5 minute read
It's OK To Talk about Mental Health
Who is Stacey Turner?
Stacey Turner is the founder and CEO of well-known local charity, It’s OK To Say. Stacey has worked alongside Oaklands College students and staff since 2017 and is proud to share that many students have contributed to It’s OK To Say in various ways.
With a background of over 25 years rich in mental health, Stacey went on to launch a campaign to bring mental health to the forefront of the community with an aim to keep reminding people that It Is OK To Say!
“Initially, it was only ever meant to be a 12-month campaign, however as we neared the end, we were inundated with messages to please keep going, I was astonished at how we’d become a voice. With the wonderful support of the business community in St Albans, I was able to turn our campaign into the charity you see today. It’s certainly not been an easy ride, there’s been many challenges along the way, and I was determined to do everything myself, learning new things every day, yet it is so rewarding, and I love how we help so many people from all over the world. I often find myself in utter awe of what we have achieved, but it wouldn’t be possible without the people, including Oaklands College that have helped us.”- Stacey
It’s OK TO Say is a mental health charity bringing mental health to the forefront of the community. Often launching campaigns, working alongside the County Council and other organisations and businesses, the charity offers 1-1 counselling, support groups, workshops, and professional panelled events. We also work with GPs and practices to help improve patient relationships.
“Our network is huge and since our aim is to get you to where you need to be as quickly as possible, if we can’t help you directly, we know where to refer you to and we can help with that.” – Stacey
We were recently contacted to help support Afghan refugees. We spent three weeks collecting donations and spent four days with a huge group of volunteers sorting packing and transporting it all to County Council ready for distribution. It’s Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, without essentials and a safe and comfortable space, it is difficult to process things and move forward. With this in mind, we helped source furniture and soft furnishings for a young family with a 2-month-old baby girl. We were even able to source a laptop for the 16-year-old son, who had just started college. With all this, it meant we could help provide trauma support. We even partnered with a translation company to translate our work. We looked at every way possible we could help for a holistic approach.
Our next and upcoming campaigns
Our anti-bullying campaign launches on Monday 15 November for anti-bullying week! We plan on making a lot of noise and want to give voice back to the bullied as well as empower a movement towards kindness. This anti-bullying week, we’ll be reminding you that It’s OK To Say and asking you, what’s your kind word?
ON MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH FOR NEW AND EXISTING STUDENTS!
Whenever I consider any type of change, the first thing I think about is organisation. How does change impact me now? and how do I need to prepare myself? Organisation and preparation are key to successfully settling in and maintaining balance.
1 Resilience is the ability to push through and bounce through challenges. Everyone’s challenges are different and what might seem small to one, might be big to another and there may be many. I call it the ‘bounce effect’! It’s recognising the challenges, acknowledging the feelings, and responding.
2 It’s essential to always carry kindness, as you never know the challenges the people around you are facing. This includes being kind to yourself.
3 Sleep, eat and exercise, getting plenty of sunlight! I know this is a typical one, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t pop a little reminder here to place great importance on looking after yourself.
4 Connect with others and be sociable. Having friendships and peer support is so valuable for self-esteem and providing a sense of comfort. It is creating your little community within society that makes a difference. If you have trouble socialising, please make sure you seek support and advice with this.
5 Doing things that you enjoy is part of creating a healthy balance. It is important to set aside time, build it into your daily routine and know that it’s OK to say no. Doing things for other’s is also important not only for your self-esteem, but as a lovely way to make you feel good about your place in the world. Volunteering for charity is fulfilling.
6 Managing stress and asking for help! Finding a way to break down worries and stresses helps manage responsibilities, so things don’t pile up and feel heavy. Counselling can help you work through management strategies
How we support the community
There are many ways It’s Ok To Say supports the community. We look at lots of different creative ways to keep our messages out there, whether that’s via the hospitality industry by working with chefs and chatting the correlation between food and mood or via art and hosting exhibitions to express mental health.
Our future wish
Is to set up a befriending service. We are seeking funding to purchase the computers, software and to train volunteers to offer comfort and reassurance that nobody is alone. What’s your future wish?
Stacey says
“My advice for anyone starting something new or us all adjusting to our new surroundings following COVID, is to count steps one by one, a day at a time. Talk: Start with “I feel…” and find what works for you, we are all different with various needs, but most importantly, invite help into your life. I promise you; it changes everything. Oaklands College is a very special place and I know there is help available within the college, however we also feel it’s important you know we are here for you too. You can reach out to us confidentially and we will support you in any way we can. You can also get involved by volunteering, fundraising, or being involved in our events. See you on campus soon!” – Stacey
