Powys Patients' Council - a new approach

John Lilley (Patients' Council Volunteer), Owen Griffkin (Participation Officer) 
& Rhydian Parry (Patient's Council Volunteer)

by Owen Griffkin - Mental Health Participation Officer

There is a quote that used to rattle around in my mind when going through difficult times that goes something like:

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."   Albert Camus

I was reminded of this quote attending the latest Powys Patients’ Council meeting at Bronllys Hospital’s Felindre Ward recently, where the weather flipped between a Powys winter and an Indian summer throughout the afternoon. It’s obviously a well-written quote about resilience and recovery, and when a person is staying on an acute mental health ward the ‘invincible summer’ can seem like a long way in the distance. 

This is why it is hugely beneficial for the Patients’ Council to be staffed by volunteers who have experience themselves of staying on Felindre. The patients often express surprise when told that John or Rhyd, our amazing volunteers, were once patients themselves. 

People are more likely to open up and share their experiences on the ward, and to see other people who are further along in their recovery can give them hope for their own future journey. John had several personal discussions with people about his own experience on the ward, and this can be as much an important part of our visits as raising housekeeping issues.

A new approach

We experimented with a new format for the meeting this month, and also a new venue, as the recovery room was temporarily out of action. This meant we sat in the main common space which led to more group discussions. The tray of cupcakes helped as well! 

The recovery room being out of action was one issue raised, and this is hopefully in hand and back in use by now. We had requests around WiFi connection and access to devices so we will be looking at how this develops.The health board has a strong firewall, as you would expect from a large organisation that is reliant on Information Technology, and this can cause restrictions to content that people on the ward can access. Maybe as mobile WiFi becomes more advanced we can look at an independent network.

Another issue was a request for bird feeders out in the front. We had added some with the help of the League of Friends' committee at Bronllys so we were surprised to hear they had gone. We were told this was due to concerns from previous patients about vermin, so we are researching a solution to this age-old problem.

There were also concerns about the set times for smoking (currently 15 minutes every hour) and the response was that this is due to health and safety and staffing issues. We will have to monitor if this will change once the new indoor smoking ban comes into being and how smoking breaks will work then.

There were two other maintenance issues raised, one of which was being fixed as we left, which is a quick turnaround. The Occupational Therapy kitchen issues, which had led to it being out of use for a few months, have now been fixed.

We will be back for the next Patients’ Council meeting at the end of October, when there is likely to be a new Occupational Therapist in position on a permanent basis. We hope this role will mean that there is a quality programme of activities on the ward and will help to support this in any way that we can.

Find out more

I post regular updates about the Patients' Council meetings on our mental health website. If you would like to find out more, or volunteer for Powys Patients' Council, then you can contact me by emailing owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or ringing 01597 822191.

Together for Mental Health consultation - a Powys view

Individual rep, Sarah Dale, on Llandudno beach

Our Participation Officer, Owen Griffkin, shares a report on the Welsh Government 

Consultation for the ‘Together for Mental Health’ Delivery Plan 2019 - 2022

On a sunny day (with scattered showers) I attended the consultation event for the Together for Mental Health plan 2019-2022. I was there to accompany one of our individual representatives, Sarah Dale, who felt it is was important for Powys to have a voice in one of the live consultations. This all day event was in a beautiful location in Llandudno, Venue Cymru, with a lovely sea view, which almost made the 150 mile round trip worth it.

Together for Mental Health is the Welsh Government's 10 year cross governmental strategy and was published in 2012. This consultation is to inform the last 3 years of the plan and to look at the priorities that have been identified and how they will be implemented.

The day was chaired by Ainsley Bladon, the Mental Health Strategy Lead at the Welsh Government, who is regularly seen at both regional and national partnership events. She introduced the delivery plan with a short presentation and then we moved on to the first question for discussion.

This was looking at the key priorities for the next 3 years and there were a lot of themes arising that we have come across in other engagement events. Some of these included - transition from Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adult services, accessing mental health services with substance misuse issues, difference in service depending on location and funding of third sector (voluntary) organisations.

Also a big point raised was the accessibility of legislation and documents to the ordinary person. There is a lot of jargon and acronyms in the consultation document and this has proved a barrier to some people in disseminating the information. Ainsley said they had heard this a lot and they will look to change this in the future.

Sarah was very vocal about the need to ensure that basic service provision is met in Powys and that locally this is a priority - eg 24 hours crisis care. She also spoke passionately about the Talk to Me 2 suicide and self-harm plan, saying that it didn’t have enough mention of self-harm.

Next we were asked if the cross-cutting workstreams were appropriate to prioritise, which once again prompted some explanation requests about the technical language of the document.

These priority areas can be seen in this photo:

We were able to share some of the findings of the recent care and treatment plan engagement events held by Powys Teaching Health Board in Powys as this is linked to the ‘Core data set’ requirement, and also highlighted some of the specific issues in Powys around engagement.

After lunch, and a very quick stroll along the prom, we returned to look at what the room thought the key impacts would be and how we can increase positive effects whilst mitigating negative effects. The importance of third sector organisations was highlighted again, and a few people spoke about the relationship between staff and service users and the importance of being listened to in that relationship. 

We then ended with a reflective exercise on the effectiveness of the day and an assurance that results of the consultation will be fed back to everyone who attended. We closed with a thank you speech from Tracey Breheny, the fairly-new Deputy Director of Mental Health. It was interesting to hear that she is also responsible for Substance Misuse and Vulnerable Groups which hopefully augurs well for more coordination and understanding of the co-occurring issues of substance misuse and mental health. She also came out with the quote of the day when she said that all the comments would be ‘fed into the sausage machine of the Welsh Government’ and processed into a report.

All in all the day was definitely worth our while going although it is a shame that there isn’t an event closer to Mid Wales. It is vital that Powys has its voice heard in this consultation as we have a lot of issues specific to our county and I therefore urge anybody with an interest in the delivery plan for Mental Health services to fill in the online consultation before August 30th. You can participate by visiting the link on the following webpages:

Welsh

English

There is also another consultation event in Carmarthen on the 28th August that I recommend attending if you have the time.

Venue

Room TL5 (Ground Floor), Teaching and Learning Building, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen Campus, SA31 3EP.

The day will be structured as follows:

Morning 10:00 – 12:30 – Discussion of Priority Areas
Lunch 12:30 - 1:30

Afternoon 1.30 – 4.00pm – Considering Impact and Delivery

To take part please RSVP to Darren Lewis (Darren.lewis@gov.wales) including the following details:

Name, organisation (if relevant) and event you wish to attend (West Wales in this case). Expenses and lunch are provided on the day. 

If you fill in the consultation, or attend the Carmarthen event, please let us know at PAVO. You can email owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or ring 01597 822191. We might be able to help you organise lift shares and put you in touch with others attending.

Yoga classes for mental health inpatients in Powys

by Owen Griffkin, Facilitator Powys Patients' Council

“Yoga is physical health, mental calm, and interpersonal peace.” 

  

Roger Cole MD, Iyengar Yoga practitioner

One of the recurring issues brought up by people who attend the Powys Patients' Council meetings on the Felindre Ward (the acute mental health ward at Bronllys Hospital in South Powys) is that they wanted an activity that would help both their physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

Some people also specifically requested regular yoga sessions. With this in mind, the Patients’ Council looked for funding and a practitioner to provide this. We were lucky enough to discover a development fund set up by the Iyengar Yoga Association UK which would contribute towards yoga sessions for people who would not usually have the funds or ability to access yoga classes. We then found a local practitioner, Pete Norton of Wye Valley Yoga, who could apply to this fund as a qualified Iyengar Yoga teacher. The application was successful and the classes started in April.

So far the sessions have been a success, running every Monday in the recovery room on the ward. Pete said “Yoga is a mind-body practice which has the potential to improve someone's frame of mind. Whilst we are not explicitly teaching yoga as therapy, there is often a therapeutic benefit. This is because when we pay attention to the body and the breath in a mindful way, it helps with focus and concentration and to balance the body systems. Iyengar Yoga is particularly suitable for this kind of environment as we use props such as belts and chairs to ensure everyone can work towards a pose safely, no matter what their experience or ability level is.”

Feedback from participants

Some of the comments from people taking the classes have included:

‘‘Enjoyed the yoga session. It helps to focus your mind and forget about other stresses you may have."

"Absolutely brill!"

"Found the session very relaxing. It also eased tension throughout my body."

Teaching a class in a ward setting can be challenging. It’s not always easy for people to concentrate nor for them to be consistent, partly because some people do not have long stays on the ward. However, those that have experienced classes have really enjoyed them. Therefore, Patients’ Council’s next aim is to find further funding and a venue for yoga classes somewhere close to the hospital so that people can continue practicing yoga once they have left the ward. Pete is keen to continue working with people on a long term basis and a lot of people who have enjoyed the sessions want to take up classes to help with their long-term recovery. 

You can find out more about local Iyengar Yoga classes in South Powys here.

If you would like to know more about Powys Patients' Council then contact Owen Griffkin by emailing owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or ringing 01597 822191.

Powys Patients' Council responds to Smoke-free Premises consultation

John Lilley (PPC volunteer), Owen Griffkin (Participation Officer) & Rhydian Parry (PPC volunteer)

Ever since learning of the Welsh Government's proposal to introduce a ban on smoking in all hospital grounds, Powys Patients' Council has been working hard with current and former patients of the mental health inpatient unit in Powys - Felindre Ward at Bronllys Hospital - to gather feedback. The Council was determined to prepare a formal response to the recent government consultation on the topic. 

Up until now mental health wards have been exempt from the regulations, and designated indoor smoking rooms have been allowed. The new regulations, if agreed, would give hospitals 18 months to close down their indoor provision, and, if appropriate, set up outdoor smoking areas instead. However, as the Council discovered, it is not necessarily straightforward to set up outdoor provision. In the case of Felindre Ward, patients smoking outdoors would require staff supervision due to the nature of the outdoor space. Obviously if already busy nurses have to watch people smoking then they're not able to do much else at the time!

In his Ministerial Forward to the consultation document, Cabinet Social Secretary for Health & Social Services, Vaughan Gething, noted:

"The consultation considers the removal of an exemption that allows designation of a room in which patients and residents of mental health units may smoke and replacing it with a time limited one that would expire 18 months after the new regulations come into force. Smoking prevalence among people with mental illness is substantially higher than the general population and is of great concern. Removing the exemption will bring the law in line with general hospital service users and will aim to address health inequalities for persons with mental heath conditions."

My colleague Owen Griffkin introduced the topic to readers last month when he wrote Powys Patients' Council: Kindles, smoking ban and more. 

Since then he joined PPC volunteers John Lilley and Rhydian Parry to circulate the relevant questions from the consultation to put to current and former patients, along with staff working on the ward. These included:

1. Do you agree with the proposal to remove the exemption that permits the designation of smoking rooms in mental health units? (Regulation 8) (Please note that the removal of the exemption would not prevent the person in charge of the premises from designating outdoor areas as places where patients can smoke).
2. Do you agree that the proposed transition period of 18 months after the 2018 Regulations come into force is sufficient time to allow mental health units to implement indoor smoke-free conditions in a safe and secure way? (Regulation 8(6).

Much feedback was gathered, and the Council pulled together a formal response which was submitted by the deadline earlier this month. Owen has now summarised this response for our readers:

Powys Patients’ Council's response to
The Smoke-free Premises & Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2018 Public Consultation

A consultation was launched in May regarding changes to the Smoke Free premises and Vehicles' Regulations that will affect mental health wards, including the Felindre Ward in Bronllys Hospital. Rhydian and John from the Patients’ Council attended a meeting on the ward with Ward Manager Lisa Hale and Penny Price, Service Manager for Adult Mental Health Services in South Powys, to ensure that they had a voice in the hospital’s response to the consultations. The Council also responded themselves by completing the consultation form and we have summed up the main points here.

At the moment, the only option for people on the ward is to smoke indoors in a designated smoking area. These new regulations would end this practice and would force people into refraining from smoking for long periods. Some of the people with lived experience on the ward who smoke also used facilities in England where indoor smoking was banned and they said it was a very difficult time that made recovery more complicated. During a time of great distress it could cause extra stress to have an enforced period of nicotine withdrawal. It’s always possible for other hospital patients to leave their beds and ‘sneak out’ for a cigarette but due to the secure nature of mental health wards this will not be possible for Felindre patients. The Council was also concerned on the effect on staff time, with the staff having to accompany smokers to an unsecured outdoor smoking area.

One of the main barriers to giving up smoking in a mental health unit is that patients do not have enough activities to help keep them occupied. Patients have said that they have wanted to smoke more because of the boredom as it gives them something to do. We urged that there be increased funding specifically for activities on mental health wards.

We also want there to be access to a full range of cessation tools on the ward, including vaping/e-cigs, and for staff to be well trained in cessation techniques so that patients can be fully supported.

The consultation closed on 17 August 2018 so we will keep you informed as to the outcomes and findings.

Powys Patients' Council is facilitated by the Health & Wellbeing team at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations and aims to give a voice to people staying on inpatient wards in Powys. For more information, please contact Participation Officer Owen Griffkin by emailing owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or ringing 01597 822191.

Powys Patients’ Council - Kindles, smoking ban & more

by Owen Griffkin, Mental Health Participation Officer

I have been facilitating Powys Patients’ Council, with the support of volunteers Rhydian Parry and John Lilley, since early 2018 as part of my role in the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) mental health team.

Powys Patients' Council aims to give a voice to patients, currently in Felindre Unit at Bronllys Hospital in Powys, who are offered acute in-patient mental health services. Regular patient-only meetings give people an opportunity to express their views on the services they receive whilst they are in hospital. These views are then passed on anonymously to ward and hospital management staff, in addition to senior Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) staff, so that solutions can be found.

Owen Griffkin

It was a sweltering day for June’s Patients’ Council meeting and the ward was close to capacity. This was the first Patients’ Council session since we had left a suggestion box on the ward, so there were more issues than usual to deal with. Having the suggestion box means we can address issues or concerns that we might have previously missed from people who have had short stays on the ward. It can also follow that these might have been dealt with already, as was the case with a note about the heating being on in rooms at night.

Another note praised the caring environment and professional staff which the Patients' Council were pleased to pass on to the new permanent Ward Manager, Lisa Hale.

Concerns raised in the meeting included a lack of activities, the annoyance of an office door banging and not being allowed devices with cameras in communal areas due to privacy reasons. As all modern tablets/phones have cameras this unfortunately means no devices can be used in the day room. We have sent out an appeal over Facebook and Twitter to see if anybody has any 1st generation Kindle Fires as these tablets didn’t have cameras, so hopefully we will get some response to this. We are looking into raising some money for activities provided by an external facilitator as this will leave the ward affected less by staff leave and sickness.

Lisa Hale, Felindre Ward Manager

There has been a new advocacy service commissioned by PTHB and delivered by Conwy & Denbighshire Mental Health Advocacy Service (CADMHAS) and this was praised by patients who found it very good and non-judgemental. We spoke to Adrianne Cleverly who provides the service in Powys recently in How can mental health advocacy help you?

Proposed smoking ban in hospital grounds

The Patients’ Council is also attending an extra meeting this month to discuss smoking in the light of the recently announced news about banning smoking on ALL hospital grounds.

As this will include acute mental health in-patient wards such as the Felindre Ward, it is important that people associated with the ward(s) voice their views in relation to this consultation. 

The ban is due to come into force in Summer 2019, and this will give ward managers 18 months from then to ensure there are alternative measures in place to replace existing indoor smoking rooms, and that outdoor areas fall in line with the new rules. One of the proposed rules will prohibit an outdoor smoking area from being within 10 metres of any hospital building. This will mean that if there is no exemption for mental health wards it will be impossible for there to be a secure smoking area that people can use without staff members present and this creates other issues relating to staff health and second-hand smoke. 

I will be working with the Patients’ Council to look at the possible impact of these rule changes, and how the hospital can offset the disruption and distress that it may cause to people on the ward and potentially other wards/mental health facilities across Powys. This will very likely be a contentious issue and it will be interesting to see how other hospitals in Wales deal with it. If you have lived experience of an acute mental health ward, and would like to contribute to the consultation, please email owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or ring 01597 822191 with your comments or for more information.

Owen's 5 x 5 Ways of Wellbeing: Part 3

by Owen Griffkin

Mental Health Participation Support Worker

In Part 1 of my series I looked at how to Connect. Part 2 was all about Keep Learning.

Number 3 in our series on practical ways to follow the Five Ways to Wellbeing plan is Take Notice!

According to the mental health charity Mind reminding yourself to ‘take notice’ can strengthen and broaden awareness. The research shows that being aware of what is taking place in the present improves wellbeing. It’s thought that becoming more aware of your surroundings in turn leads you to become more self-aware, and allows you to have a better understanding of your motivations, and helps you make positive choices.

This might actually be the easiest of the five steps to implement, as it can be something as simple as changing your route to work/school run. So here are 5 ideas for you to try out yourself.

1. Leave your phone at home

This one is self explanatory - leaving your phone at home might mean that you aren’t wandering around checking email, being interrupted by a Facebook notification that is of no interest to you, or if you’re in a social situation you might engage more with your friends or colleagues. I do this a lot and it works a treat (admittedly I usually leave it by accident). Once you lose that 'no-phone' anxiety then it becomes quite enjoyable, and will help some of the other ideas in this article. Except for...

2. Bring your phone out with you

"What? But you just said leave it at home?? I’m confused!"

Yeah, phones are a big barrier to becoming aware of surroundings, but they do have a great feature, which can really help you notice the world around you. The camera. There was a recent challenge shared on social media which encouraged people to post 7 black and white photos in 7 days. Taking photos of your daily commute, using one of those fancy filters which seem to be the norm on all social media pics, really gives you a new eye on what’s around you, and allows you to maybe see something beautiful that wasn’t there before.

I had a quick go at this myself, and you can see a sample of my pics that I did around the photogenic offices of PAVO. Very arty.

3. Start a bullet journal

I recently started a bullet journal, after my partner and others raved about theirs for ages. It’s a simple idea; imagine a superpowered, creative, analogue diary. It’s simple to set up, and the more time you put into it, the more info you can pack into it and usefulness it can bring.

Bullet Journal by Eleanor Outram-Rees

My artistic talents are pretty low, so mine isn’t the most beautiful work ever, but I have seen examples of other people's that are creative and useful. As well as helping with future planning, which is a great help to wellbeing, it also allows you to record thoughts, ideas and feelings to reflect on later. 

It’s explained in much better detail by the creator Ryder Carroll on his website Bullet Journal.

Bullet Journal by Jessica Rose

There are also two great Facebook groups you can join for inspiration and advice: BuJo (Bullet Journal) Beginners and Bullet Journal Junkies UK.

4. Take a walk on the wild side

I usually drive my daughter to school due to time issues and the fact it is just that little bit too long to walk. However on the occasions when we do walk together it is a much happier time. We have longer conversations that we wouldn’t have in the car, and everything seems a bit less hectic. Even on my own, a walk instead of a drive leaves me feeling relaxed and helps with my mindfulness. SO if there is a journey you regularly make by car, that you could actually walk, give it a try every so often. Another tip is to change your route up, and go a way you don’t usually go to add extra ‘awareness points’.

5. Notice the seasons

I’m a city boy by birth and upbringing, and one of the things I’ve noticed and enjoyed most since moving to Powys is how much more noticable the changes in the seasons are. Take a walk and take stock of the landscape and nature, then repeat this over a period of time. Maybe you could even record it creatively, either by drawing, or writing about how it makes you feel. You can also combine this with the photo challenge, taking pictures of the same scene over time and building them up into your own personal work of art.

I really appreciate this ‘way to wellbeing’ as Powys is the perfect place to take comfort from your surroundings and there is always something or somewhere new to see. It’s a cheap and easy way to improve your wellbeing just by taking a step back and contemplating and reflecting on your own feelings. Now I’m off to go and look at all the fresh snowdrops and crocuses/croci and wait for spring to arrive properly.

Is that cup of coffee really blue....?

The Five Ways to Wellbeing was devised by the clever folk at the New Economics Foundation and is supported by Powys Teaching Health Board and Public Health Wales.

Owen's 5 x 5 Ways of Wellbeing: Part 2

Owen & the team learning about Bilberry Bumblebee habitat with
(far right) Barbara Brown, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust

by Owen Griffkin

Mental Health Participation Support Worker

In Part 1 of my blog series I introduced readers to the Five Ways to Wellbeing and wrote in more detail about the first Way - Connect.

This time I am looking at the second Way - Keep Learning.  A great way to start the New Year!

I recently embarked on an Open University course and have found it really improved my self-confidence and wellbeing. Plus there is always the chance that what I learn might actually come in useful one day in my career, and take my life to unexpected places. (I already went to Wrexham for a one-off lecture, so I suppose you could say that was unexpected). Here’s 5 ways you can challenge yourself whilst adding to your knowledge.

1. The Open University

The Open University is known for providing degree level education which you can complete from the comfort of your own home. They now also provide FREE short courses. These short courses are modules from older courses which are no longer available and offer a great stepping stone into further study. The range of subjects on offer is mind-boggling. As I said above I’ve loved my study - jumping from Stalin to Madonna to Cezanne as subjects has really broadened my horizons.

Click here for a full catalogue of the free courses.

2. Learn a language

There are a host of tools, apps and games to help you learn another language. Experiment with them all and see which one suits your learning style. One I enjoyed playing with my 7 year old daughter was ‘Learn Japanese to Survive’ which taught us both how to write and recognise Hiragana characters. 

For a more serious and FREE language course try these links:

• Say Something in Welsh 
• Duolingo
• Busuu - This is a unique way to learn, as you connect with people around the world who want to learn your language, and you can learn their language. 

 3. Traditional ‘classroom’ courses

The internet is a great tool for those wanting to further their education, but sometimes a traditional bricks-and-mortar establishment might be more beneficial for learning. It can be easier to grasp a concept with a real live tutor helping you, plus the social and collaborative benefits of working with other people in a classroom can help with your wellbeing. When I did my Open University Course I went to a lecture in Wrexham, and I learnt more on that day then in my own online sessions, plus I met some very nice fellow students.

One of the options in Powys is NTPC Group of Colleges, who have colleges all over the county that are open to all.

There is also the U3A - University of the 3rd Age - If you are in your ‘3rd age’, eg: retirement or semi-retirement, than maybe the U3A will be suitable for you. It’s a social and fun way to learn and they have a surprising amount of groups in Powys, including Llandrindod, Welshpool, Newtown and Brecon.

4. Learn an instrument

Bob Duke, the director of the Centre For Music Learning in Texas, argues that learning an instrument is one of the best ways to give your brain a workout. He founded the centre to bring psychologists and neuroscientists together with expert musicians to break down the barriers between disciplines and really explore the physiological benefits of learning an instrument. If you want to read more check out this article - Music and the Brain.

I embarked on an online piano course recently called Skoove and it was great fun. Similar to the Japanese learning tool I mentioned, it presented itself like a game, with achievements and goals to reach, and it’s obvious that this sort of ‘challenge’ type learning suits me. Sit me in front of a piano with a book and I don’t want to know. However, call it Mario Piano and have a virtual Italian plumber teach you how to play, and I’m in.

Again there are many different ways to learn an instrument, including one-to-one tutoring, books, and now a wealth of online tools. Check the free Broad Sheep magazine online and distributed around Powys for some music tutor adverts.

Here are a few links to get you started with online training.

• Skoove
• Flowkey
• BBC resources

5.  Learn a craft

I’m going to say that this one is not for me. I can see the benefits of it. I can see how self-discipline and creativity and perseverance can combine to produce wonderful pieces of work. It must give you a wonderful sense of well-being and satisfaction to spend time crafting a raw material into something new - moulding a piece of lumpy clay into a beautiful ornament, weaving fabrics together to create a quilt, or a knitted item of clothing that you or a loved one can wear over winter.

Whenever I try to do anything crafty however, it ends up looking awful. Like something a five year old would be embarrassed by. I am quite creative generally, but arts and crafts were never my outlet.

People who do craft, however, do get a huge boost to their well-being from their work, and some crafts can be very easy to master, especially with a good teacher. Maybe this year I will set myself a challenge to learn a craft to a reasonable standard. If anyone has any ideas as to what this could be then reply to this post.

For those who are naturally better at arts and crafts than me there are lots of places you can learn crafts here in Powys, and many of these groups/courses are brilliant for socialising as well.

• Minerva Arts Centre
• Arts Alive Crickhowell
• Arts Connection 

I’ll be back with another set of ideas in my next blog post but if you have any ideas or activities of your own that I haven’t covered please reply to this post with some details.

Read Part 3 of Owen's blog series on the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Owen's 5 x 5 Ways of Wellbeing: Part 1

by Owen Griffkin

Mental Health Participation Support Worker

If you have been reading our blog recently you will have seen a number of articles about The Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Maybe these have inspired you to undertake an activity or take up a new hobby to improve your wellbeing. I’ve been looking at ways I can implement this in my life, and at the same time maybe provide some ideas for readers of our blog. I’ll provide 5 ways to engage in each of the 5 ways to wellbeing. The best thing about many of these activities is the fact that they straddle more than one ‘Way to Wellbeing’, often combining social activities with creative or active hobbies.

Part 1 - Connect

The advice is to connect with those around you as this will support and enrich you every day. Sometimes in rural areas it can feel hard to connect socially with people so maybe give yourself a jump-start by using an activity or interest to create social relationships.

1. Gaming Hubs

Gaming is a rapidly growing industry, with clubs springing up all over the county. Game designers are releasing board games that are reaching a much wider audience then in the heyday of Dungeons and Dragons. The subject matter and scope of these games is huge - I have played these myself sometimes with friends and strangers, and so far I have re-enacted the 1960 US election (I was JFK obviously and destroyed Nixon), started a railroad company in 1850s America, and pushed the boundaries of taste with the worldwide phenomenon of ‘Cards against Humanity’. Gaming is a great social activity as it allows for pressure free conversation and the fun of friendly competition.

An evening at the gaming hub in full swing

Two local hubs/shops that are very welcoming to newcomers are:

• Llandrindod - KDM Gaming Hub 
• Newtown - EGO Gaming - Newtown

I went to a gaming night at KDM Gaming with my daughter, and whilst she was kept interested by an old version of Pac-man, I was able to have a game and chat with other attendees.

2. Sing!

It’s only natural living in the land of song that we would feature a musical activity. A community choir is a wonderful way to connect, and we are blessed with many friendly and welcoming choirs in Powys.

Your first port of call should be Sing Your Heart Out. This is a purely social choir, and they do not do public performances so there is no pressure to perform. There are weekly sessions in Llandrindod and Meifod. If these aren’t close enough check local noticeboards for info on choirs closer to you. I attended a free taster session and was warmly welcomed and had a lot of fun - even if my vocal gymnastics were more Alan Ball then Michael Ball.

• Sing Your Heart Out
• Dolau Mixtures
• Guilsfield Singers
• Brecon Choir 
• Harmony Junky - runs fun, community choirs in Machynlleth, Welshpool Shropshire and Herefordshire. 

3. Men's Sheds

The Men’s Shed is a movement to create community spaces for men to come together to socialise and to reduce loneliness and isolation. Imagine lots of cups of tea, usage of power tools, and a supportive and welcoming atmosphere. Sounds brilliant! Especially the power tools bit. The local Llandrindod group, aka The Golden Boys, works together on projects commissioned by groups such as Mid Powys Mind.

• Llandrindod Wells
• Knighton 

4. Book Club 

I love reading, but sometimes it’s hard to have the self-discipline to sit down to plough through a lengthy tome - and once you’ve finished the book all you want to do is discuss it with someone. This is where book clubs come in. They have been popular for a few years now and are still one of the most fun and rewarding social activities you can enjoy at your own pace. Like the gaming hubs, book clubs take a lot of pressure out of socialising, as conversation is created by the discussion around the book and you can engage with other club members. Not surprisingly Powys has a plethora of book clubs, lots of which are based at local libraries. Your library is the best starting point, but also check out independent book shops like The Hours in Brecon and the Great Oak Bookshop in Llanidloes.

5. Clubs and Societies 

An early meeting of the United Nations in Builth Wells*

Ok, number 5 is quite vague. That’s because there is probably a club (or society) for whatever activity you would like to engage in. A club is a good way to learn more from other people about one of your interests, share ideas or work, and maybe organise day-trips or social events.

In a quick five minute search I have found active groups in Powys for astronomy, beekeeping and cameras. I then gave up on the ABC approach and also found model railway, community arts, historical societies and not forgetting the excellent Women’s Institute, who have groups all over the county.

Think about what activity you may like to do in a social setting - and if there isn’t a club already - why not set one up. One thing Powys doesn’t lack is space to hold meetings/events. From local church/village halls to rooms in pubs. Some of the largest societies in the world started out as small groups so who knows where it could lead. For example, the United Nations started as a monthly meeting in Builth Wells Village Hall of like-minded people from Powys who wanted to stop all wars and bring about world peace. *

*disclaimer - citation needed. Might not be factually accurate...

Read Part 2 of Owen's blog series here.

Our comedy workshop @ Celf

Yesterday as a team we explored how comedy could inform our work around participation - specifically around engaging with people who have been in contact with mental health services or those close to them - and learned new ways to tell stories or describe experiences.

Who better to enlist to help us than Owen Griffkin of Havin' A Laugh fame. And what better premises for our workshop than the Celf Centre run by the art charity Celf O Gwympas in Llandrindod Wells. The place is stuffed full of weird and wonderful and very inspiring artwork. You only have to look at some of it to find yourself smiling. And, they even have red noses of their very own! Perfect for those of us working on a Comic Relief funded project called Standing up for emotional health and wellbeing (that would be Anne then, far right in the photo).

Artwork at Celf by Dean Warburton

In our very own bespoke Havin' A Laugh workshop Owen took us through a series of games over the course of a couple of hours. We were amazed to discover that there was much humour to be found in our own everyday lives and stories.

Owen Griffkin - the comedy master - and Jane Cooke, our Senior Officer Mental Health

In the first session some of us had travelled billions of miles (think Universe, speed of light, Star Wars kind of community transport) to put the most important question imaginable to The Oracle. Two of us had the slightly challenging task of answering the questions (as a sort of bizarre two-headed Oracle), one word at a time, each after the other... talk about throwing us in at the deep end. 

Questions ranged from the fairly predictable "What is the meaning of life?" to the intriguing "Why is there a colour purple?" to a rather random travel enquiry: "How do I get to Atlantis?" The answer to the latter being, quite obviously: "Atlantis relies upon your soul being attuned to many places including the underneath of your feet exactly." So.... now we know...

Artwork at Celf by Dean Warburton

Next up: Truth and Lies.... Each of us had to tell three facts about ourselves to the others in the group. Simple enough, surely? But, there was a catch. (Of course). One of the facts had to be a lie, and the others had to guess which one... Blimey, we never knew this could be so hard... our colleagues turn out to be masterful liars!

Here are the three facts Jane told us about herself.... which one do you think is the lie...?

1. All of my three children were born on a Thursday.
2. I did not start speaking properly until the age of 4.
3. My childhood ambition was to be a show jumper and a hairdresser.

One of my truths involved attending a Star Trek convention many many light years ago, but perhaps the less said about that the better....

Anne Woods - Participation Officer, and Philip Moisson - Powys Patients' Council facilitator

Further games followed, far too many to mention here, but you get a feel for the state of comedy affairs by this stage of the afternoon...

One of my favourite games was The Interview. We took it in turns to interview each other for a number of job vacancies, including Waste Recycling Operative and Koala Bear Midwife. We were either super-confident or extremely nervous, Owen explained to us. One of the funniest sessions was Anne being interviewed, as a nervous potential Rocket Scientist, by Phil. Here is how it went:

Phil: How are you?
Anne: A bit nervous.
Phil: There's no room for nerves in rocket science.
Anne: Oh. Sorry.
Phil: So, what would you bring to our next expedition?
Anne: Not much. But I'd give it a go.
Phil: What do you know about Rocket Science exactly?
Anne: Just a little. But I could go to the library and read up on it.
Phil: Right....
Anne: The main thing is... well, let's just hope we come back from the expedition.
Phil: D'you think you're confident enough for this type of role?
Anne: I am a worrier. But I do double and triple check things. I might have to restart the countdown... Once we got down to 7 I'd have to go back up to 10...

Anyone out there looking to employ a nervous Rocket Scientist then...?

By the end of the afternoon we were absolutely exhausted we'd all laughed so hard. So we sat down and had a much-earned rest for half an hour. At the same time ('cause we're so good at multi-tasking) we ate a few biscuits, drank coffee and/or water, and chatted about how we might put these techniques to use in our participation work. We started off by acknowledging that some of us had been quite apprehensive about the session, and even a little nervous going into some of the games, but ultimately had found them extremely enjoyable and very rewarding.

We also decided that using funny and engaging ways of looking at life could be a great way of showing the realities of life for people in contact with mental health services. For example, for exploring day-to-day life on a mental health ward, or what it's like waiting to access talking therapies. At the very least some of the games could be used to break the ice at meetings and we all agreed they created a very levelling experience where we are all people together sharing some small details of our lives.

What do you think? Would you like to have a laugh? Find out more about the Havin' A Laugh workshops running at Mid Powys Mind. Or let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

By the way, the next Stand up for emotional health and wellbeing meeting takes place this coming Monday 29 February in Llandrindod Wells. It will be at the Resource Centre, Mid Powys Mind between 3 - 5pm. If you have been in contact with mental health services, or are close to someone who has, and would like to speak with mental health professionals or give some feedback about your experiences, we would love to see you there. And if you would like to find out more about the project please contact Anne by emailing: anne.woods@pavo.org.uk or ring 01597 822191.

The Cash Cow at Celf - even she has a red nose!