We Wear The Same Shirt

(L-R) Ruth Fox - Mental Health Campaigner, Sam Morris - Gold Ambassador & Organiser,
 Neville Southall - Welsh Footballing Legend 

Sam Morris is a Sport Powys Gold Ambassador. During Mental Health Awareness Week in May I met Sam briefly at a partnership event we organised in Llandrindod Wells when he attended with colleagues from Sport Wales. 

We have promoted the project Sam is involved with in Newtown on our website events calendar and on social media, but I didn’t think too much more until suddenly the World Cup was upon us! It seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask Sam to tell us all about his involvement with this local football initiative promoting good mental health and combating stigma.

Tell us more about your role as a Sport Powys Gold Ambassador

The Gold Ambassador programme is Sport Wales’s scheme, which operates in the whole of Wales, and I was lucky enough to be selected as the Powys Gold Ambassador for North Powys. The role of a Gold Ambassador is to work closely with the school’s Sports Development Officer and come up with ways of increasing physical activity levels in schools. I didn’t have a Sports Development Officer to work with inside college, so as part of my role I did all of my work outside. I helped run school sports events in Welshpool and Newtown, and ran Silver Ambassador Days with Sport Powys. I then had the mental health programme, which was my main scheme when I applied to become a Gold Ambassador.

How long have you been playing football and what impact has it had on your wellbeing?

I played football from a very young age, joining the local Sunday Soccer, until I was playing U16s when I decided to take on a role as a coach. I played the odd game for the college team as well. I believe that football may be a huge impact on my wellbeing, I have always been a healthy lad, haven’t had any physical health issues, which was mainly down to all the football I played. I played across Wales with the Academy team and was always with a group of lads who I got on with very well and still get on with now.

What is the We Wear The Same Shirt project all about?

Physical activity has proven to be one of the most effective methods of helping improve someone’s mental wellbeing, and statistics show that 1 in 4 people in Wales suffer from mental ill health. With this being the case, the FAW Trust and charity Time to Change Wales, used their skills and knowledge to tackle the stigma, which resulted in the We Wear The Same Shirt Programme (WWTSS). Three clubs within Wales - Newport, Wrexham and Newtown - are all part of the WWTSS programme which started in 2015.

It is a scheme which offers individuals who suffer from mental ill health a place to go and take part in physical activity, but also to meet new people and develop important life skills, as well as football skills. Each club provides weekly sessions, which, due to funding, are free to access and sign onto.

200 people are signed onto the programme within the three clubs but the target is to get over 700 people and more clubs involved in the programme across the country so it has easy access for more mental health sufferers.

Who can sign up to the training sessions in Newtown and how do they do it?

People who suffer from mental ill health, people who feel excluded, lonely, these people can all come down to the sessions and join in. As a club, we want to make it easy for people to join, and all you have to do is come down to one of the sessions on a Wednesday night (5:00pm – 6:00pm) meet up with myself and we will sign you on. And that’s it. It’s simple. Us coaches and current participants aren’t here to judge, but to listen and help, which is the whole reason for the programme.

How does taking part in the We Wear The Same Shirt training sessions help people struggling with their mental health?

As previously mentioned, physical activity has proven to be one of the most effective methods of helping improve someone’s mental wellbeing, because it takes them away from their environment, and lets them have one hour of fun, being with people who suffer from the same issues. Also, doing sport and physical activity releases chemicals in the body and makes the participant feel more positive. They forget what’s going on, as all they are focussed on is the session and what they are participating in.

All our sessions involve important life skills such as communication and teamwork. The participants start to connect with each other and form friendships, which is great to see. Then people keep on turning up every week because of these friendships that they made from the session and as a coach, it’s the best type of reward you can get, seeing your sessions make an impact on people’s lives.

There was a We Wear The Same Shirt tournament in Newtown in March this year. How did it go, and are more planned?

The WWTSS tournament in Newtown was a massive success, more than I expected it to be. The tournament was due to be in January but snow cancelled that, which wasn’t good. However, from it being cancelled more people wanted to know about the tournament and more teams entered. On the day we saw 150 participants and 19 teams arrive at Latham Park for a fun, but competitive tournament. The best news was that Wales Goalkeeping Legend, Neville Southall, attended the event and spent time talking with the participants and also staying to help hand out medals and trophies to the players. The day was great, everything ran smoothly, and raised a lot of awareness around the town about the WWTSS programme and the one run in Newtown, which was the whole purpose in the event. As it was a success, I know that the FAW Trust are planning one for later this year and we are likely to make this event annual in Newtown.

Have there been any challenges setting up the project?

There have been some challenges setting up the project in Newtown, but it’s like every project, there are always challenges. I joined the project at the start of 2017, and only two participants were at the project. But from hard work and spreading the word, plus the tournament, one year on we have about 20 participants signed on. We have been able to reach out to more, but now college has finished I will be working closely with mental health charities in Powys, to provide sessions and try to get more participants down to the project. But, it’s looking up for the project in Newtown.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done so far with the We Wear The Same Shirt project

Everything about the project and the work I have done is rewarding. From starting the programme back in early 2017, with my college tutor, Gareth Watkins and fellow Coach, Dave Rose, everything about the project has been rewarding. From seeing the project go from 2 to 20, within a couple of months, from the team representing Newtown at a number of events, and seeing players go on to better things within the club. One has become a qualified local referee, one has become a coach, and others have gone on to playing local team football, winning awards, like manager’s players. This small project has made a massive difference to all the participants but has also changed me as a person and as a coach that is what is rewarding.

I hear you're studying Sport at Newtown College. What career do you hope to follow eventually and why?

I have just finished studying Sport at Newtown College, finishing with a triple distinction star. I will soon be studying Football Coaching and Performance at University of South Wales, but the only career work I see myself doing is football related. I have a passion to coach and make a difference and thanks to the college, Newtown FC, Sport Powys and a number of people, including Gareth Watkins and Dave Rose, I will be able to pursue that career.

Which team are you supporting in the 2018 World Cup?

From the start of the World Cup I have always thought that France would be the team to beat, but this year’s World Cup has been very odd and England have a massive chance, but I’m backing France.

Many thanks to Sam for telling us all about the We Wear The Same Shirt programme. If you want to find out more you can contact Owen Durbridge, the Club Secretary at Newtown AFC, by emailing owen.durbridge@sky.com or ringing 07967 979089.

Mental Health & Missing Person Support Officer - Dyfed-Powys Police

Carina Giannuzzi is the Mental Health & Missing Person Support Officer for Dyfed-Powys Police. 

We recently worked with Carina, and colleagues at West Wales Action for Mental Health, to produce some mental health information cards for use by police officers who come into contact with people experiencing mental distress.

We caught up with Carina recently to find out more about this project and other vital work she is doing in Powys and Ceredigion.

Tell us more about the work you do

I started in my current role as Dyfed-Powys Police’s Mental Health & Missing Person Support Officer on the 1st September 2014, and from the start have been involved in two major projects which are ongoing.

One is the Mental Health Triage Team run in conjunction with Hywel Dda University Health Board and although the project does not cover the county of Powys, it does cover Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The other is the Time to Change Wales anti-stigma campaign to tackle the discrimination surrounding mental health where I assisted Hywel Dda with a week of events they held last October.

I am a member of various mental health related groups, both internally and externally, and attend regular meetings relative to these.

I am also responsible for collating data and providing reports; receiving and identifying areas of work that require improvement to deliver change and am involved in multi-agency and partnership working.

What led you to this particular role in the police?

When I read the role profile for the post it sounded so interesting, worthwhile and rewarding that I thought “I want that job!” and thankfully I was successful in my application.

I also have a personal interest in mental health which I feel benefits that side of the role due to my understanding the impact that mental ill health can have on individuals, their family, friends, colleagues and employers.

What is the most challenging aspect of the job?

I would say juggling the two sides of the role as both aspects are equally important and demanding areas of work.

Are there particular issues which arise in rural areas for people experiencing mental distress?

Isolation is probably one of the biggest factors. Many people living in rural areas reside in remote locations and will not have neighbours close by that they can call upon. Their family and friends may not live close by and transport to visit them or just a trip to the shops can cause issues for some people, especially the elderly. Regular contact and communication is key for these people.

Why do you think the police are often the first point of contact for people experiencing mental distress?

When a person is in distress or at crisis point they want immediate assistance. They may not know who else to contact for help and by telephoning the police they know that they will get a response 24 hours a day. Many services are not available out of hours and this is another reason police are contacted.

What is the biggest issue for police officers trying to support people in the community who are mentally distressed?

Accessing the necessary services to provide them care and assistance they require in a timely manner. This is particularly prevalent ‘out of hours’.

Dyfed-Powys Police are working hard to provide better support for people in mental distress (see here for example). Tell us about the latest initiatives and any feedback you have had.

Our Chief Constable Mr Simon Prince has just signed an organisational pledge on behalf of Dyfed-Powys Police to show our commitment to the Time to Change Wales campaign to tackle the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. I will be putting plans in place to take this campaign forward.

We are also looking at a safety card for people with mental health, learning disabilities/difficulties and dementia who may come in to contact with the police for any reason, for example, if the person is in crisis, lost or wishes to report a crime. The card will provide the officer with their name and details of their condition. It will also provide the name and details of a person police can contact to assist them dealing with the individual they have come in to contact with. This will be of benefit to both the individual and the officer. Once the design and content have been agreed, we hope to have this in place in the next few months.

Dyfed-Powys Police, in conjunction with Hywel Dda University Health Board, has set up a Mental Health Triage Team to respond to mental health related calls received by police. The scheme commenced at the beginning of January 2015 and initial feedback and statistics are very positive. Although the project has only been running for a few months, it has already been nominated for and NHS award.

How will the mental health information card we worked on together recently help?

The cards will provide an extra 24 hour point of contact for people who do not know where or how to obtain help, with the mental health team at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) and West Wales Action for Mental Health (WWAMH) providing another line of contact to advise people what is available in their communities. There are so many valuable services in the third sector that people do not know about and it will also help to raise their profiles and that of PAVO and WWAMH.

Which other organisations do you work closely with in Powys and Ceredigion to provide support to people?

Powys Teaching Health Board is the main organisation. I have recently met with HUTS (Help Us To Survive), Hafal and Noddfa at a Ceredigion Voluntary Group meeting and am hoping to work more closely with all three of them in the near future.

Where do you think the 3rd Sector fit into the picture? Would officers be confident about signposting or referring people to voluntary organisations?

The third sector can and does play a major part in mental health. There is wealth of fantastic work going on that people are not aware of that is assisting so many individuals and their families. Our Triage Team officers and Force Communication Centre staff are already signposting and referring people to voluntary organisations. It is a matter of making our staff aware of what is available throughout the Force area and what services these organisations offer. One of the ways this is being done is by adding these organisations to our internal Force Mental Health Information Page. Many have already been added and as I come across new ones, they are being added to the site.

Is there anything more the 3rd Sector could do to support the police in their work with people experiencing mental distress?

I believe the third sector is already supporting police in their work.

The only suggestion I have that may be useful in raising the profile of voluntary organisations within the police (if not already being done) would be for them to invite local Neighbourhood Policing Teams along to meetings or events they are holding.

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt since starting your role?

I am finding this very difficult to answer! I have learned a great deal, particularly in relation to the third sector and the fantastic work they do. I had no idea until I started in this role and I find it very inspiring.

When you are not working for Dyfed-Powys Police, how do you enjoy spending your time?

I have a wonderful family and friends who I love to spend time with.

I love to read books of all sorts and am keen on history, fashion and art. I also like to sew when I have the time and have just started exercising again to try and gain some level of fitness once more (said through gritted teeth)!

Many thanks to Carina for telling us more about her work. If you have any queries or comments we would love to hear from you.

Powys Mental Health Alliance Winter Open Day 2014

It's that time of year again already! The mental health charity - Powys Mental Health Alliance - holds two open days each year, one in spring/summer (you can see my colleague Freda joining in the Stretch and Smile session in May here), and another each winter. Last week I went along to the Royal British Legion in Llandrindod Wells to find out more about the group's latest activities and also listened to invited speakers on subjects as diverse as mental health research and dog-sitting.

Chair of the organisation, Bryan Douglas-Matthews, and trustee Debra Douglas-Matthews,
check out the latest edition of Headspace magazine with editor Carla Rosenthal.

The Open Day was well attended with individuals travelling from far and wide across the county, including Ystradgynlais in the South and Llanfair Caereinion to the North. Many organisations had stands on the day as it's a great way to share information about their activities - more details about some of those who came along at the end of the post.

The first business of the day was the charity's annual AGM, where members have the opportunity to sign off the annual report and accounts. The trustees are also voted in at this point for the coming year.

Current trustees of the organisation L-R: Christine Field, Bill Fawcett, Debra Douglas-Matthews,
Bryan Douglas-Matthews, John Steadman. Not pictured: Kelvin Mills, Robert Short.

First speaker of the day was Jenna Markham of the National Centre for Mental Health, a research organisation based in Cardiff and backed by Welsh Government, the NHS and Cardiff University. 

Jenna spoke about the current research programme which NCMH is running, and invited anyone who is interested to contact her to find out more.

This particular research "is working to find out more about mental health conditions so that we can make diagnosis, treatment and support better in the future." Jenna explained that the research started in 2011, and has a target of 6000 participants. So far 3000 people, aged from 4 - 96, have taken part across Wales.

NCMH is interviewing people both with and without a mental health diagnosis, as a control group is required. She said that the process was very informal, and also offered the opportunity to discuss how effective people thought any medication they were taking was, and if they received benefits from other therapies or approaches to their mental health problems.

After the serious matter of mental health research, it was time for some light relief in the form of Michele Hart's Stretch and Smile exercise session.This has proved extremely popular at previous Open Days, and this time was no different! 

Others took the opportunity for some gentle relaxation with Holistic Therapist Liz Gannon from Welshpool, who offered neck, shoulder and head massage and reiki sessions on the day.

Stretch & Smile, with Liz Gannon providing a neck
massage in the background

Liz told me that the benefits of massage included: 

• Relief from pain, stress and tension, and the release of endorphins - the body's feel good hormones.
• Increased energy levels and feelings of vitality.
• A general sense of health and well-being.

A mask-making workshop, with former PMHA trustee Diane Hart, tempted others to put their creative skills to good use during the coffee break. Diane has created designs for a variety of animal masks which can easily be adapted - she showed us her lion, wolf and owl. They look gorgeous!

Diane holds regular Harts & Crafts workshops at Ponthafren Association's Welshpool base - you can find out more here.

Next up to speak was a regular supporter of PMHA - this year's Powys High Sheriff Phil Bowen. Phil has enjoyed an extremely busy year so far - the following week he was due to support the Lord Lieutenant at Princess Anne's visit to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells. In his role Phil has provided huge support to a variety of mental health organisations and activities since April, including opening the new Wellness and Recovery Learning Centre at Bronllys Hospital and introducing new drama activities for mental health patients on Felindre Ward at the same hospital.

The Open Day then welcomed Julia Roberts of Dementia Friends, an initiative of the Alzheimer's Society. Julia, who works in a shop in Knighton and is also busy as a school governor, recently took part in a Dementia Friendly Information Session, and became a Dementia Friend.

The Knighton Dementia Friendly Community held its first steering group meeting last week and Julia hopes that the initiative will prove as successful as that already underway in Brecon.

Julia had taken away many messages from her Dementia Friendly session, including that it is possible to live well with dementia, and that there is always more to a person than their dementia.

She said that she hoped to help make a community in Knighton where "I can feel safe, loved and valued if I develop dementia."

And then to Barking Mad. Local organiser Steve Gibbon was unable to attend the Open Day, but, luckily for us, Headspace Editor Carla Rosenthal had two moving doggy tales to tell.... Last summer Carla sadly lost her own much-loved dog and felt very miserable as a result. Whilst writing an article on Bob the Dog for the magazine she realised how depressed she was because she didn't have a dog any more, and then found out about Barking Mad.

Before long Carla found herself looking after a Staffordshire bull terrier called Nancy while her owners went on holiday. She took Nancy for a walk around Clun on a lovely sunny day and spoke to lots of other dog walkers. Her spirits were lifted. She felt energised. "It changed the whole weekend for me."

Carla has since looked after Ozzie for 10 days and went walking every day. She sent a postcard to the owner on behalf of Ozzie and even texts. "I had all the fun of a dog without commitment!" By the end of Carla's talk everyone seemed sold on the idea! Not to be left out, even the cat lovers were throwing out ideas about cat sitting and cat cafes!

PMHA were pleased to welcome a number of other organisations on the day, including the following:

Mel Santorini of Time to Change Wales

Denise Davies of Mid & West Wales
Fire & Rescue Service

Meg Lewis and Linda Jones of Powys Care & Repair

Lucy Taylor of Powys Carers

If you want to find out more about the future activities of Powys Mental Health Alliance, you can check out the organisation's website here.

You can also tweet the charity 

at @powysmha

Tel:  07926 862 414

Email: info@powysmha.org.uk

Were you at this year's Open Day? 

Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

The BIG talk about mental health

I think I might have mentioned before that my partner Graham Brand works for the Big Lottery Fund (aka BIG) based in Newtown. Well, today one of the projects funded by the BLF - Time to Change Wales  - had a major day of campaigning around the stigma associated with mental distress.

"24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it. Sometimes it's the little things we do that make a big difference - like having a chat over a cuppa, sending a text or inviting someone out. And on Time to Talk Day we’re encouraging people to do just that. In fact, we're hoping to spark a million conversations, and we want your help to do that."

The day is called Time to Talk, and if I'm quick I might actually finish posting this blog before midnight on 6 February! There certainly has been a lot of talk about mental health today, both in the more traditional media and social media (check out these giant cups!). Tweets have been pouring in, telling us what people in organisations - large and small - have been talking about.

Whilst we have engaged in a bit of a debate on this blog around the approach taken by the Time to Change project the campaign goes on, of course! We would still like to challenge the underpinning theme of the campaign, that 1 in 4 people experience mental distress. We still strongly believe that any one of us could experience emotional trauma at any time - who knows what lies around the corner for any of us? We don't like the word "illness" either, preferring to use that of "distress"... but these arguments are out there for all to see. So today I will just highlight what happened in Newtown, and hundreds of other workplaces across the UK, and... in the end... readers have to make up their own minds. 

In the Newtown Big Lottery Fund office staff set up a Pledge Wall for Time to Change Day, and Lisa Powell sent through some photographs and a couple of paragraphs describing how they approached the day:

Today was Time to Talk day which is backed by Gofal, MIND Cymru and Hafal, and in the BIG office in Newtown we supported this campaign to get 1,000,000 conversations going about mental health throughout the UK and hopefully help put an end to the stigma surrounding mental health.

We had a pledge wall in the kitchen so people could make pledges about things they could do to be more aware of mental health, or conversations they could have with friends or anyone they know who suffers from a mental health illness. Basically anything that can be done to support the issues surrounding mental health. There were tea and biscuits too so people could sit and have a chat about their experiences or their exposure to this subject. There were leaflets about how to start conversations about mental health and facts and myths about it too. There were also posters put up around the office to remind people but also with facts and statistics on them about the amount of people who are affected by this.

Time to Talk had a big social media campaign, and backing from the Health Minister and celebrities who have been diagnosed with mental disorders. As well as having big and small organisations plus anyone who wants to talk about this subject, then we can all end the stigma surrounding this illness that affects 1 in 4 people.

"I pledge to continue to listen." One of the pledges on the Big Lottery Fund Pledge Wall.

Did you listen to anyone talk about their mental health today?

Powys Mental Health Alliance Open Day 2013

Last Thursday I made a scenic detour around the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth to attend the Powys Mental Health Alliance (PMHA) Open Day at  Bishop Bevan Hall in a beautiful sunny Brecon. The day was attended by individuals and also staff working for the following organisations - Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Brecon & District Contact Association, Hafal, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (DIY Futures project, Powys Befrienders' project, and me - the Powys Mental Health Information Service), and Ponthafren Association. People had travelled from further afield than me - including some from Welshpool and also Ystradgynlais.

The first session was an update from the PMHA trustees about recent developments within the organisation. A new logo was presented, and Chair Bryan Douglas-Matthews explained that the charity had gone through a radical overhaul of late. The eight trustees running the charity have recently developed a new vision - "We believe the collective voice of individuals has the power to improve the world of mental health." 

Trustee Lee Watmough was joined by magazine editor Carla Rosenthal to talk about the revamp and relaunch of the PMHA magazine - now called Headspace. The first issue (1,000 copies have been circulated throughout Powys, and an online version is available) has been extremely well-received, and plans are now under way for an Autumn issue. The magazine is more colourful, vibrant and light-hearted than the previous incarnation, and Lee said that he hopes it draws together the collective voices of not just individuals, professionals and carers, but everybody - "everyone is touched in some way by mental health or emotional difficulties." Carla encouraged people to submit articles, poems, photographs and artwork - the deadline is 30 August. "We want to give a platform to your voice. We want to let people who create services change the way they offer them by listening to people who use them."

Lee and Carla also explained that a brand new website is currently being developed - it is viewed as an opportunity to talk about mental health issues in Powys and break down stigma - watch this space for the launch date!

Lee then described some of the future projects the charity hopes to focus on, including Powys Patients' Council in the Community, teaching others how to lobby effectively, reaching out to the rural community including farmers, helping people deliver a message through innovative drama and fundraising with a difference. Events featuring inspirational speakers and debating topics such as medication are also part of the proposed mix.

Before lunch, and our chance to sample trustee Diane Hart's amazing artwork, there was also a long discussion about the disparity between mental health services available in the North and South of the county, with a focus on crisis teams. Whilst there was acknowledgement of the important developments in both areas (we have written previously about the Home Treatment Teams in the North and South), it was clear that there are still gaps in provision out-of-hours which need to be addressed.

Following lunch the main speaker of the day, Reverend Dr Melanie Santorini, outlined the Time to Change Wales campaign - "don't be afraid to talk about mental health." The campaign is jointly run by three mental health charities - Gofal, Hafal and Mind Cymru, and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief and Welsh Government. So far about 150 Welsh champions have been recruited by the campaign to challenge stigma, perhaps by writing a blog post, or talking to the media, or volunteering at events. Locally there is an event on 3 October in Llandrindod Wells to coincide with World Mental Health week and the aim is to boost the number of champions to 200 by the end of the project.

Melanie also spoke about the importance of talking about mental health with family, friends and colleagues, and politely challenging those who stigmatise people experiencing mental distress. The campaign regularly refers to the 1 in 4 people who supposedly experience a "mental health problem" (we posted about this here). However, it was good to hear challenges from the audience at this event - "it's not 1 in 4 it's everyone!" and Melanie herself referred to people who "think they don't have the experience." She told us a personal story of explaining to someone she knew recently - "I have a mental health diagnosis". The man nearly fell off his chair. He then said - "but you look normal!"

The day was rounded off for me by a question and answer session with two Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs) from the Brecon area - Andrew Stephenson (Team Leader) and Dawn Carey. They talked about a variety of issues, including:

• Working alongside the Home Treatment Team in the South to ensure people have a supported transition from hospital to home, and also to reduce admissions.
• Outlining the referral process and distinguishing between Primary Care Services (GPs, nurses and counsellors based at health centres) and Secondary Care Services (CPNs, psychiatrists and support staff in Community Mental Health Teams).
• The impact of the Mental Health Measure on the ability of an individual to self-refer back to a Community Mental Health Team for further treatment.
• The new Care Treatment Plans which were launched in June 2012 and the role of a Care Co-ordinator (nurse, doctor or social worker for example) in developing them with an individual. Paper and electronic copies are available - and Shropdoc can access these via the Home Treatment Team staff as appropriate.
• Out-of-hours support as provided by Shropdoc and possible referral to out-of-county 24 hour assessment units.
• The pros and cons of having three different health boards providing mental health services throughout Powys.
• The involvement of advocacy services to support inpatients at Bronllys Hospital.

I found this session particularly useful as it is a real luxury to have staff providing mental health services in a specific area to be available to fill in the many gaps in our knowledge in such a complex and ever-changing area.

All in all a really interesting and useful day - and I look forward to the next one that PMHA organise! If you were there - tell us what you thought.

1 in 4? Or ALL of us....?

One of my colleagues made an interesting comment this week about the "1 in 4" mantra which is so regularly quoted.... in the sense that 1 in 4 of us will experience mental problems, or illness, or distress (it's that language question all over again....) She said, "...actually, I find that the "1 in 4" term is discriminatory, as it implies that 3 out of 4 people won't experience mental distress in their lives, and I believe all of us do to some degree at some point." So that's an interesting comment in itself, and well worth debating.

But, anyway, the fact is that people are now starting to tell their own personal stories in a bid to reduce stigma and discrimination, and it is clear that the "1 in 4" term can be useful in helping this process along a little. Just yesterday on the Time to Change Wales blog  several of our Welsh Assembly Ministers wrote about their own experiences.

Llyr Huws Gruffydd AM said: "Nearly ten years ago I had been diagnosed as suffering from depression. Standing in a room crying for no apparent reason isn’t something a 30 year old bloke would usually admit to – but that is where I found myself at that time."


He and other Assembly Ministers Eluned Parrott, David Melding and Ken Skates then spoke in the Welsh Assembly chamber in a debate about stigma and discrimination.

You can find out more and watch the video of the debate on the BBC website here.

A bit of the BIG blog

My partner Graham works for the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) in Newtown. We've each been watching the other's organisation's blogs lately - there is so much interesting stuff out there, and blogging is proving very useful for sharing it with a wider audience.

Anyway, BIG's blog is called... you guessed it, the BIG Blog, and just recently this post about Kelly Boylin from Flintshire caught my attention. It's titled "Mental illness does not make me a monster." You can read it here.

Kelly is a champion for the Time to Change Wales campaign, the first national campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems in Wales. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. If you scroll down her post you will find a video with more information about the campaign.

So please take a look and help spread the word!