28 – 6 March – Eating Disorder Awareness Week Legacy and In-Memory Fundraising
GAMIAN-Europe Art Exhibition Members' Day Join us! Nat's story: 08 “My demons don't define me”
Front cover: Child from Mom's Mindful Hub
Editorial team: Sophie Bray and Alice Clifford
Contributors: Kirsten TaylorScarff, Karishma Pindoria, Geordine Briscoe, Emma Carrington, Emma Bate, Julie Galliford, Kat Allin, Nicole Young and Ian Callaghan.
Design: Rebecca Allen and Marie Havard
Print: Fretwell
RECONNECT Supporting adults being released from prison Meet Aphra Tulip-Briggs 'It's a real privilege to be in the role'
16 Mom's Mindful Hub: Building connections and supporting minds
Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of Rethink Mental Illness, unless agreed by the Board of Trustees. For reasons of confidentiality the testimonials used sometimes do not relate to the individuals photographed. 18
Creative Voice: An extra special thanks
Let’s end the judgement. Let’s Rethink Mental Illness.
This autumn we launched our national anti-stigma campaign, centred around the idea that one of the most difficult things about living with a mental illness can be the judgement of others.
We hope through highlighting the stigma people with mental illness experience we can challenge preconceptions about what it means to be unwell.
I hope many of you had the opportunity to see the tv advert on ITV, or have engaged with our posts on our social media channels. We are very proud of the work that has gone into this campaign and the impact it has had.
I’d also like to remind you about our Members’ Day event on Saturday 16 November. The event is taking place in London, however you also have the option to join online and watch our keynote speakers from the comfort of your home. Details about the event and how to book your place are on page 6.
With very best wishes,
Mark Winstanley Chief Executive
Annual General Meeting
This year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being held on Thursday 21 November online via Teams, and will start at 4pm. Your AGM papers have been posted with this copy of Your Voice which include a proxy voting form on the back page if you’re unable to attend online.
Let us know you'd like to attend by emailing AGM.enquiries@rethink.org and we'll send you the Teams joining link.
Art Exhibition GAMIAN-Europe
In September we hosted the GAMIAN-Europe art exhibition The Vibrant Mind –Embracing Mental Health Through Artistry. The exhibition was opened by our chair, Kathryn Tyson and Péter Kéri, President of GAMIAN-Europe.
The event showcased the artwork of individuals living with various mental health conditions, with the aim of encouraging conversations around the connection between art and mental health.
Right Care, Right Person
Last year, The National Partnership Agreement, ‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP), was implemented by policing, health, and other relevant partners to ensure people going through a mental health crisis are seen by the right professional.
Under RCRP, the police greatly scale back their support, and in most cases will now not provide any help to someone going through a serious mental health crisis unless there is a threat of serious harm or potential crime.
We agree with the principle that the police are not always the right agency to attend to someone who needs urgent mental health support, but we are concerned that RCRP is being implemented too quickly. We are concerned that people are at risk of falling through the gaps, and we know that there have already been deaths linked to RCRP processes.
In March we wrote to the then Health Secretary and Home Secretary and called for a nationwide pause of RCRP until the appropriate safeguards, funding, accountability and monitoring and evaluation processes are in place.
The new Labour government have made a commitment to reduce suicides and to overhaul the outdated Mental Health Act. RCRP should be considered as part of this wider picture to ensure that people in mental health crisis are treated fairly, safely and with dignity.
Rethinking Schizophrenia and Quality of Life
The Lived Experience Programmes team, within the Policy and Practice department, is about to embark on an exciting new project looking into the quality-of-life experienced by people living with schizophrenia. They have invited people living with schizophrenia and their families, carers and friends to participate in group sessions to first ask what achieving and maintaining well-being is like and then asking what would a thriving and fulfilling life look like. These aren’t questions that are asked often and we’re hoping that the results will help shape national and local policy and practice in mental health services across the country.
If you’d like to be kept updated with the project, please email recoveryandoutcomes@ rethink.org
This project is funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Limited to support Rethink Mental Illness’s work in understanding more about the experiences of those living with schizophrenia. The final report will be fully anonymised and will not contain any personal data, and will be shared with Boehringer for information only. Rethink Mental Illness have full editorial control of all content, which is reviewed by Boehringer in line with the ABPI (Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry) Code of Practice. The independence of Rethink Mental Illness is maintained. NP-GB-105101, Date of prep October 2024.
Members' Day! Join us on
We’re really looking forward to meeting many of you on Saturday 16 November for our Members’ Day event.
The theme of the day is 'Culture, diversity and the intersection with mental health'. We have a full and interesting day planned for you, with a good mix of presentations and discussions, as well as plenty of opportunities to meet and get to know other members and share experiences.
We are delighted to be joined by the renowned psychiatrist Professor Femi Oyebode, University of Birmingham, as our morning keynote speaker. His talk, Memoirs of the Mind in Disquiet, will explore the work of various authors to illustrate the nature of the subjective experience of human distress. He will also discuss the rituals of psychiatric institutions and the relationship between people in hospital and clinicians, with the overall aim of his talk to show the benefits of humanities to medicine.
In the afternoon we’ll be joined by Dr Zoe Swithenbank who is a Senior Research Associate at Lancaster University, as well as a Rethink Group coordinator and member of our Lived Experience Advisory Board. Dr Swithenbank will share research findings, drawn on the involvement of people with lived experience, on different treatment pathways for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol problems.
In the middle of the day we'll host our first ever panel discussion and Q&A. The panel will be chaired by Brian Dow, Deputy Chief Executive, and will discuss the impact of stigma and discrimination on marginalised communities.
Amongst all this we’ll present the worthy winners of our Pringle and Janey Antoniou awards. You will also have the opportunity throughout the day to wander around our fantastic 'marketplace' area and learn more about the wide variety of work we do.
The cost of the day is included in your annual membership fee, so you don’t need to pay anything extra to attend.
The day will take place at the Holiday Inn, Carburton Street, London. This is a central location, with the closest mainline stations Euston, Kings Cross and St Pancras. If you’re unable to attend in person you can sign up to join the talks online via Zoom.
To reserve your place please visit our website on rethink.org/membersday2024. If you aren’t online you can book your place by giving us a call on 0121 522 7016
If you have any questions about the day please email membersday@rethink.org
end the
Let’s judgement.
Let’s Rethink Mental Illness.
In September we launched our first national television campaign, Let’s Rethink, to highlight the additional challenges that stigma causes for people severely affected by mental illness. We filmed the advert in London in August, and as well as using professional actors, some of our staff also volunteered as extras. The campaign aired on ITV for two weeks and was also shared on social media.
As a member you've had the opportunity to learn more about the development of the campaign by attending our exclusive members only webinar in October.
We are hoping that the campaign will help raise people’s curiosity about Rethink and start to challenge their own preconceptions about mental illness.
Davinder Kaur, Head of Campaigns
Nat's story
"My demons don't define me"
Nat shares the complexities of living with trauma. Though her past was distressing, Nat finds empowerment in her close friendships and through work.
"What if you can’t voice how you feel because you don’t believe you’ll be seen or heard? What if talking about mental health makes you feel too vulnerable, or makes the pain and isolation you feel seem too real? What if the biggest barrier you face when trying to access mental health services is yourself?
I find it challenging to discuss my mental health because it feels like it’s the one thing left that I can control. Things happened in my life and choices were made for me without my consent or best interests. I don’t like compliments or feeling vulnerable. This takes me back to the place of feeling a loss of control.
Instead of talking about my mental health, I withdraw to my safe space. In that space, it’s just me. I was living with demons – they caused me distress, but there was some comfort as I knew what to expect and there were no surprises.
Talking about my mental health means I must be prepared for your response, thoughts and feelings, and I’m unsure how to react to that. It’s difficult when I don’t know you - I don’t yet trust you and don’t know why you suddenly want to help me. Feelings from the past haunt me: ‘when I needed your support the most you weren’t there’.
I currently work in mental health research and innovation. I spend my time engaging with communities who have felt sidelined by mental health services, with my truly wonderful friend and colleague, Holly. We hear people without judgement to discover how we can improve services and ensure accessibility. We recognise how community voices can affect positive change.
I empathise with those who have found themselves in situations they didn’t choose for themselves - I recognise that feeling too well. I understand how roles that were placed
upon us impact our development. Over time we forget who we are – we are now playing a role we didn’t audition for and when the curtain falls, there is no one clapping; just darkness and silence. Gradually we stay in that darkness and silence.
Through connecting with people I can learn to trust those who offer me compassion. “ ”
Whilst I still feel scared about discussing my own mental health, I have one or two good friends who reassure me that my demons don’t define me. They remind me that they are just a part of my past - my mind dealt with harsh experiences and situations in the best way it knew how to and none of it was my fault. Gradually my mind and body will become my safe space.
Never assume a person’s mental health or how they should be when experiencing mental health challenges. You are not them, but you can help them find their voice and use it in the loudest, most positive way. My nan used to say I was like the ballet: you get too close to me and it spoils the illusion of me being happy and not hurting. Maybe now I want to shatter that illusion."
Leave an unbreakable community of support in your Will
How Legacy and In-Memory fundraising could benefit you
Being severely affected by mental illness can make our world smaller, limiting our interactions with those around us. At the same time, we need each other now more than ever. Leaving a gift in your will expands our reach and strengthens our support network, ensuring no one faces their struggles alone.
Your legacy can help our community grow stronger and be unbreakable. By leaving a gift you join a unique group, supporting those affected by mental illness.
"I know that I could have a breakdown; it could happen again. But hey, if it does, I've got the right people around me. My support workers said they’re not going anywhere anytime soon." - ‘Karen’, 52, who has used our Crisis House services.
Remembering helps
We want to support you in honouring your loved ones' legacies, as well as reflecting on our own. Remembering shapes a brighter future - It helps navigate grief and foster understanding of mental illness and our work.
We will walk alongside you, offering guidance and a supportive space. By including a gift in your Will or through fundraising, you leave a legacy of compassion and solidarity, that will offer hope for future generations, ensuring no one faces mental illness alone.
"Lots of charities could have just seen my son. Rethink Mental Illness saw all of us. My son, carers, me, the whole situation. They have to understand all of it to support him." - Rethink Mental Illness supporter
If you would like to find out more about remembering us in your Will please reach out to our team at legacyinfo@rethink.org.uk or call us directly on 020 7840 3131.
Nicole will be at Members' Day!
Come along to Members’ Day on 16 November and meet Nicole from our Legacy and In-Memory team! She’ll be able to answer all your questions about leaving a gift in your Will and show you how your legacy can create a lasting impact!
Geordine and Nicole Your Legacy and In-Memory team
Rethink Advice and Information Service (RAIS)
Our Evidence and Impact team reviewed our Rethink Advice and Information Service (RAIS).
The survey looked at both the online RAIS advice and information, and the bespoke advice given to people who call, email or webchat the service. Data was collected via surveys, focus groups, interviews and reviews of anonymised advice given to clients. There were 625 participants including clients, Experts by Experience, RAIS staff and internal stakeholders such as other services.
One of the things the evaluation highlighted was the importance of our clients feeling heard, respected and understood. Here's what some of the evaluation participants said:
• “Everything I have read is enough for me to finally understand why I might be hearing voices. Thank you.” - Survey respondent
• “I feel more informed and more able to approach someone I am worried about.”
-Survey respondent
• “It wasn’t rushed at all. My story was quite in-depth and complicated. I needed to explain things.” - Client interviewee
The RAIS team are now reflecting on what they are doing well, what they can do better and what direction the advice and information service could go over the next few years . They feel it is an exciting time, with the team coming up with ideas about how to improve online information and how they can reach more people, especially those in underserved communities.
The aims of the evaluation were to:
• Show the outcomes and impact of RAIS.
• Re view the quality of advice and information given.
• Identify ways the service could be developed and improved.
The evaluation criteria was developed based on:
• Advice and information quality standards.
• RAIS staff input.
• Evidence and Impact Lived Experience Advisory Board.
It gave me confidence to say to people ‘this is my situation and I need a bit of help'.
Client interviewee “ ”
Supporting adults due to be released from prison RECONNECT:
In 2020 we began delivering the RECONNECT, care after custody service as part of the Reconnected to Health partnership pilot, alongside Spectrum Community Health CIC, Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust and Humankind.
RECONNECT provides support for adults with health or wellbeing vulnerabilities who are due to be released from prison. Support begins in prison, when care navigators meet with service users to map out their health and wellbeing needs. They help develop a plan for release and aid a smooth transition back into the community.
As part of our service offer we created a care navigation framework and involved our Lived Experience Team. We also opened a RECONNECT Hub outside HMP Durham, which provides a safe space for service users to drop in to post-release, a breakfast morning for homeless people, and a multi-agency space to host multiple groups and workshops.
In 2023 the North East RECONNECT service applied for Lived Experience Charter (LEC) status. This is an award provided by NHS
England and Career Matters which highlights service quality standards and best practises when employing and recruiting people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. We were proud to receive a Gold Standard Award and have continued to invest and build on these pathways to enhance our Apprentice and Peer Mentor training and develop opportunities for people leaving prison to begin successful careers in the health sector. Our service now has a significant impact and a main priority is to raise awareness and understanding in the Health and Justice sectors.
Whether working in custody or in the community we aim to understand what our service users need and value the feedback we receive. We regularly facilitate service user forums to gain insight from the lived experience voice and inform service developments.
I have been able to talk to my navigator about anything that is bothering me with no judgement. “
My worker was very supportive, did re ferrals when needed and listened to me. “ ” Service user
We recently had the opportunity for some of our Lived Experience team to attend peer led discussions in the North East prisons. These discussions instil hope and promote the opportunities available to people leaving prison. The discussions were co-facilitated by one of our peer mentors, Rodney Dale, from the Enhanced RECONNECT service. Rodney talks openly about his journey through the gate and gives a unique insight into the highs and lows of leaving custody. He received training in the local community and has delivered this to probation officers.
Rodney’s now been asked to create a training session for prison officers which is an extremely valuable project. The opportunity has been supported by our staff members based in HMP Holme House. Due to the outstanding feedback from these discussions, we’re already developing them further and collaborating with other prison estates to set more up.
“I am incredibly proud to be a part of such a passionate and hardworking team and to be involved in breaking down the barriers people leaving prison face when accessing services in the community and employment. I feel like I’m part of something that’s creating significant changes in health and the criminal justice systems which is truly inspiring. I’m excited to see where we go in the future.”
Emma Bate, Community Lead
For more information please visit RECONNECT – North East (rethink.org) or contact Emma, Community Lead on emma.bate@rethink.org
'It's a real privilege to be in the role'
Aphra Tulip-Briggs, Trustee
We met with Board member, Aphra Tulip-Briggs, who shared how her lived experience brings crucial perspective to the role.
How did you first become involved with Rethink, and what made you want to become a Trustee?
Before I became unwell from my mental illness I'd volunteered in governance and the NHS. I was still too unwell to work but wanted to try to improve mental health services for others. Rethink had been helpful to me and I’d got involved on a regional level. It was then with encouragement from Rethink staff and family that gave me the confidence to try being a Trustee.
Are you involved with any of our other committees or peer support groups? How do those experiences compare with sitting on our Board?
I sit on a few committees like the Council of Rethink and the Lived Experience Advisory Board. When I first joined, I was worried about saying the wrong thing. Actually, the committees and the Board is about discussion and every point of view really helps us to make the best decision we can. I’ve attended some of the Rethink support groups as a patient and then later as a Trustee with mental illness. It can be a little bit scary going to a new group but I have found people so accepting and genuine. There are opportunities for everyone and I would encourage people to look at how they can get involved.
Why
is sitting on the Board important for you?
Sitting on the Board is something that I really am aware means I am representing the views of people in my region and the committees I attend. I always think it is a real privilege to be in the role. Personally, being a Trustee has given me so much knowledge and confidence. I have severe mental illness but look at all the things I have been a part of. It’s a really good way to tackle my own negative self talk.
You
have lived experience of mental illness. How do you think your experiences help inform your role on
the Board?
I have so much respect for all our members of the Board whether they personally have a mental illness or have cared for someone who has. For me, being able to have that context of “I know how this feels” can help me explain why something is important. For example, we know work capability assessments are harmful and I have experienced that harm first hand, so I want to change things to make sure no one has to go through that.
What advice can you give to members who are interested in joining the Board?
Being a Trustee is a big commitment and that can feel really daunting, but you would get support along the way. If it feels too big of a challenge to do right away, join something smaller but equally essential like your regional forum.
Your opinions, experiences and thoughts can really help shape every area of our work. “ ”
Building Connections
and Supporting Minds
How Mom's Mindful Hub transforms parental mental health in the West Midlands.
Mom’s Mindful Hub (MMH) is a volunteerrun support group in the West Midlands which has been running under Rethink Mental Illness since 2021. MMH supports parents and carers in the local area with their mental health. It can be very isolating being a parent and hard to reach out for support, regardless of whether it is your first child or fourth. Leonie, the group founder, is very passionate about raising the profile of the importance of parental mental health and has worked hard to adapt her group according to the needs of her members.
The group initially ran Stay and Play and Walking Groups open to mums, carers and their children. They’re unique in that children can come along to their meetings whilst the mums and carers offer peer support and talk openly about their mental health in a safe and relaxed setting whilst offering great social opportunities for children.
As time has passed, Leonie has welcomed Alice into the management committee to help expand the group offer into the local community. Strong links have been made with local organisations including the New Baby Network and Ekho Collective. More recently the group have become part of the official peer support network in Dudley and work closely with the local family hubs to ensure they’re accessible to anyone in need of support.
MMH has also worked hard to develop the sessions they can offer. Thanks to a grant from Dudley Family Hubs Peer Support Programme, they’ve expanded to offer Wellbeing Stay and Play sessions; monthly workshops run by external providers; Nature Play sessions; Awe Walk sessions; Mini Mindful Explorer sessions; and a Dads' Nature Play Session. Their meetings are spread between Stourbridge Family Hub, Hawbush Community Gardens and Stevens Park. Most meetings run weekly and the group has a healthy and diverse membership. All sessions are free flow and members can move between activities as they wish and at their own pace.
The Mindful Explorers Group creates a safe, welcoming and affirming space for my autistic family, in a world where safe, welcoming and affirming spaces are hard to come by.
Group Member
Finding the right format and location for the group has been a continuous priority so MMH has adapted to different approaches and venues such as creative café sessions, outside play, walking groups and wellbeing meetings. Leonie gets involved with every community initiative that’s offered to help raise the profile of the group and highlight the importance of parental mental health.
The group coordinators were recently invited to go along to the 50forWM50 ‘Big Thank You Bash’ hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands. The event shone a light on the amazing volunteers making a difference in the local area and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of the West Midlands County. Leonie was also nominated for an award for all her hard work! They enjoyed attending this event which gave them further opportunity to network with other voluntary groups and organisations in the area as well as raising awareness of Rethink Mental Illness and their group.
The group always welcomes new members. If you’d like to join or find out more you can email momsmindfulhub@rethink.org or call/ text 07563 178485. All meetings are free to attend and new joiners don’t need a referral.
Creative Voice
Special thanks goes to the following members for sharing their creative work: Clara Humpston who has shared her poem Crossover, Dick Wiggins who has shared his poem Lost John, about his son and his experience as a 'forever carer', David Phillips who has shared 'Paradise Flower' and Madeleine Anna Pickett who has shared a painting of a deer.
If you would like your poetry or artwork to be published in a future issue of Your Voice or in the creative voice section of our website please email the team on membership@rethink.org
Check out our Creative Corner online at rethink.org/creativecorner and submit your own work!
Madeleine Anna Pickett
Paradise Flower by David Phillips
Crossover
by Clara Humpston
From obsession
To oblivion
Crossing over the path of fate
Waiting patiently
On the other side of certainty
Until I return
From logic
To magic
Crossing over the realm of doubt
Singing cautiously
On the safe side of solitude
Until the reform
From chaos
To crystal
Crossing over the axis of fear
Dreaming fanatically
On the inner side of sanity
Until they reply
From silence
To noise
Crossing over the line of vision
Listening quietly
On the flip side of fantasy
Until the rebirth
Lost John by Dick Wiggins
Clouds don’t always remain in the sky, at times they’ll darken and invade your home, your bedroom, your mind.
Everything stopped when you joined the dark cloud in your room.
Days and weeks passed, leaving Meals and tobacco outside your door.
Suddenly, the dark cloud drifted away.
You awoke and in a magical moment you spoke of shared holidays, green fields, trees and Auntie Margaret.
But, not before long your preference for dope returned And took over your waking hours. The clouds were now
A haze of smoke, disordered thoughts, imagined threats
A broken cloud now reigned over the chaos.
A young man possessed, in denial, Slack twisted in thought and action.
During your first episode the psychiatrist was heard to say, “He’s a young man, he deserves the best”.
Now, twenty five years on you continue to struggle, neither up nor down, just below zero, lost under a cloud of medication. Knowing what might have been, your strengths and resilience go unnoticed. You ease the pain with tins of 9 per cent.
Yet, you retain a kindly and gentle manner and in a curious way, you ‘live for the day’.
This poem is a reflection on my son’s journey through life. “ ”
Members' Day 2024
We are delighted that Professor Femi Oyebode will lead our morning keynote, with a talk entitled 'Memoirs of the Mind in Disquiet', looking at the subjective experience of human distress.
Professor Femi Oyebode
We're also excited to have Dr Zoe Swithenbank lead our afternoon keynote, where she'll share her research on treatment pathways for people with both mental health issues and alcohol dependency.
When: Saturday 16 November
Where: Holiday Inn, Carburton Street, London and online via Zoom
Visit rethink.org/ membersday2024 to register your in person or online attendance or call us on 0121 522 7016.
