Mental health & money – 5 top tips

If you are in the middle of a mental health crisis, or experiencing anxiety or stress, probably the last thing you want to think about is money. But bills still need to be paid. And stuff has to be bought. However much we cut down none of us can survive without the basics of food and shelter. Yet what are the odds it’s not actually the best time to go on a mega spending spree either, whether you have loads of £££ in the bank or hardly any cash at all to line your pocket.

Money and mental health has been in the news recently. So we thought we’d take a look at some of the thinking, support and resources that are out there to help people, particularly when they are distressed or stressed, for whatever reason. It is tailored to help people in Powys, but if you land on this blog post from outside our county a lot of the information will still be of use.

1. Money and Mental Health charity launched

First of all, there’s a brand new charity out there – the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute – set up especially to support people experiencing money difficulties during periods of poor mental health. The charity’s chair is the well-known money expert Martin Lewis: “award-winning campaigning broadcaster, newspaper columnist and author, as well as the founder of Money Saving Expert”. In a Telegraph article he writes about why he was prompted to set up the new charity: "I’ve had some very dark days. During one of the worst of those, where I struggled to cope with leaving the house, I felt so fortunate that I wasn’t paid by the hour, struggling to make ends meet”.

With the help and support of a number of mental health charities, Martin has produced a new guide: 'Mental health & debt 2016: help, info, guidance & support for individuals & carers'. Martin’s key message is that “no debt problems are unsolvable... no matter how bad it seems, while it may not always be easy or quick, there is light at the end of the tunnel.” The guide includes chapters on getting free debt advice, working with the banks, and finding out how friends, family and carers can help. Whether your money problems are low level or potentially very serious (what do you do when the bailiffs call…?), Martin has signposted at every stage to key professionals who can help. There are also some very readable case studies. Basically the guide is packed full of useful information, and is a must-read on the subject!

The new charity is keen to find out your views on money and mental health. It has opened an online survey: In Control – a consultation on regulating spending in periods of poor mental health – “we set out the psychological drivers of increased spending and explore a range of possible solutions, along with a series of questions to which we invite those with expertise in financial services, retail and mental health to respond”.

Money, money, money....

2. National Debtline

Around for over 25 years now, so far from being the newcomer on the block, this charity gives free, impartial and confidential debt advice in all areas of finance; everything from bankruptcy to water rates arrears, and over fifty other fact sheets covering a wide range of subjects in between, can be downloaded from the website. If you want to speak to a person, then trained and experienced debt advisors are only a phone call or click of the mouse away.

3. Powys Citizens Advice - Money Advice Service

Sometimes the best advice comes face-to-face and on your doorstep! Here in Powys we are lucky that CAB provide two Money Advisors – Holly Sissons and Natasha Arthurs – who cover the entire county from Machynlleth in the North down to Ystradgynlais in the South. You can ring or email to make an appointment, tel: 01686 617667, email: mas@powys.cabnet.org.uk

“The Money Advice Service provides free, impartial money advice tailored to individual needs and circumstances. This is done in 45 minute face to face sessions delivered in venues across Powys.

From insurance to pensions, mortgages to borrowing, if people need help putting together a budget or understanding tax and welfare benefits, the trained Money Advisers will go through the options and help draw up an action plan.

Money Advisers are impartial, and won’t try to sell anything but will give clear, in-depth information.”

The service is open to absolutely anyone – it isn’t means tested. And, if even more specialised help is needed, Natasha and Holly can refer people to other areas within CAB for ongoing support, such as the Energy Project, which looks at ways of reducing bills through energy saving measures and tariff switching.

4. Credit Unions in Powys

Credit Unions are different from banks (although they are sometimes called community banks): they are owned by their members. These non-profit-making money cooperatives encourage members to borrow from pooled deposits at low interest rates. They promote thrift, support community development, and aim “to serve people not profit.” Budgeting advice and other financial services are also available to members.

Members are encouraged to save as well as take out loans – it’s all about developing a healthy relationship to cash, and retaining money locally in the community. Most credit unions have volunteer teams, made up of members, who contribute hugely to the day-to-day running of their organisations.

Powys is covered by four credit unions.

1. Hafren Credit Union (North Powys) has recently merged with North Wales Credit Union to become the biggest credit union in Wales – Cambrian Credit Union.
2. The Red Kite Credit Union in Builth Wells: “Save regularly, borrow wisely, repay easily!”
3. Brecon & District Credit Union: “Jasper was fed up with call centres. So he called Brecon & District Credit Union!”
4. Neath Port Talbot Credit Union operates in Ystradgynlais out of the local Mind centre (see below).

5. Money advice at your local Mental Health Wellness & Recovery Learning Centre

Mid Powys Mind holds regular Managing your Money sessions at its Llandrindod Wells base. The next is on Monday 15 August, 1 – 2.30pm. Powys Citizens Advice Bureau advisors (probably either Holly or Natasha – see above) attend and Mid Powys Mind members can access confidential advice in a familiar place. Do call to book a slot if you are interested, tel: 01597 824411.

The mental health charity Ponthafren Association ran these sessions at the Centre’s Newtown base earlier this year. No dates are currently planned, but if this is something that would interest you please get in touch with staff or volunteers at Ponthafren and further sessions can be arranged.

Ystradgynlais Mind taps in to money surgeries provided by Neath Port Talbot CAB, whilst also hosting the local credit union – Neath Port Talbot Credit Union - which is run by its members.

And money advice sessions at Brecon & District Mind are also on the cards, please ring the Centre to register your interest.

So there is a huge amount of support out there! 

If you have any tips or ideas for managing money, particularly if we are struggling because of poor mental health, then please leave a comment in the box below. We would love to hear from you!

Light up the community

Shakira holding an owl at the Llandysil Dragon Festival

Volunteering at Ponthafren Association age 8!

Shakira volunteers at Ponthafren Association in Newtown. As many readers of this blog will know, Ponthafren Association is a registered charity in North Powys for people with mental health issues or those that feel lonely or isolated. The charity has an open door policy (meaning anyone is welcome). It is based in Newtown with an outreach centre in Welshpool and also a weekly drop-in session in Llanidloes.

Ponthafren provides a range of courses from arts and crafts to basic skills to anger management. A lot of these courses are Open College Network (OCN) qualifications. The organisation has approximately six hundred members. 

Shakira was only 8 when she started volunteering (she is 11 now), and we decided to find out more about what she does and why she enjoys it so much.

I first started going along to Ponthafren when I was eight years old as both my Nan and Granddad volunteer there. My Nan runs a craft group on a Friday evening called “Arty crafters”. We make cards, bug homes, wind chimes, paper machie snowmen and a lot of other items. My sister and me are in the PR (public relations) group in Ponthafren also. 

We go along to shows, carnivals, fairs and other community events. We take leaflets and flyers along, also the craft items we have made. We sell these and the money goes back into Ponthafren. We tell people about Ponthafren and what everyone does. This helps to let people know that Ponthafren might be the place for them if they ever need support. Also by telling people about Ponthafren and talking about mental health helps to get rid of the stigma that seems to be attached to it.

Shakira helping at a stall at a local show

Another busy day waking up at five o’clock in the morning, getting ready to go off to do a stall for Ponthafren. I help make lots of money for Ponthafren by making all sorts of craft items, for example wooden wheelbarrows, bug boxes, occasional cards and much more.

We have been to lots of villages and towns with our stalls. Usually at these events and at the open days I paint people's nails and charge £1 that goes into a fundraising pot for Ponthafren.

Me and my sister, Billie-jo, went to help out at Welshpool open day. We served tea and coffee from 10.30 am to 4 pm. Another open day but this time in Newtown we stayed at my Nan’s and we were wrapping up extra lucky dip prizes, sorting items, and labelling things ready for the next day.

Shakira and her sister receive a certificate for 200
volunteering hours from Russell George AM.

Recently my sisters and I went with the Arty crafters group and public relations group to Llandudno. We were thankful for good weather. We sat on the beach and shared a picnic with the seagulls. We went in the sea but it was pretty cold.

At the last open day Assembly Minister Russell George came along and presented us with a certificate to say we have completed two hundred volunteering hours. We had a letter from the House of Commons saying congratulations on what we have achieved and keep up the good work. 

I go with Nan sometimes to different group and organisations, where she gives a presentation all about Ponthafren. We provide a hand on craft session but some people struggle with threading beads or gripping scissors. So I help them and I have a really good time and learn a lot from doing this.

The garden volunteers from Ponthafren go out and help members of the community with their garden by weeding and generally tidying up. On a weekend or in school holidays I go and help.

I like volunteering and it shows that even at my age there is always something you can do to help the community and have fun while you are doing it.

Many thanks to Shakira for telling us all about her volunteering experiences - 200 hours - wow! Have you any stories about your experience volunteering for mental health that you could share with us? Let us know.

Find out more about Ponthafren Association's volunteers on the organisation's website here.

One to One Recovery Support - Mid Powys

Are you: 

Struggling with your wellbeing? 

Feeling like things are stacking up 

and it’s hard to keep control? 

Feeling stuck? 

Or just feel that things could be better? 

Living in Mid Powys?

One to one support is available, free. 

We met Tim Skelcher last week to find out more about a new service being offered by

Mid Powys Mind.

I’ve recently started working for Mid Powys Mind as a Recovery Support Worker. This is a three year Big Lottery funded service which will work in person centred and holistic ways to address an increased demand for support following the economic downturn and the austerity measures that followed.

The aims of the service are to provide individuals with immediate support with urgent issues, and to offer support to work towards getting a satisfying and meaningful life through identifying goals and making steps towards them. 

Tim and his colleagues at Mid Powys Mind
L - R: Maire McAvinchey (Office Manager), Nic Williams (Senior Support Worker & Outreach Worker), Tim Skelcher (One to One Recovery Support Worker),
Jo Houlsby (Operations Manager), Mary Williams (Development Manager).

As well as one to one work, the funding has enabled us to extend our opening hours, with the Resource Centre basement now open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5 to 8pm, with a focus on recovery. Although it’s early days with this, I expect these sessions to include discussions, films, information and peer support.

We have also been able to fund additional training that helps people to develop coping skills and emotional strengths that can further support people to cope with life’s challenges. We will publicise these courses through the year as they come up.

It feels like we are making progress towards being the wellbeing centre that we aspire to be. A recent members’ day has provided lots of ideas to develop services further, and with more days planned we are becoming increasingly member led.

You can find out more about the One to One Recovery Service on a Mid Powys Mind flyer here.

Contact Tim on: 07947 106 768, or email recovery@midpowysmind.org.uk

Top 10 Tips to Survive Christmas

The mental health team here at PAVO would like to wish you all the best for Christmas and New Year 2014. However, we understand that it can be a difficult time for some people, and between us the team have come up with ten (hopefully useful) tips for surviving Christmas. If you have ideas of your own we would really like to hear from you - just add them in the comments box at the end.

1 Get together with other people

If you haven’t got anything planned for Christmas and are worried about being on your own, why not contact someone who may be in a similar situation, and arrange to do something together.

2 Prepare in case of a crisis
Before Christmas make a list of people and places who could support you in a crisis. Make sure you have phone numbers to hand, opening times of places that are important to you, that you have renewed your prescription if you have medication, and have emergency cash if possible for taxis if you really need to get somewhere. If you self-injure and think this is likely over Christmas make sure you have what you need to be safe. (See links below for further support and help).

3 Remember lost loved ones
Christmas can be a difficult time if you have just lost someone. If you have lost someone close maybe acknowledge this and light a candle for them. You might like to give something to an appropriate charity in their memory.

4 Be a Christmas volunteer
What about actually volunteering to do something with a local group or charity? Many organisations would like to hear from you if you have time to help, but contact them in plenty of time so that your offer can be incorporated into the group's plans.

5 Just treat yourself!
Do something nurturing for yourself - get yourself a treat - plan to go to your favourite place or go on your favourite walk, or listen to music that you really like.

6 Celebrate in your own way
If the commercialisation or the religious aspects of Christmas are not for you celebrate the mid winter in your own ways - think of the mid winter as a time for reflection and quiet, a time for beginning to nurture new growth….think of all the things in nature which begin life in a period of dark and quiet - roots start to grow, trees rest before the new leaves of spring, sheep are in lamb ready for spring …...sow some seeds of change for yourself - what can you begin when the days start to get longer again?

7 Have a laugh!
Promise yourself a laugh on Christmas Day - even if you don’t really feel like it. Look at some funny DVDs or ring someone who makes you laugh - find a funny YouTube clip - even if you feel false doing it laughing can definitely help to lift negative feelings.

8 Take the time to be useful
Use the time to do something practical. You may get a sense of achievement for having accomplished something. Perhaps you have been waiting all year to find time to sort out that untidy room or make a new garden bed. Dive in and start now!

9 Create, create, create
Be creative - paint a picture, knit a scarf, design your garden ready for the new season, write a poem, make a fun mask, go for a walk and take some photographs, sing a song.... Perhaps it is an opportunity to try something new. There are lots of groups out there encouraging creative activity, such as Arts Alive in Crickhowell. Or you can search the internet for websites packed full of ideas, like this one.

10 Be a friend to someone else this Christmas
Think about what your neighbours might be doing, and if any of them might need some support, help or companionship at this time. Often helping someone else - even just small gestures such as collecting a newspaper for them from the local shop -  can take your mind off your own struggles and can be a very rewarding way to spend time over the Christmas period.

Wellness and Recovery Learning Centres around Powys are open at some point over Christmas and the New Year and would welcome your visit. Visit their websites to check their opening times, details here. You can link to national helplines here.

If you need help urgently find information here.

We look forward to hearing from you in 2015.