take part in network events. Travel expenses will be covered. We aim to encourage contribution from service users to:
Be well-informed about help and support available Promote creativity via artwork and poetry Gain insight from personal journeys
We provide:
IT training volunteering opportunities.
Sarah Davies (on behalf of the Mental Health Support website)
Get Involved in the Mental Health Support Website: Have you got some time to spare at home? Would you like to be a virtual volunteer for Mental Health support? Here are some of the things you could do for us. Source article that are relevant to mental health which maybe you feel passionate about. Write and/or gather reviews on your favorite film or book. We value your feedback on the website such as improvements and any suggestions you may have. You can email us on admin@mentalhealthsupport.co.uk or visit the mental health support website at http://www.mentalhealthsupport.co.uk/index.html 10
Hello, Readers; Woof! Woof! I thought you would like to see a picture of my best friends, Misty & Milly. They’re 1 year old sisters. Misty is the biggest and has black ears and patches and Milly is smaller and mainly white with a brown face. Although Milly is tiny she causes the most trouble because when she gets the chance she climbs the garden fence and escapes to see her friend Buster who lives five doors away. (she never comes up to visit me!) Their favourite pastime is chewing on their master’s furniture. Misty says “We only chew stuff when we’re bored!” Milly said “ Playing ball in the park stops us being naughty, because exercise makes us sleepy!” They enjoy sharing toys, blankets, and food however they can get a bit jealous if one gets more cuddles and attention than the other.
Sukki Persnikitty
Woof! Woof! Bye for now!
P.S. PLEASE Do not forget to send me your pets’ photos & stories care of Rachel at: rwyatt@interlinkrct.org.uk
Peer Support Groups in RCT Group
Where
When
Rhondda Listening Friends
St John’s Church Hall
Every Monday 11.00am-3.00pm People can call in anytime or stay all day
Brighter Journeys
Capel Farm Resource Centre, Tonrefail
Every Tuesday 10.30am-12.30
Footsteps
Morlais Hall, Ferndale
Every Tuesday 10.30am -1.30pm
New Connections
Providence Church, Ystrad
Every Wednesday 10.30am-12.30
M.A.S.H.
No. 9 Maes y Rhedyn, Maerdy
Every Wednesday 6.00pm-8.00pm
New Beginnings
Glyncoch Community Centre
Every Friday 9.30am -12.30pm
Positive Steps
Darran Las Community Centre
Every Friday 12.30-3.00pm
Contact
Sara Davies 01443 424350 Sara.M.Davies@rhondda-cynontaff.gov.uk
Simone 01443 424218 simone@rhondda.org
Sara Davies Sara.M.Davies@rhondda-cynontaff.gov.uk
These groups are for people who have mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression. All groups charge for refreshments and the amounts differ. 11
Featured in future issues; Interesting opportunities for Service Users & Carers to get involved.
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Care and Treatment Planning Service User Involvement in training (CSUITS) Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) course, Cardiff University.-Service User & Carer Involvement Committee: Cwm Taf Mental Partnership Board The Mental Health Act Monitoring Group And lots more. All will be explained and contact details shown
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Happy St Dwynwen's Day St Dwynwen's Day is celebrated in Wales on 25 January. But who was St Dwynwen? St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, (which makes her the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.) Dwynwen lived during the 5th century and legend has it that she was one of the prettiest of Brychan Brycheiniog's 24 daughters. Dwynwen fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else. Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, Dwynwen devoted herself to God's service for the rest of her life. She founded a convent on Llanddwyn, off the west coast of Anglesey, where a well named after her became a place of pilgrimage after her death in 465AD. Visitors to the well believed that the sacred fish or eels that lived in the well could foretell whether or not their relationship would be happy and whether love and happiness would be theirs. Remains of Dwynwen's church can still be seen today. By Ben Johnson www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/St-Dwynwens-Da 12
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