Registered Charity Number 1113874
ISSN 1464–696 X
YOUR VOICE In Sheffield Mental Health A magazine for users, carers and professionals www.yourvoicesheffield.org
Spring 2017
No 83
Building a mental health friendly Sheffield
Jim Millns with Sheffield Flourish’s managing director Roz Davies and chair Pam Stirling
By Jo Eckersley Sheffield Flourish In February local charity Sheffield Flourish launched a competition asking people from across the city region to share their ideas for building a more mental health friendly Sheffield. Entrants could submit ideas in any format, with the chance of winning a first prize of £100 and four runner-up prizes of £50. The mental health organisation, which changed its name from Recovery Enterprises in April this year, received 26 wonderfully innovative, exciting, creative and thoughtful ideas.
The prize-giving was held on March 22nd at Sheffield Flourish’s new offices in Norfolk Park’s Victoria Centre, with cake provided by The Real Junk Food Project. Jim Millns was awarded the top prize for his honest and simple idea of creating a peer support network for carers. The first runner-up, Chris Blackmore, sent in a considered and detailed idea for a wall of gratitude which would exist both digitally and in real life. Sheffield Flourish were delighted to have three under-16 entrants who submitted some fantastic ideas including using mindfulness in
schools, and Daisy Demack, Kate Wilkinson and Fabien Leigh were given a combined prize. Sharon Tabberer was the third runner-up with a fantastically simple idea for ‘talking benches’. Sharon has pledged to use her £50 to buy a bench! The final runner-up was Rachel Wilson, who submitted a beautifully written idea for a wellbeing festival. The competition entries were judged on specific criteria. Judges were looking for imaginative enterprising ideas which challenge what we’ve become used to; ideas Continued on page 3.