MCMAGAZINE
MR MOTIVATOR
The physiotherapist willing people to walk.
CALL OF DUTY
The veteran who helps offenders get back on track.
BE MORE JILL
We talk to It’s a Sin creator Russell T Davies.
We ask an expert.
You can contact us at: communications@merseycare.nhs.uk
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Waiting for summer has given us a chance to reflect on what's important to us.
WELCOME
Waiting for summer has given us a chance to reflect on who we are, how we live our lives and what‘s important to us. We’ve been peeking into the lives of people who do things in their own way and can give the rest of us some tips.
#BeMoreJill went viral after the Channel 4 series It’s a Sin (p7) showed how the character Jill, based on actress Jill Nalder, stood by friends as they battled both the AIDS virus and the stigma that stemmed
from ignorance. We spoke to the real life Jill, and have an exclusive interview with the series creator, Russell T Davies, in which he urges gay men and women not to be afraid to tell someone.
GP Christine Mimnagh (p4) always struggled with her gender identity. Now she’s advising a service for people, like her, who have waited years for a chance to be themselves.
The message to us all is... be yourself.
For some people the pandemic has meant losing loved ones prematurely and without a proper goodbye. We talk to two women whose lives were shattered by the early deaths of their partners when they were younger. They offer their thoughts on how to survive and rebuild.
If the term plant based diet doesn’t tickle your taste buds our veggie packed summer food ideas will. TV doctor Rupy Aujla and dietitian Amy Croft tell us why plants are the way to feeling fabulous and living longer.
Live well, be yourself and enjoy summer. The MC Magazine Team.
ALL CHANGE
Christine Mimnagh has struggled with her gender identity since childhood. She speaks to Jackie Rankin about being a transgender woman, and her ambitions for a new dedicated service to help people like her get the help they need.
GP
Christine Mimnagh walked into her room at Wingate Medical Centre Kirkby to find a mug, a gift from a well wishing patient –it read ‘soon to be Mrs’.
It made her smile. Not because she was getting married, but that she’d announced to her patients that she was going to be changing her gender.
The brightly coloured mug symbolised acceptance.
Christine had previously presented in the practice as male. She’d known from childhood that she didn’t feel and think like society thought she should, but as a little boy she’d watch her family laugh at TV programmes in which men who dressed in female clothes were comedy figures.
“I quickly realised that people like me were the butt of jokes. As I got older I did a deal with the world, the Almighty and myself that I was going to try to fit in with society’s expectations.”
I went to medical school and did crazy things...but I was missing what I really needed.
Like many transgender women she chose a lifestyle to cope with the feeling. “If you can’t be yourself, then be the best version of you and take the focus away from the problem. I went to medical school and did crazy things like building a car and going coast to coast across Scotland by dog power. But I was missing what I really needed.”
Christine was married and had three children. She’s still close to her family and feels lucky. Two thirds of relationships don’t survive when the person transitions.
Transphobia is the last justifiable bigotry, says Christine. She’d dearly love to see the stigma shaken off in the same way it has been with homophobia.
“It’s hard to believe that in the 1980s it was illegal to have a gay relationship when we look at attitudes today. Until the 2010 Equality Act people could be sacked for transitioning. A year ago being transgender was considered a mental illness.”
I love wearing nice clothes and makeup, but I risk it being seen as a fetish.
She wants society to be more accepting, and to bust the myths that surround gender incongruence.
“A classic misrepresentation is that transgender people are a threat, or even paedophiles. There’s been a media manufactured panic over access to toilets which results in many trans people developing kidney problems because people fear the comments in public toilets.
“It’s even been said that we do it because it’s new or cool. Since the dawn of time across civilisation there’ve been groups who don’t fit the gender stereotypes. Sumeria in 3000 BC had a caste of priests who dressed as women and were very influential. Native Americans had two spirited people. We’ve been here since the dawn of time, but social media makes us more visible.
“Trans women sometimes face criticism that they are either trying too hard or not enough, the reality is we’re all different in our expression of gender whether you are trans or cis (the technical term for non transgender) and that can include rejection of stereotypical gender as in the case of non binary people.”
Research studies have found that 85 per cent of today’s teenagers would support a friend who came out as transgender.
HAVE THINGS IMPROVED?
“Yes. In the 1970s the advice if you transitioned was to run away and start a new life. Research studies have found that 85 percent of today’s teenagers would support a friend who came out as trans. The options for transition are so much better too, with psychology, hormones, surgery or a combination. Previously the only option was surgery. If the doctor thought you wouldn’t make a ‘full transition’ (look and live like the opposite sex) you would be refused help.”
Christine is Clinical Advisor to Mersey Care’s new specialist gender incongruence service, CMAGIC, which works on improving the provision for transgender and non binary patients. The service brings together clinicians, community groups, and NHS services to provide a community based approach that supports people who are exploring their gender.
People need different levels of support, there’s no one way to be transgender.
WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THE NEW SERVICE MAKE?
“We’ve started from a bottom up approach, to see what’s needed before we designed the service, “says Christine. “People need different levels of support, there’s no one way to be transgender. Some, like me, may want hormones and psychotherapy, but not feel the need or be able to have surgery. Others may simply need support.
The Cheshire and Merseyside Adult Gender Identity Collaborative (CMAGIC) is a partnership of clinicians, commissioners, providers and service users involved in the support and care of transgender and non binary people within Cheshire and Merseyside.
“We want people to know there’s a service that’s accessible, that’s for people like them, that delivers on where they need to be, not where we think they need to be.”
We want people to know there’s a service that’s for people like them.
CMAGIC gender identity clinics offer a flexible range of tailored support options. To register you must be:
• Aged 17 or over and registered with a GP in England
• On a waiting list for an established NHS gender incongruence service and have not yet attended your first appointment.
For more information go to: Cmagic.merseycare@nhs.net or call 0151 317 8581.
#BEMOREJILL
The groundbreaking Channel 4 drama 'It’s a Sin' tragedy revealed the traumatic impact of the AIDS pandemic. Jo Henwood talks exclusively to its creator – and the woman whose compassion is a lesson to us all.
Jill Nalder (right) has had more than her 15 minutes of fame. She has tread the boards of London’s stages and toured the world with her own musical theatre company The Westenders.
But the woman who won’t be on Facebook, has never Tweeted and has barely got to grips with Instagram, found herself at dizzy social media heights when the hashtag #BeMoreJill started trending.
The inspiration for the caring, campaigning Jill Baxter (played by Lydia West) in Russell T Davies’s groundbreaking drama It’s a Sin, Jill is the only girl in a group of exuberant and theatrical friends living in London in
the 1980s. Jill is the first to take notice of reports of a ‘gay plague’ in America, first to realise that ill friends go home and never return and the first to sit at the bedside of a man dying of AIDS, disowned by his family.
Russell and Jill have been friends for years – they met first as teenagers at the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre and Jill really lived in a flat in London known amongst her friends as ‘the Pink Palace’. She was not at all surprised that the Channel 4 drama would be a big hit and was thrilled to be offered a cameo role as Jill’s mother Christine Baxter.
Jill Nalder wearing a La. T-shirt created by clothing designer Philip Normal to raise money for people with HIV. ‘La’ was an inside joke between the characters, encapsulating the love and mutual support within friendship groups. see page 9 for more details.
Photo: John Burke Photography.
“I knew It’s a Sin would be a huge success – I know Russell is brilliant, but I never expected anything like this!
“A friend texted me saying: ‘Jill, you’re a meme!’ I’m not even really sure what a meme is. It’s been crazy!”
The essence of #BeMoreJill is tolerance, caring, helping. But how exactly do we put ‘being Jill’ into practice?
It's all about equality... why can't someone live the life they want to live?
“It’s all about equality,” says Jill. “Why can’t somebody live the life they want to live if they aren’t harming anyone else? Why should the person you love be a barrier, why should the colour of your skin be a barrier, why should your disability be a barrier – it’s about giving everyone a fair chance. Who would not try to make the life of a fellow human being easier?”
When Jill talks about what she did to raise funds and awareness at the height of the AIDS crisis in theatreland in the 1980s you can feel the urgency and the fervour even now.
“It was an emergency response,” she says. “People in the company were dying and we felt inert unless we did something to help.”
Some of the nurses on those wards have become my lifelong friends.
When the curtain came down, Jill and a friend organised cabaret nights to raise funds and she spent days and nights in hospitals with the young men at the end of their lives. But who was there for Jill when times really got tough?
“The community of doctors and nurses were so helpful and supportive. Some of the nurses on those wards have become my lifelong friends,” she says.
“And my family were there – I was lucky to have open minded parents. And my friends. We were all in it together.”
The success of the series has had an unexpected and very positive outcome for family of the young men who died before modern antiretroviral treatments for HIV and AIDS were discovered.
Members of Jill’s late friends’ family feel they can now talk more openly about their brother or their uncle’s death.
“People have got in touch to say that after watching It’s a Sin they now feel proud about who their relative was, rather than feel the stigma because they died of AIDS.”
“That has really touched me,” she said. And like all true performers she quotes a song from the hit musical Hamilton: “You have no control - who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”
What a better world it would be if we were all just a bit more Jill.
Photos: Channel 4 Jill Nalder with Russell T Davies in the 80s.
DON'T HIDE WHO YOU ARE
If you are hiding your sexuality from those closest to you, it is time to come out of the closet says the award winning writer Russell T Davies.
Speaking to MC Magazine, the man who has been working in the field of gay drama for more than 20 years (Queer as Folk 1999, Cucumber 2015, A Very English Scandal 2018, It’s a Sin 2021) said: “That closet limits your emotions, limits your choices, limits your love."
With a cautionary note he added: “Do it safely. Make sure you are in a safe place. “Remember that coming out doesn’t mean you have to have sex – it’s more of an emotional thing.
“It’s just honesty. Honesty is always going to be better for you in the end.”
Russell grew up in a loving family in South Wales. Both his parents were teachers, his two older sisters followed them into the profession, and they accepted him as he was when in his early 20s he told them he was gay. But he realises that this won’t be the same case for everyone.
“Coming out doesn’t mean that your whole life will get better – you will still have money worries, family worries, but you certainly will have one less worry.
“I have never ever seen it harm anyone – unless they are already in a harmful setting. If you are living with a spouse who is violent, a father who is violent, your gayness is not the problem.
“The truly homophobic family has something else wrong with it. How can you not love your son? How can you not love your daughter? If you have that much capacity not to love someone then there is already something wrong.”
It’s a Sin is set in the early 1980s when HIV and AIDS were as new to our lexicon as coronavirus and Covid in 2019.
In planning since 2015, Russell admits that he was nervous about launching the series in the midst of a pandemic.
“For years people were asking me what I was working on and when I would say ‘A drama about AIDS’ you would see their faces fall!
“When COVID hit I thought ‘Do people actually want to watch a drama about a virus in the middle of a virus’?”
He needn’t have worried as Channel 4 recently announced it was their biggest ever instant box set with the most binged viewing to date.
Asked if he planned the hashtag #BeMoreJill when he was writing the drama Russell laughed out loud.
“What a master tactician I would be if I had!"
Casting actor Jill Nalder as Jill Baxter’s mum Christine was partly a huge thank you to Russell’s old friend who had shared so many of her stories with him. He was just as surprised as she was when her story hit the headlines all around the world.
“Something magical happened with that cast,” he said.
“They were such a special bunch of people.
“They became activists. They know their HIV history, they know their laws, they know about treatment. They all take my breath away.”
Honesty is always going to be better for you in the end.
• A T-shirt with the simple word La on it has raised more than £400,000 for the Terence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. Designed by Mayor of Lambeth and clothing designer Philip Normal, the word was an in joke amongst the characters in It’s a Sin. To order visit philipnormal.shop and search Terence Higgins Trust.
LIFE AFTER LOVE
This year has left people dealing with the death of a loved one unexpectedly. There was often no time to prepare – or say goodbye. Two women whose lives were shattered by the sudden death of their partners talk to MC magazine about how they live with their loss.
Jackie Foster was 32 and newly pregnant with her third baby when her husband Tom died in a road accident. He was 33.
She recalls the day her world collapsed.
“A police support officer knocked on my door and said ‘I’m sorry, your husband died this afternoon”. The sense of vulnerability was overwhelming, I just felt numb”.
“I remember the imprint of his head in the pillow when I went to bed. I dreaded sleep, because when I woke time momentarily stood still then reality hit like a mallet.
“You carry on but you want to sit and almost torture yourself. The only way I could get through the days was to make a plan – to this day, if he comes in my mind I make a plan to help me cope.
The coroner came with questions. Was the marriage happy? Was Tom pleased about the baby? “It felt like he was checking for evidence” said Jackie.
The couple had been together since their teens, endured tough times when their son survived leukaemia, and were excited to welcome the new addition to their family.
The only way I could get through the days was to make a plan.
“The antenatal doctor asked if I wanted to keep the baby. Because of the age gap maybe they thought he was an accident, but he was the best thing that could have happened. I felt I got a bit of Tom back.”
She struggled to protect her children from the harsh reality. “My 10 year old daughter, found me crying one day. She said ‘mum it’s ok you can cry in front of us’. You don’t just have to handle your grief you have to support them in theirs.”
Managing occasions – birthdays – anniversaries, is a challenge for anyone. Again Jackie made plans to get through the day.
On Father’s Day after Tom died I said to them: ‘We’ve still got a dad, what would you like to do? He loved birds so we took a picnic to Martin Mere. I knew there’d be other dads there, but I didn’t want my kids to be sad.”
I had to tell myself to stop being a victim.
The pressure intensified. “I was holding the children up, but no one could help me. It was sink or swim, and one day I just couldn’t swim any more. I decided, quite rationally, to take my life and take the kids with me so they wouldn’t have any more pain.
“Now it’s hard to even think about, but at the time it seemed for the best. It wasn’t hysterical or out of grief, I was just tired of living. Then I thought about my wider family and asked myself how could I do that to them? The thoughts lingered, but you have to pick up the pieces and carry on.”
She chose to give birth alone, wanting her children to be the first to know. From then on Jackie knew she was mum and dad for the foreseeable future.
“I turned into a Spice Girl; there was nothing I wouldn’t attempt. Having something to aim for gave me an inner strength. I’d say to someone, find something to live for and aim towards and go for it.
“It’s also important to do what your body tells you rather than other people. If you want to keep clothes do it. We’re all different.”
She self counsels. “I’d often feel cheated. I’d blame my situation for anything that went wrong. I had to tell myself to stop being a victim.”
After 22 years Jackie met a new partner, himself a widower.
“I never wanted to spend my life alone and we’re happy together. The loss never goes away, but you have a life with the person and a life without them. Some people never have the love I had for my husband. For that I’m very grateful.”
Jackie and Tom on their wedding day.
Bottling things up?
Talk to us
NNeed help with stress, anxiety or depression? We can help.
You can refer yourself online by visiting talkliverpool.nhs.uk or calling 0151 228 2300, alternatively you can be referred by your GP or another health professional.
THE UK's MOTHERLESS DAUGHTERS
Carmella De Lucia was only 17 years old when her mother died of a brain tumour after being ill for just one month.
ow a young mum with a beautiful daughter of her own, Carmella has been offering support, comfort and solace to others in her situation via a Facebook group called UK Motherless Daughters.
Inspired by the best selling American author and bereavement specialist Hope Edelman, Carmella set up the group in 2014 and it now has more than two thousand members. People post daily about their grief whether recently bereaved, remembering their mum’s birthday or sharing their feelings on the anniversary of her death.
Members are very supportive of each other and share their own experiences or just use Facebook’s new ‘care’ button to express support.
Carmella said: “I receive requests to join the group regularly which is so sad because it means that someone has lost their dear mum.
People realise they are not alone and understand their thoughts and feelings are natural.
“But I also receive many positive messages from members telling me how the group has helped them realise they are not alone, understand that their thoughts and feelings are natural and how supported they feel by other members.
“I think that the group has been particularly helpful to people who have had to cope with their mother’s death during this awful pandemic. Losing someone is bad enough anyway but not to have physical contact with friends and family or that usual support network is doubly hard.”
• Find the group by searching UK Motherless Daughters on Facebook
• Hope Edelman’s first book, Motherless Daughters, was a number one New York Times bestseller and her latest book The AfterGrief, offers an innovative new language for discussing the long arc of loss. Her other books include Motherless Mothers and The Possibility of Everything.
• Help yourself – our self help guide on bereavement
Carmella with her mum Bridie.
Photo: Ian Cooper @icphotography
DON'T ASK
JUST DO
When Liz Coop’s husband Simon said he felt unwell they both thought it was ‘flu and that a hot bath, warm drinks and a good night’s sleep would do the trick.
BBut Simon never woke up. When the couple’s four year old daughter paid them an early morning visit, he was dead.
Liz’s memory of the events are still clear – the 999 call, the police at the door – and the completely irrational thought of who would help set up her two daughters’ computers if they went to university.
Sudden death is exactly that.
She remembers people crossing the road to avoid speaking to her, difficult conversations that were more about the other person’s grief, and offers of help that didn’t go so well.
I was so grateful. Those people created ‘safe spaces’ for me and my girls.
But she also recalls acts of kindness. The friends who cooked for them, support from her family and their church, teachers being especially kind to the girls –someone helping her choose new taps.
“I was so grateful. Those people created ‘safe spaces’ for me and my girls,” says Liz.
Her advice to a friend in grief? “Don’t ask, just do’. Cook for them, let them talk. Make it about them. If you drive them somewhere and they want to leave early, leave early.”
17 years on Liz can see how she tried to normalise everything and keep the memory of Simon alive for her children. They’d look at family photographs, read letters and celebrate everything that was Simon Coop. But it has gradually dawned on her that what happened was anything but normal.
We have different sorts of conversations about Simon now.
Liz and the girls have had counselling. She said: “I think that my first session was just too early, but it was another counsellor who gave me the focus to go back to work which is the best thing I did.
“I had to do it, we needed the money; but she allowed me to see the situation objectively. I wrote to tell her how much she helped me stand a little taller.”
Liz realises that change is afoot. One daughter is at university and the other was on the brink of moving to London when the pandemic arrived.
“We have different sorts of conversations about Simon’s death now” she says. “We’ve talked about going away together on the day, making it a special family time but in a different place.”
She’s open to marrying again – but not online dating. “The girls encourage me to create an online profile, but that fills me with dread.”
• Simon died of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, probably following a viral infection.
• The NHS website has links to bereavement support: nhs.uk
EASY DOES IT
As the world begins to open up and we're able to do more, why are some of us more wary than others? And is that ok? We ask a clinical psychologist the best way to reset.
Dr
we enjoy may not be so simple for some people.
How quickly will we adapt to yet another ‘new normal’?
Humans are social animals, the majority are likely to want to get together and enjoy each other’s company.
Data not dates was the maxim used by the Government to create their roadmap out of lockdown in spring.
After more than three months of severe restrictions, including closure of all non essential shops, bars, restaurants, theatres, nightclubs, cinemas, football stadiums and anything else that brings joy to humanity, cautious steps were taken in April to release the nation.
But how quickly will we adapt to yet another ‘new normal’ backed on the one hand by an ongoing vaccine rollout and the fear of new variants on the other.
Dr Jennifer Kilcoyne is a consultant clinical psychologist with more than 25 years’ experience in mental health care. She is also clinical director at Mersey Care’s Centre for Perfect Care.
She says that because humans are social animals, the majority are likely to want to get together and enjoy each other’s company.
But for those who have anxiety, depression or have been isolating for most of the past year, any return to normal may be more of a challenge.
Using an analogy of a well known family game she says: “Anxiety is a bit like a Jenga Tower. Every time you avoid doing something that makes you anxious, the tower gets bigger and it gets harder to overcome barriers.
“But with each time you tackle something that could cause anxiety and you cope, you are taking a block off. It then gets easier to do it the next time.”
Dr Kilcoyne recommends easing yourself back into society in a graded way. Perhaps select one person to visit and just go for a short period of time before building up.
“Avoid doing anything stressful like taking public transport to start off with and be sure to take the usual precautions– carry hand sanitiser, wear a mask and do the best you can to feel safe.”
She hints that we might all be wearing masks for years to come.
We might keep positive aspects of life in lockdown like walks and calls to family.
“The anxiety and guilt we have all felt about this disease makes it different from other illnesses. Some people were asymptomatic so the idea that you might be contaminated by this disease and therefore pass it to other family members caused pervasive anxiety.”
But our innate desire and the infection prevention measures taken not to infect our nearest and dearest has had a positive outcome.
“We have dramatically reduced levels of 'flu and some other infections this year so we may find in the future that we decide to wear masks at work and in places like crowded supermarkets from November to March every year.”
A poll by the BBC in March suggested that we might keep some other positive aspects of life in lockdown including regular walks and online calls with family.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16.
Jennifer Kilcoyne (left) says getting back out and doing what
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15.
“It is so easy for us to slip into bad habits so it is best if we establish good routines. If you value something like a walk with a friend or an online chat with a relative you rarely see then schedule it into your week.”
Another positive is how quickly we have adapted to the digital world.
“We in the NHS probably implemented our five year digital strategy in about six months!” says Dr Kilcoyne with a smile.
“Having video calls with a therapist has been really helpful for some people, especially those with anxiety and depression. Not having to go out and spend money on public transport, parking or childcare has made it so much easier.
“There will always be a need for face to face appointments and for some people that is what works best, but for those who are happy to link up digitally that is one of the innovative things to come out of the pandemic.”
TOPTIPS
Dr Kilcoyne’s top tips for keeping well as lockdown restrictions ease
RECOGNISE THINGS MAY HAVE CHANGED and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you feel anxious move at a pace where you are comfortable
Try to have a CHANGE OF SCENERY
KEEP UP YOUR PHYSICAL EXERCISE and schedule in walks wherever possible
Returning to our lives may take some time but we are all in this together.
The Government has recognised the issues facing people with mental health difficulties and has pledged funding to help.
The Mental Health Recovery Action Plan, published in March this year promises to target groups which have been most impacted including those with severe mental illness, young people and frontline staff.
One thing is certain – the pandemic has caused distress and if you are experiencing that, you are not alone, says Dr Kilcoyne reassuringly.
“Recovery and returning to our lives may take some time but we are all in this together and can develop our resilience.”
For more information go to: Mind: mind.org.uk
NHS website: nhs.uk Mental Health Foundation: mentalhealth.org.uk
ESTABLISH ROUTINES and a structure to your life
TALK ABOUT ANY CONCERNS with trusted others and arrange to do together if you need support
FIND A HOBBY or new interest
Find a way to SUPPORT OTHERS as this can also increase wellbeing
TRY TO EAT HEALTHILY and ensure you get enough sleep and relaxation
BEING IN THE ARMY HAS MADE ME A BETTER NURSE
Steph Harper walked out of school and into the army. At 17 she joined the Royal Medical Corps. As a combat medic technician – a military paramedic, she was often first on the scene when soldiers suffered traumatic injuries.
Now 35 and a mental health nurse, Steph says it was great preparation for her new role, supporting people as they go through the criminal justice system.
“Being in the army has made me a better nurse. You build resilience and use the same skills. But first you have to adapt to civilian life – and it’s not easy.”
She works with Reconnect, a unique service that supports people who have served a custodial sentence to re-integrate into society. It starts before they leave prison and continues as long as needed.
Among her clients are ex-military men and women who have, like her, experienced the horrors of war.
“It’s not easy for anyone to adapt to life after prison. You may have lost your job, your home, family and friends. You may not know where to go for help.
If you’ve been in the military, asking for help is often seen as a character flaw, which makes rehabilitation so much harder.
Once they know I’m a veteran they’re more likely to let me help them with the things that can get them back on track, from housing to benefits and employment.
I feel my coming into this role happened for a reason. I’m exactly where I should be. The best part of my job is when I’m standing in front of a judge appealing for an ex forces
offender to be referred for community support rather than a custodial sentence.
I’d say to veterans, ‘there are services that can help you develop – go and find them. Don’t see it as a weakness, you have so many skills, you’re a valuable asset – you have a purpose outside the military, let’s discover it’.”
• Reconnect is a pilot programme led by Mersey Care’s Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion service. Mersey Care also has a dedicated Veteran Support programme. Find out more at: merseycare.nhs.uk
• Find your fit.
Steph as a raw recruit.
IN YOUR DREAMS...
You are at a wedding. The couple exchange vows. They lean in for a kiss. But they aren’t wearing masks. People at the ceremony aren’t social distancing. There is no hand sanitiser. This isn’t right. You run away. And run and run and run. And then you wake up. It was all a dream.
Dr Hetal Mehta says this year's events will affect
dreams.
Dreaming is good says Dr Hetal Mehta, consultant neuropsychiatrist at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Even COVID-19 dreams.
In fact if you are having stressful dreams about life in COVID-19 times (and it’s not surprising) this may be your brain helping you to process the unusual situation.
“Dreaming is the brain’s way of helping us to consolidate what has happened to us during the day as well as reprocessing memories from our past. Research suggests it even helps in memory function,” says Dr Mehta.
Stressful times and past experience this last year will have affected our dreams.
WHAT IS A DREAM?
A dream can be defined as ‘mental activity in sleep’. Experts divide sleep into two distinct stages – REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and non-REM sleep. The latter is better understood as ‘deep sleep’ and it is the first part of our sleep that is generally deeper. During the night the blood flow to different parts of our brains changes – at one point it is the decision making, problem solving area that receives more blood flow than that which serves memory and emotions and vice versa.
“We think of them as visual images but they are also fed by other sensory inputs –we hear things, someone touches us, we can smell and feel emotions,” explains Dr Mehta, who also works with patients who have experienced a brain injury.
Since March 2020 when the UK first went into lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, our lives have changed. We wear masks, we keep two metres distance from others, we wash our hands more regularly. The Government lays down rules about who we are allowed to see, where we go and how we behave when we get there. And sadly many have lost their lives or loved ones.
Dr Mehta thinks our dreams are connected. “There is sufficient research to suggest that for most people the stress response of dreams serves an adaptive function. The brain is trying to adapt to events and at the same time develop networks to help you cope with a stressful memory.
“An interesting study involved people going through a divorce. It showed that those who were able to incorporate their ex spouses into their dreams were better able to process their situation and adapt to it six months on, than those who had not done so.”
People are reporting vivid pandemic related dreams on social media using the hashtag #CovidDreams and researchers all over the world are delving deeper into our dreams to find out more.* Dr Mehta expects the results of this research will make interesting reading.
“These are stressful times and from past experience this last year will have affected our dreams.
“After 9/11 several studies reported people having stressful dreams even if they were not directly affected by the terrorist attack or living in America at the time. It happens because of the information we receive in different ways – on television, on the radio, via social media for example.”
NIGHTMARES
Vulnerable people or those prone to anxiety will still find that the brain can help them adapt to stressful situations in their sleep.
Even nightmares are normal says Dr Mehta.
“If you have had a threatening or traumatic experience or event in your life, your brain may try to incorporate that in to your dreams and help to process it.”
But when do dreams or nightmares become an issue?
“If your nightmares are more intense, more recurrent and more prolonged or if they are a replication of the traumatic event, rather than a representation of what happened you should seek medical help,” says Dr Mehta.
Talking about your dreams helps reduce stress and anxiety about them.
COMMUNICATION
Talking about your dreams is good and can help you process any stress connected with them.
“In these days when we have less human to human contact it is good to check in with someone, even remotely,” says Dr Mehta. “Talking about your dreams helps reduce your stress and anxiety about them, assists dream processing and aids better sleep.”
SLEEP TIGHT
Dr Mehta’s top tips to help you sleep better:
• Avoid stimulants like tea, coffee, smoking, alcohol and even chocolate after 6pm. Even doing this for a couple of days a week can help you sleep better
• Switch off your television and other screens at least two hours before going to bed or consider a red filter
• Prepare yourself for bed an hour before you plan to go to sleep
• Get into a good habit –routine is very important. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up around the same time.
COULD A PLANT SAVE YOUR LIFE?
By Tamara Lawrence
The term ‘plant based diet’ may not set your taste buds on fire. But it appears eating lots of fruit and vegetables could literally save your life. We hear from the TV doctor who is helping train medics in nutrition, and a dietitian passionate about helping people choose well.
Dr Rupy Aujla (above) knows his onions when it comes to eating for health. The GP is a familiar face on daytime TV with his series The Doctor's Kitchen.
He believes that food can be our medicine, and that eating the right foods is key to eradicating preventable lifestyle related diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, heart attack, stroke and some cancers.
Dr Rupy says medics should be promoting plants to patients. He’s even helped set up a charity to teach doctors and medical students the foundations of nutrition, and how to cook so they can share their skills with those they treat.
Start small, change one meal a day and go from there.
“Food is not a panacea, but it is a huge component of wellbeing’, says Dr Rupy, whose latest book Doctor’s Kitchen 3-2-1 features recipes that include three of your five a day, serve two people and are cooked in just one pan.
Given the confusion surrounding ‘the right things to eat’, and apathy towards a radical lifestyle change, where does he advocate we start?
“I always say start small, change one meal a day and go from there. Swap your sugary cereal for porridge with frozen berries and some sunflower seeds. And then every time you sit down to eat ask yourself: ‘Could I get one more serving of veg in here?’
“Add some spinach to a curry, a few green beans to an omelette. If you absolutely have to have a Cornish pasty, how about serving some butternut squash mash with it?”
• Dr Rupy Aujla, is the founder of thedoctorskitchen.com, a regular slot on daytime TV shows, such as This Morning, and a Sunday Times bestselling culinary author.
Photo: Andrew Burton
DON'T SEE PLANTS AS A PUNISHMENT
Amy Croft is a specialist dietitian within Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. She uses social media to give people facts they may not know that might encourage them to eat differently.
She sees people with complications that can be exacerbated by poor diet.
Posts shared on her Instagram (eatingwith.amy) promote plant based foods but focus on making healthy eating easy and using what you have in the cupboard or fridge.
“We’re told to eat more fruit and veg because they’re a fantastic source of vitamins, minerals and fibre,” says Amy. “They contain polyphenols which can reduce inflammation and protect our bodies from damage. They help to maintain healthy gut bacteria and are low in calories.
"There’s evidence that eating ten portions of plant based food a day can reduce premature death by a third. That’s probably unrealistic for most people so the World Health Organisation recommends aiming for at least five portions per day, however data shows that any increase can be beneficial to your health. Try not to see fruit and vegetables as a punishment. They’re so tasty and versatile; don’t be afraid to get creative!“
eatingwith.amy
HUEVOS RANCHEROS
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50g spring onions thinly sliced
160g deseeded red pepper sliced
1 tsp each hot and sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium free range eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
TO SERVE
160g peeled and stoned avocado
(1 large or 2 small), sliced
15g fresh coriander leaves, chopped
4 small corn tortillas, warmed in the oven or dry pan.
METHOD
• Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and red pepper and fry gently for 10 minutes until softened
• Add the spices and fry for a minute more, then add the tomatoes, beans and 100ml water. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes
• Make two hollows in the mixture and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft
• Remove from the heat and serve topped with the avocado and scattered with the coriander leaves, with warm tortillas for scooping.
DOING IT FOR DAVID
40 years ago, Helen Garlick was about to board a paddle steamer to New Orleans when she received a message from her father that would change her life forever.
She was told that there had been a ‘terrible accident’ and that her brother David was dead.
Only now, after two marriages, three children, two ‘bonus’ daughters (stepdaughters) and a highly successful career in the law does she feel she can talk openly about what really happened.
“David was the golden, blue eyed boy,” says Helen. “He would light up a room. He was funny, clever, great at cricket and fishing, loved looking at the stars and had a passion for motorbikes.”
Helen and David’s father Geoffrey had high hopes for David following in his own successful footsteps.
Geoffrey had passed the 11+ to grammar school in Sheffield where he became head boy. The first in his family to go to university, he won a scholarship to Cambridge and was awarded a half-blue for his hockey prowess. He was a solicitor, married to Monica and they had the perfect family – a girl followed by a boy.
Author Helen Garlick talks to MC magazine's Jo Henwood about family secrets, campaigning for suicide awareness, and why we all need to talk more openly.
The ZSA does such a lot of work in encouraging people to talk and support one another.
But David didn’t settle at university. At the time of his death he had dropped out of a course in marine biology for the second time and was helping a family friend as caretaker for his country house in Nottinghamshire.
“He was never cut out to be an academic,” says Helen, the child who actually fulfilled her father’s dream.
With a law degree from Bristol and a qualifying year at the College of Law in London, Helen was in America for a few months before becoming an articled clerk at a City firm.
“My father kept describing the ‘terrible accident’ and talking about ‘if only the cabinet hadn’t been open.’ I thought he must have meant a gun cabinet but it was actually a filing cabinet. Apparently David had forged a shotgun certificate.”
David died of gunshot wounds and the inquest into his death returned a verdict of suicide but Geoffrey appealed.
“My father said he would appeal because it can’t be suicide. He said ‘we can’t have that stain on David’s character’.”
A second inquest returned an open verdict and Helen and her father never discussed the incident again.
“I was very young at the time and if I ever tried to broach the subject I was warned off.
Our house was not a place where we would say things like ‘How do you FEEL about that?’
That was my dad’s way. Looking back now I don’t think he could have coped with it any other way.”
Helen’s mother took anti depressants and kept her feelings, and other things, bottled up.
The lack of openness in Helen’s childhood has had a very positive effect on her own career. A divorce lawyer, she has spent most of her working life focusing on talking solutions and mediation and avoiding laying blame with any one party.
I am on a mission to encourage talking.
She has also recently taken up a role as ambassador for the Zero Suicide Alliance and plans to walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats with her husband and two dogs to raise funds in David’s memory.
“I am on a mission to encourage talking,” she said.
“The ZSA does such a lot of work in encouraging people to talk and support one another.”
When her father died in 2014, Helen promised herself she would tell the true story behind David’s death but it was a further shock when her mother died three years later that prompted her to write a book which has just been published.
But that’s another story.
No Place to Lie: Secrets Unlocked, A Promise Kept by Helen Garlick £9.99 is available at bookshops and online.
COMING TO A COMMUNITY NEAR YOU
ZERO HEROES
A crack team saving lives that could be lost to suicide. Starring YOU!
BE A ZERO HERO
More than 6,000 people a year die by suicide. One life lost is one too many.
The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) is an alliance of people and organisations who believe in one basic principle: suicide is preventable.
Our FREE suicide prevention training is available to everyone. It means anybody can spot someone presenting with suicidal thoughts or behaviour, then help them find the right services or support.
Now we’re looking for more Zero Heroes – people to take our training, perhaps support our fundraising and encourage others to do the same.
Join us as we take the next steps to help prevent suicide.
WHY NOW?
Suicide is already the leading cause of death for women under 34 and men under 49. It’s devastating for families, communities and the economy.
The impact of COVID-19 on people’s mental health is still unknown – but we need to be prepared. The effect on suicide rates of the economic slow down in 2008 did not hit until 2012 – the next three years are vital.
It’s time to take the training. It’s time to fundraise. It’s time to make a change.
Find out more about Zero Heroes and how we’re coming together to raise money, raise awareness and have fun. zerosuicidealliance.com/zeroheroes
WHAT’S YOUR FUNDRAISING SUPERPOWER?
Are you a crack quiz team? Can you eat a doughnut without licking your lips? Ready to put your best foot forward? We don't mind, but please join us this summer – you can make a difference. Here's how to get involved.
Learn to spot danger signs and reach out to someone. It’s online and takes 20 minutes.
Not got time? There’s a shorter introductory version that takes just a few minutes.
Take the FREE training today: zerosuicidealliance.com/training
Be part of an alliance that stands together to say that all premature deaths are important, that suicide is preventable, that more must be done.
ZSA Membership is FREE, join today: zerosuicidealliance.com/get-involved/sign-zsa
As part of the ZSA team you’ll receive updates on our awareness and fundraising events and activities, so you can get family and friends involved.
Find out more: zerosuicidealliance.com
JOIN
BORDER FORCE
Trafficking in humans is the second largest criminal trade. Jo Henwood talks to an airport chaplain – and tells you how to spot the signs.
You cram your 100ml bottles into a see through plastic bag, hope your carry on bag doesn’t tip the scales at check in and grab a coffee before boarding your plane.
No longer an illegal activity, holidaying abroad is back in the land of the legitimate and a trip to the airport can be the beginning of something fabulous – a summer holiday, a dream honeymoon, a gap year challenge or a long awaited trip home to see family.
But for some, it can mean the opposite – no dreams, no adventure, instead the beginning of a tortuous journey into a lifetime of servitude and exploitation.
George Lane is coordinating chaplain at Manchester Airport, which in a pre-pandemic world could see up to 30 million people travelling through its doors every day.
According to him, trafficking in humans is the second largest criminal trade after drugs.
“For many, travel equals freedom but sadly this is not always the case,” says George,
who is the first port of call when there is any suspicion that someone’s freedom is being compromised by horrors including forced marriage, child abduction, human trafficking and modern slavery.
George says that he has ‘infinite respect’ for the Border Force agency which handles passport control at UK airports and its officers who have only seconds to make a judgement about a traveller’s safety.
His real life stories should stop you from ever complaining about queuing again.
Victims of modern slavery can be men, women and children of any age...an eight year old boy who has been ‘born to order’ for a British born paedophile.
The tattoo they share is known to officers and means her boyfriend ‘owns’ her.
THE HAPPY COUPLE
A young girl and her boyfriend are travelling from Hungary to the UK. She looks about 17, he is maybe a little older and they seem to be enjoying each other’s company.
The immigration officer checks their passports –hers is pristine, her first ever passport and his has been used extensively.
He speaks English, she does not. He has an address in this country but an initial check shows it is a possible brothel in Greater Manchester. The immediate priority is now the safety of the 17 year old girl and it is time for George to step in.
She is a minor, vulnerable and in trouble. But as anyone who has ever met a 17 year old girl will know, she is now also very unhappy. She was travelling with a boy she thinks loves her – they even have the same tattoo – embarking on a new life together. Now she is being handled by police and refused entry to the country.
The authorities cross check with other agencies including Interpol and it is discovered that the girl’s mother has just reported her missing from home.
“It is complicated,” says George, now acting as the neutral and responsible adult.
“There doesn’t appear to have been any coercion or violence. She doesn’t only think everything is fine but that everything is going to be brilliant.”
She discovers that the officers have seen her tattoo before.
“Imagine telling a 17 year old girl that her boyfriend is a villain, that the tattoo they share is known to officers and means her boyfriend ‘owns’ her. It does not go down well.”
Victims of modern slavery can be men, women and children of any age. In George’s eight year experience at Manchester Airport he tells me horrific stories about an eight year old boy who has been ‘born to order’ for a British born paedophile and two sisters who were removed from primary school by their mother to be married in her country of birth. I hear about the younger woman in a same sex relationship alerting officers after concerns that she is being ‘coached’ by her lover about what to say to officials and another woman who was left at the side of the road after her ‘employers’ no longer needed her.
George added: “The lines are blurred –some victims are struggling to leave their situation because of threats, punishment, violence, coercion and deception, and others don’t even believe that they are in a situation of exploitation.”
Post pandemic, George’s first concern is that airports will need to rebuild their own workforce but beyond that his long term ambition is that everyone who works at Manchester Airport is trained to have the skills and the confidence to know what to do when they spot something that they feel is not quite right.
Spot the signs – see page 29.
JUST-ICE FOR SURVIVORS
Anyone who has made their own ice cream will know if the recipe is a good one, the stirring is done properly and you take it out of the freezer at the right time, it is like ambrosia.
Gav and Sally Murray’s love of ice cream has led to something more. Their Just-Ice social enterprise offers employment for survivors of human trafficking, restoring their dignity and giving them hope and a future.
Gav makes the ice cream, using natural ingredients including Fairtrade vanilla, chocolate and sugar. Sally oversees the training of staff and support and life coaching for survivors.
said Jo who has just taken delivery of a refrigerated ice cream trike named Harriet.
She will work closely with Hope for Justice and City Hearts, agencies in the north west who help victims of modern slavery rebuild their lives.
Said Jo: “People celebrate the work that William Wilberforce did in the 18th century to abolish slavery but it’s shocking to find how many people are enslaved in the world today.”
To discuss Just-Ice attending your wedding, business, fair or event, visit just-ice.org
Jo Rodman (pictured above), is so impressed with the work Gav and Sally are doing that she is in the process of setting up her own franchise. An experienced business woman and a committed Christian, Jo is also in training to become a priest in the Church of England.
To book Harriet the Just-Ice trike visit just-icepoynton.org
“The effect of the work of Just-Ice on people’s lives is transformational,”
WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY?
Modern slavery is a serious crime that violates human rights. Victims are forced, threatened or deceived into situations of subjugation, degradation and control which undermine their personal identity and sense of self. Modern slavery encompasses human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.
Victims may be reluctant to come forward with information; not recognise themselves as having been trafficked or enslaved, or tell their stories with obvious errors or omissions.
Someone in slavery might:
• appear to be under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others
If you suspect that someone is in slavery, DO NOT confront them or cause a scene as this will likely lead to increased harm for them. Instead, inform relevant authorities or organisations working in the field.
If you are in the UK and suspect someone might be in slavery:
• Call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or fill out an online form at: modernslaveryhelpline.org
• not have personal identification on them
• have few personal belongings, wear the same clothes every day or wear unsuitable clothes for work
• not be able to move around freely
• be reluctant to talk to strangers or the authorities
• appear frightened, withdrawn, or show signs of physical or psychological abuse
• dropped off and collected for work always in the same way, especially at unusual times, ie. very early or late at night.
See below for what to do if you see an adult or child you think may be being trafficked.
source: gov.uk
Victims may be reluctant to come forward they may not recognise themselves as having been trafficked.
• Contact the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority to report concerns about the mistreatement of workers on 0800 432 0804, or by email intelligence@glaa.gsi.gov.uk
• Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
• Contact the police
• Contact Anti-Slavery International or other specialist anti-slavery organisations.
EVERY STEP YOU TAKE
By Jackie Rankin
By day David Bahadoor may help someone with a hip facture to take their first steps towards independence. By night he’ll likely be pushing elite athletes to reach the top of their game.
David, a community physiotherapist in Sefton, Merseyside, has found his own unique way of motivating people to be the best that they can be.
He’s worked at Premier League football clubs, and is now part of the team at Widnes Rugby League Club.
The work takes him to both ends of the physiotherapy spectrum – but the buzz is the same.
“It doesn’t matter who the person is – your job is to help them identify their goal, and then help them reach it and stay there."
The Government’s ‘Stay at Home’ message meant some of David’s patients took two steps backward in their recovery programme.
“I was shocked at the levels of low mood”, he says. “Families would be heartbroken that their relative had regressed so much.”
David uses his inimitable motivational techniques.
“We have a chat, it can be about anything – it’s an avenue to motivate, it’s a big part of what I do. We start thinking about a goal. It could be to go shopping. Recalling that sense of freedom changes the person’s whole demeanour; their mood lifts.
Everyone needs a sense of achievement. As they progress people say ‘I didn’t want to do it but I’m glad I did.”
David asked me what my hobbies were. I said I loved going line dancing before my legs became too weak. One week I felt I wasn’t doing well. The next week he brought some country music on his phone and we did the steps together. It was lovely to dance again. Cynthia, 88.
TIPS
• Decide your goal; it could be going into the garden, or walking with friends
• Break down the tasks, or exercises into small chunks
• Set new, smaller goals each week, taking you closer to your main goal
• Make it easy on yourself. Lighten your mood by playing music to evoke happy memories
• Ask family members or friends to do the activity with you.
HE'S LIKE A MATE
Former city farm worker Bobby Flood (pictured right with David) says he’d be unable to get out of bed but for David’s encouragement. “There’s something about him that makes you get up and try,” said the 66 year old who broke his hip during a recent fall.
“I really look forward to him coming. He’s like a mate who really wants you to do well. I’m agoraphobic and David had me walking in the garden and down the path. He understands your pain, but he pushes you and that’s what I needed.”
In rugby the physio is king. But with that comes massive responsibility.
“You can’t take your eyes of the action; the responsibility for the player’s safety is on you. There are so many more injuries during a rugby match than in football, and potentially more serious ones. The physio has the licence to decide on whether a player stays on the pitch," says David.
"In that second you have to ask yourself ‘is he more laboured than usual getting up from a tackle? Is he responding appropriately to verbal communication'. You quickly examine for possible concussion and/or additional injuries – then make the decision, in front of the team, managers and big crowds.
“It can be tense. If the scores are close you could make the difference between your team winning or losing – but the player’s safety and wellbeing always comes first.”
DYSLEXIA IS MY SUPERPOWER
By Jackie Rankin
At 21 Wes Baker had the reading and writing age of someone much younger.
My dad was an academic. We travelled a lot so I was always between education systems. I thought that was why I struggled with writing and spelling.
I knew the answers, but putting what was in my head onto paper was almost impossible. My teachers said I just needed to catch up. I got to university, spurred on by my dad, but no one realised the real problem.
My handwriting and spelling were illegible. Lecturers would say they couldn’t mark what they couldn’t read. I was falling far short of grades I knew I was capable of achieving.
Friends suggested I get assessed for dyslexia. The results were shocking. My writing and spelling well below average for my age.
I was angry it hadn’t been picked up earlier, but now I knew why I was struggling and what I needed to do. I developed coping strategies, including improving my handwriting skills and spelling, so people could read my work.
I started a Masters at University of Liverpool. The lecturers assured me they wouldn’t be marking my handwriting or spelling, but I’d need to get to the point where they could actually read it!
Looking back I’d lived in something of a bubble. People in the science world are more interested in data analysis skills than written reports. My mistake was in thinking the rest of the world would be the same.
Even working in the NHS people would criticise emails and joke about having ‘a dyslexic moment’. It made me determined to change things for other people in my position.
After a very positive experience at Liverpool Women’s Hospital I joined accountants Ernst and Young LLP. I was inspired by their championing of dyslexics.
My breakthrough moment came from a colleague from a company I was working with. As I apologised for spelling errors he said ‘I’m dyslexic too. It’s a gift. We can see things other people can’t. We can solve problems and unravel data. View it as your superpower.”
This was the first time I’d heard anyone talk about dyslexia as a positive thing. I began to think differently. Why do we focus on the negatives? Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein are all dyslexic. Would they have been able to do what they did without their dyslexia?
I became passionate about helping other people to see their dyslexia as a strength. I wanted to work in the NHS and develop a workplace dyslexic network, but I was ready to wait for an organisation that would embrace it.
When I came to Mersey Care I knew this was the place. A culture where we ask not ‘who is to blame?’ but ‘how can we learn from this?’ and an emphasis on psychological safety, are not just words on a wall. The directors have embedded it into organisational culture.
We launched in 2019, backed by the British Dyslexic Association. One of our biggest achievements is working with Informatics Merseyside to make sure our IT systems support people. We are also reviewing and adapting our training programmes.
Employers are increasingly recognising the skills people with neurodiverse conditions bring. GCHQ is now advertising for dyslexics to join –there have been newspaper articles about dyslexic spies!
In the wider world stigma still exists. I’ve heard about people who found out in their 50s after years of struggling. I’d like our staff to go into schools and say ‘I’m a doctor and I have dyslexia’. We should give kids who are viewed as non achievers a belief that they can do whatever they want, if they get the right support – to use their superpower...”
• Wesam Baker is Director of Strategic Analytics, Economics and Population Health Management at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia is a neurological difference that can affect all aspects of someone’s life. It runs in families and is a lifelong condition. There is a misconception that dyslexia just affects the ability to read and write. In fact it may affect areas such as coordination, organisation and memory. Find out more from the British Dyslexia Association: bdadyslexia.uk
DON'T WAIT TO TELL
SOMEONE
It's taken Cara Donnelli-Hunn 40 years to talk openly about her dyslexia.
Most of my friends don’t know, or my previous employers. I was too embarrassed to say.
I knew early on something was wrong. My teachers couldn’t read my writing and suggested I was tested. They were right.
My dyslexia shows in writing and verbally. When I write a birthday card I use ‘lost’ instead of ‘lots’ of love. Words can come out very differently to what’s in my head.
I don’t know my left from my right so my husband and daughter have to check before we turn! We laugh about it, but the stigma is always there.
It’s easy to become insular. I flush visibly when I make a mistake. I’ll stay at the back of a group for fear I’ll be asked to speak and completely mess up. You imagine people are thinking you’re not a team player but it’s the opposite.
I got on really well with all my bosses, but I never asked them for help. It would have been too awkward.
You constantly doubt your ability to do your job. You worry that people will notice how much time you’re taking to do what appears a simple task. I remember writing up minutes from a meeting. Instead of the word ‘specific’ I wrote ‘Pacific’. In my mind that was right. The memory has stayed with me, now I’m nervous when I take minutes.
Wes was the first person outside my family that I’d ever told. When I heard he wanted to set up a staff network I thought ‘I’m going to email him and tell him I’m dyslexic too. He asked if I’d help lead the network.
Since we launched more and more people have come forward to tell us about their experiences. They’ve been mixed and people want change quickly but it takes time. We’re planning to speak with managers across the Trust; to help them understand what it feels like to be dyslexic so staff feel more able to talk to them.
We’re lucky; we’ve been given the freedom by the Board to create what’s needed. They’ve listened to us and made changes to policies and introduced IT solutions such as reading and writing software.
I’m proud and thankful that Wes had the courage and drive to set up the network. My own message to anyone struggling is 'swallow your pride and ask for help'.”
• Cara Donnelli-Hunn is executive assistant to Mersey Care’s Chief Executive Joe Rafferty and Chairman Beatrice Fraenkel.
TALES OF SINBAD
Loveable rogue Sinbad was a favourite in Channel 4’s Brookside for 16 years. Two decades later actor Michael Starke spoke exclusively to soap super fan William Coughlin for MC magazine, about the highs and lows of life on ‘the Close’.
WC: Your character was a good role model. How easy was it to play Sinbad?
MS: It can be hard to play a character that has so much of yourself, you usually have your instincts and the character’s instinct, but it means you can say ‘I think he’d say this, or do that’.
WC: He always seemed very bubbly?
MS: He was! The thing I loved about him the most was his fun side. He was a tremendous optimist. He was one of those people who could just make people smile.
As the storyline deepened, with the Jordache plot and him finding his mum, the role changed and Sinbad became much more serious and troubled. Sustaining that was hard – with every storyline came a bit more baggage. I met with Phil Redmond to ask if we could bring back some humour. Phil said ‘Sinbad has become the conscience of Brookside’. The storyline was changing so the character had to change as well.
WC: What would a typical day on set be like?
MS: Ten hour days and in the early days rehearsals in between recording. Once we went to five shows a week there was no time for rehearsals, you’d have to know your lines and make sure you were in early. If they were ahead of schedule they’d shoot extra scenes – you’d have an hour to learn your lines!
WC: Who did you most enjoy working with and why?
MS: Everyone was great, but Louis Emerick and I got on so well. He took Sinbad in as a lodger and we became great friends. We developed our own code, we’d learn our lines together and made going to work fun. We’re constantly in touch, he’s a great mate.
WC: Were you a mentor to younger cast members?
MS: (Laughs) No one took a blind bit of notice of me! We tried to be there for the younger actors, to say be aware of this or that, dealing with life in what felt like a goldfish bowl. We’d give tips on learning lines.
Anna Friel who played Beth Jordache had a spark, you knew she’d do well, look at what she’s on gone to do, but she would always ask for advice. I don’t think there was a lot we could teach her. There were quite a few great young actors, some decided not to stay in the business.”
WC: Where was the garage and shops? I’ve been to the set and it wasn’t there.
MS: There was a little pathway from the Close with a sign saying Brookside parade – that pathway was three miles long! It was actually in Childwall. They built a garage, some shops, a nightclub, a hairdresser’s and a launderette – Ron Dixon had his sweet shop there!
WC: You’ve done pantomimes. What stands out?
MS: I love pantomime, two shows a day for eight weeks is really hard work, but it’s great. I remember walking on stage and realised I wasn’t in the scene and pretended to sleepwalk – the director loved it so much he kept it in!
WC: You were a window cleaner in Brookside. Were there any mishaps with your bucket?
MS: The one scene you’d never see was me up the ladder looking down – I’m a terrible coward! The directors persuaded me to slide down the ladder; I fell and never did it again!
• Mersey Care administrative assistant William Coughlin was in conversation with Michael Stark thanks to a partnership between Mersey Care and Made in Manchester, producers of Distinct Nostalgia. Trawl through the player for interviews and hours of soap history from Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, and Brookside. distinctnostalgia.com
Michael Starke.
Soap super fan William Coughlin.
I’m passionate about the work of the Trust.
MARIE DA SILVA BLEASDALE
Service user and carer governor
I’ve lived with anxiety and depression for most of my adult life. As my mum’s carer from childhood until I was 33, I didn’t have time to think about me.
Ididn’t realise during those years that I needed help. It was only when I became unwell, went into Mersey Care services and got help that I began to understand.
All this has made me stronger and now I’m doing things that at one time would have terrified me. Like going to college – I'm dyslexic, so I have to work a lot harder in my studies to keep up. At school I’d have been scared to ask but now nothing scares me. I’ve become a volunteer reader at my daughter’s school and was on the judging panel at her World Book Day event. I’ve just qualified as a mental health first aider. I’m looking forward to the future.
The idea of being a governor came to me when I went to an AGM. I’m passionate about the work of the Trust and I’m in a service user research group, but I honestly thought no one would vote for me.
We’re looking at how to encourage more people to become members. We need their views to know what they need from us. I’ll challenge the Board view – but in a nice way! They’re doing a really good job; we’re all a team wanting the best for people like me.
To learn more about our Council of Governors, go to merseycare.nhs.uk
