Grow Cook Share Powys - for good mental health & wellbeing

Local Powys charities, Cultivate and Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, are jointly facilitating a new food network in Powys called Grow Cook Share - Food for Life Get Togethers. The project is funded by the Soil Association - the nature friendly food and farming charity. (So if you have an interest in growing, cooking and sharing food in Powys then please sign up to the network! Details below).

We were really excited to meet for the first time face-to-face (outdoors) at the very end of January to share good practice, encourage debate, and inspire organisations to grow their own community food projects. These will be operating at the very heart of their own individual Powys communities.

The meeting took place at cooperative Cultivate’s thriving base in Newtown in North Powys and was attended by a number of the groups making up the network currently, including Incredible Edible Llandrindod, the Hanging Gardens Project in Llanidloes (part of The Wilderness Trust), Play Radnor and Presteigne & Norton Allotments’ Association.

In this blog post we look at the many benefits that Growing Cooking & Sharing food have for people and their communities, not just for people’s mental health but for wellbeing in general.

What is a Grow Cook Share Food for Life Get Together?

Basically, it’s all about bringing people together through food.

"Almost 50% of UK kids never get outdoors with their families but at the same time, more than nine million people often or always feel lonely. Young and older people lack opportunities to bond." 

James Cashmore, Director of Food for Life

Food for Life Get Togethers are regular community activities that connect people of different ages and backgrounds through growing, cooking and sharing good food.

Our new network in Powys is all about encouraging groups and communities to get involved in growing, cooking and sharing activities and hopefully setting up their own FFL Get Togethers. Bringing groups together helps groups share good practice and top tips for successful community work in this field.

At this our second network meeting (the first was online last November) Jodie, the Manager at Cultivate, showed us some of the amazing work this thriving cooperative is already doing in North Powys. We will look at this in more detail below. Other organisations then contributed information about their own projects and aims for the future.

According to the Food for Life Get Togethers’ website the benefits of coming together over good food can be particularly beneficial because:

• Younger people are becoming more disconnected with where their food comes from.
• There aren’t many opportunities for older and younger people to bond.
• Many people – of all ages – feel isolated within their communities and do not know their neighbours.
• We are feeling increasingly divided as a nation. The BBC’s Global Survey reported that 85% of people surveyed think the UK is very or fairly divided.

The three elements of the Food for Life Powys network each help address some of these issues whilst bringing their own individual benefits to mental health and general wellbeing. Brief examples of good practice in action feature Powys FFL network members.

Jodie Griffith of Cultivate at the Grow Cook Share Powys Food Network

Grow

Gardening, especially to grow food, has many proven benefits for people. It takes us outdoors and into Nature, which just in itself can have massive benefits on mental health. This is perhaps why garden volunteering, ecotherapy and Green Minds projects connected to voluntary sector mental health services have flourished in recent years.

Other positive outcomes can include learning new skills, meeting new people and making friends in the local community, physical exercise and the sheer utter delight of nurturing a garden and seeing it thrive through the seasons. And on top of all that we can add in - the ability to grow tasty fresh food - locally (fewer food miles) and more cheaply too! What’s not to like!?

Vicky Rowe - Newtown Food Surplus Coordinator at Cultivate in Newtown

Cultivate - cultivating people and plants

At Cultivate’s 2.5 acre site next to Theatr Hafren in Newtown there are micro allotments for amateur gardeners alongside larger plots used by community groups. Local people enjoy the communal spaces - the fire pit, round house, BBQ, open lawn areas and wildlife pond. They are inspired to take vegetable growing and food production home with them.

Cultivate are currently running weekly garden volunteering sessions to teach their volunteers to prepare simple, tasty and affordable vegetarian meals to share with their fellow volunteers, family and the wider community.

Cultivate staff and volunteers are passionate about making local food more accessible. They have horticultural demonstration and research growing areas, and one of their key aims is to: ‘Assist and empower others to establish fledgling enterprises of their own’.

Presteigne & Norton Allotments’ Association

Presteigne and Norton community allotments in Lower Went’s Meadow were opened in March 2010 and have provided a place to grow locally since then. To start the 2022 season they are hosting a seed swap and coffee morning, where they will also launch a potato in a bucket and sunflower competitions. This will be followed by a plant swap in May.

Studies on allotment growing, including Sheffield University’s “My little piece of the planet”, revealed the following benefits for allotment gardeners: “high levels of social and community activities including the sharing of surplus food produce, knowledge exchange, awareness and interaction with wildlife, emotional connection to their allotment, appreciation of time spent outside and aesthetic delight in the natural world around them.”

Cook

What we eat has a big impact on our mental health. Freshly cooked meals, using homegrown or locally sourced vegetables and fruit, can provide so many of the nutrients we need without being overloaded with sugar and fat. As cooks we have control over the ingredients. Plus the meals taste so much better!

Cooking is definitely a skill to be acquired though - but well worth the learning. We can feel a real sense of accomplishment at trying new recipes, and cooking together with friends and family is very rewarding. Just the very act of preparing food can be therapeutic. So all in all definitely a way to improve mental health and physical wellbeing - and to eat well of course.

Incredible Edible Llandrindod

Growing as much food locally in the town of Llandrindod is the main aim of this group. Last year was a great success with brand new raised beds on an old tennis court seeing dozens of successful crops available for locals to harvest. The group is now hoping to provide cookery sessions at the community led sustainability hub called The Hive in the centre of town. Llandrindod Seed Library is also based here.

Play Radnor

At the Play Hub run by children’s charity Play Radnor in Llandrindod Wells there are also plans to set up cookery sessions - these will be aimed specifically at families and children.

Share

Sharing, by its very nature, brings people together, especially sharing food. Eating together, as family, friends or community, is one of the best ways to address loneliness and isolation. It encourages intergenerational mixing, and gives an opportunity for people to have fun together, to share stories, laugh, build trust, and to open up and talk about any difficulties they may be experiencing in life if that is appropriate. Chatting over a meal can be so much less intimidating than just meeting to talk.

Community meal at The Hanging Gardens, Llanidloes

The Hanging Gardens Project

The Hanging Gardens project in Llanidloes is using a small grant from the Winter Pressures fund administered by PAVO to set up free cookery demonstrations and provide community meals for local residents whilst at the same time addressing the issue of food waste. You can also join cookery workshops to learn three recipes in an afternoon, and take these home along with some ingredients. It’s a chance “to meet new people and shake off the winter blues.”

The next meeting of the Powys Food for Life Network is actually being held at The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes. The date is still to be confirmed, but it you would like to find out more and sign up to the network please contact Sue Newham by emailing sue.newham@pavo.org.uk

Walk & Talk: Bob and Mid & North Powys Mind

Mid and North Powys Mind Walk and Talk group features in a new video from Mind Cymru and Sports Wales, in which Bob (a regular member at Mid & North Powys Mind) shares his experience.

Bob says:

The thing that I have found so surprising about Mid and North Powys Mind has been the richness and variety of their programme. In a little over twelve months I have been fruitfully involved in, among others, Mindfulness and Meditation classes, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) course, a couple of creative writing courses, an al fresco poetry course at the Oriel Davis Gallery, a cyanotype printing course at Clywedog, a Building Self Worth course as well as the Good Grief support group and the continuing Walk and Talk meetings. All in the space of a year. And this doesn’t address all that was on offer that I didn’t take up.

Living alone, one of the spin-off positives in all this is that you meet a wide range of people, a pool of potential contacts and friends, people with cognate interests, and from this you get to know folk who you come to relate closely to and informal support groups form, more or less independent of MNP Mind, and these have become quite important to me.

I particularly like Walk and Talk because it’s always there. That may sound odd but, over time for me it has become a sort of base, a place you return to and feel comfortable in. It’s never the same twice, people come and go but there’s a constancy about it. I miss it on the occasions when I can’t go. It’s very low key, undemanding, but you take the opportunity, if you want to, to share the good and bad experiences of your week so there’s always a gentle ‘letting go’, which is nice. And you meet people who do the same and sometimes you stay on after twelve and chat, or just listen if somebody wants to have a bit of a moan about life, or get something off their chest. And then you feel good if you get the sense that you might have given something back.

The Newtown Walk and Talk group meet every Monday morning, 11am – 12pm, in the Back Lane car park near the footbridge across to Parc Dolerw. Mid & North Powys Mind have since started two new Walk and Talk groups – one in Llandrindod Wells that meet Mondays 10am - 11am at the lake, and one in Builth Wells that meet Mondays 11am – 12pm at the Stone Circle in the Groe.

Mid & North Powys Mind are also starting a 12 week beginners’ running group in Llanidloes beginning on the 28th February.

If you’d like to come along, or find out more details about the Walk and Talk or running groups, or any of the other services available at Mid and North Powys Mind, do get in touch on 01597 824411 or admin@mnpmind.org.uk

PAPYRUS - Prevention of Young Suicide

 

“Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under 35 in the UK. Male and female. Every year many thousands more attempt or contemplate suicide, harm themselves or suffer alone, afraid to speak openly about how they are feeling.” PAPYRUS 2022

Kate Heneghan, who lives in Brecon, has been Head in Wales of the charity PAPYRUS – Prevention of Young Suicide – since 2019. I recently met up with Kate online to find out more about her work with the charity.

What drew you to your role at PAPYRUS?

Well… I suppose, until suicide touches you in some way, you don’t really think about it. That’s the truth. A few things happened within a short space of time in my personal life, culminating in a close family member losing her 28-year-old son to suicide and suddenly it became real for me. Seeing the impact of such a tragic young death on family and friends, on a whole community really, was so very upsetting. We looked for a suicide prevention charity to fundraise for and came across PAPYRUS. This was the first time I had heard of the charity. Sadly, this is what we hear many people say. It’s not until after a young death by suicide that they find us. We want to change that. We want to reach people when they are struggling…. when we can help the most.

Following our fundraising for PAPYRUS I followed them on social media and when they advertised for a Head in Wales, I was looking for a change in career from many years at Public Health Wales and the rest is history!

Tell us briefly about PAPYRUS and the three key principles that underpin the organisation

The charity was originally set up in 1997 by a group of parents who tragically had lost children to suicide. They were passionate about prevention and wanted to bring hope, something positive from their tragic loss.

At PAPYRUS we SUPPORT, EQUIP and INFLUENCE.

We support through our helpline HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141.

We equip through our awareness raising sessions, suicide prevention training and a range of resources.

We influence in a variety of ways – through local, regional and national policy e.g. we campaigned hard for a change in the law around how coroners reach a conclusion of suicide at inquest from the criminal standard of proof to the civil standard. We have developed a range of hard-hitting campaigns like Spot the Signs and we influence at grass roots level too – like this interview!

The last two years have been challenging for everyone. What has that meant for the demand on your services in Wales?

You’re right. It has been challenging for everyone but sadly young people have been disproportionately impacted. This has led to an increased demand for our helpline services. We have also seen an increase in demand for our suicide prevention training, mostly online.

We have trained many people who work in frontline services who have direct contact with children, young people or young adults on how best to support young people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide. For a range of reasons during the pandemic young people have presented at these services closer to crisis point than was the case pre-pandemic often leaving staff at a loss on how to cope.

We are often asked what is the best way to help a young person who is self-harming?

This can be incredibly hard, especially for parents. Whatever your relationship to the young person, whether parent, teacher, youth worker etc. the key things are to try and remain calm, non-judgmental and understanding. Try not to show in your face what you are feeling, and listening to that young person is crucial. It’s not about asking “what have you done to yourself?” it’s more about establishing what is going on for the young person that has led to this “I’m thinking maybe things are difficult for you at the moment? …."

If you think a young person is having thoughts of suicide, what can you do?

The key thing is to establish whether they are having thoughts of suicide and to get them help. We recognise that asking a young person ‘Are you having thoughts of suicide?’ is not an easy thing to do. To be honest that’s why we deliver suicide prevention training, to help people understand why it’s important to do this and how to do it.

People fear they will put the idea into someone’s head but research shows that is not the case. It’s not easy for a parent – the child may lie. But if you are still thinking that is what’s going on then get help. Go to the GP or get them to A&E.

Our leaflet - Supporting your child: Self harm and Suicide - came about because parents who had lost their 15 year old son to suicide said that in all their many visits to A&E, the GP and pharmacies they never once saw a leaflet about suicide. Diabetes, heart disease, asthma – yes, but nothing on suicide. We added self-harm after consulting with a group of parents pre-publication. They told us they wouldn’t pick up a leaflet about suicide, but they would if it said suicide and self-harm.

Emma Webb raised £10K for Papyrus on a fundraising walk
 in memory of her 16 year old daughter Brodie

How does the Papyrus helpline HOPELINEUK provide a lifeline?

It’s there for any young person under 35 years, experiencing thoughts of suicide. We can work with the young person on creating a safety plan and also signpost them to other support. We are also there for anyone including parents, siblings, students in halls, professionals, youth workers, nurses, GPs and teachers who may be concerned about a young person.

We offer a debrief service – that’s for anyone who’s had an encounter with suicide. It might be a fire fighter and they’ve had to attend a suicide, or someone who works for an undertaker. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone about what went on for you. Sometimes it’s a caller who has had a conversation with a young person and wonders if they said the right thing.

What are some of the key themes coming out of the HOPELINEUK conversations for young people in Wales?

The same things affect young people right across the UK to be honest – relationship breakdowns, anxiety, depression, abuse, family issues, isolation and loneliness, witnessing domestic violence and self-harm.

We’ve supported people with more complex mental health needs during lockdown. So much support went online – there was anxiety about what was happening and what would happen next. And it became difficult to find privacy at home to talk during the pandemic so we introduced web chat. There was a lot of anxiety about returning to school and college too.

Our leaflets are based on what we hear people saying to us.

Tell us more about the training you provide to organisations

Basically, we have a tiered approach to training. We have a 30 minute awareness raising session available free to any organisation, large or small. We have a 90 minute and a half-day suicide prevention training and we also deliver the 2 day ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention & Skills) training. All but ASIST can be delivered electronically.

Are there any suicide prevention projects in Mid Wales you can tell us about?

Thanks to funding from the Powys Healthy Schools’ scheme we delivered suicide prevention training online to Powys High schools last Summer. Feedback was really positive.

How can we raise awareness and reduce stigma about self-harm and other risk factors for suicide in young people?

Stigma kills there’s no doubt about that. It is responsible for many deaths as it stops us (society) talking about self-harm, suicide and mental health too.

Talking about suicide is the only way to challenge stigma and we know that talking openly and sensitively about it encourages young people to seek help.

It’s a bit of a cliché but I think we could all be a little kinder to one another. Listen to what young people have to say, let them talk about what is troubling them right now. Often, we want to jump in and fix things but if we make a conscious effort to keep quiet and really listen, it can help enormously.

Do PAPYRUS provide support to people who have lost a young person due to suicide?

We were founded by parents who had lost children to suicide. Many of our trustees have lost children or a loved one to suicide. We believe those bereaved by suicide have a unique contribution to make to suicide prevention, we are here to listen. To hear their story and to learn from it. Many of our volunteers have been bereaved by suicide, they say it helps with their grieving, some say it was what kept them going.

Last year we welcomed a new Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Coordinator to Powys – Jan Roberts. How does PAPYRUS link into this work?

Powys Teaching Health Board is the only health board in Wales to have this post. I think it is really progressive. I have had long chats with Jan - she is doing great work! I have contributed to Jan’s work on the bereavement pathway and some of her work with Primary Care. I’m sure there will be more collaboration in the future and I’m looking forward to it.

I’ve also spoken to a town council in Powys about creating a suicide safer community. I’d like to see more opportunities to work in this way. Jan…are you listening?

What is HOPEWALK and will it be happening again in 2022?

HOPEWALK is an opportunity for people who have experienced suicide ideation, or have lost someone to suicide, to come together and learn from each other / be there for each other. They’ve been hugely popular and there are loads happening across Wales. We promote them for October every year and you can sign up for a fundraising pack of goodies etc. Often, they are a fundraiser in memory of someone who died by suicide. Emma Webb from Newport recently did one in memory of her daughter Brodie who tragically died aged 16, just before lock down. Emma raised over £10k for us.

You may have seen 3 Dads Walking on Breakfast TV before Xmas. Sadly, they each lost a daughter to suicide and did a HOPEWALK for PAPYRUS, in their memory. There is no doubt that the publicity that Emma and the 3 Dads received helped; those bereaved by suicide, to talk about their loss; worried parents to phone our helpline and young people who are struggling to reach out.

What are the main challenges working in this field?

Every time I hear of a young suicide in Wales I think – did they know about us? This makes me work harder, it encourages me to get out there and increase our reach so more young people know where to access support.

Put the helpline number in your phone now – you never know when you might need it: HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141.

Tell us about some of the most rewarding work you have done at PAPYRUS

Hearing that we are making a difference. Attending an event and having a parent come up to you and say they have phoned us and received really helpful advice. Talking to a Head Teacher who says our support has been invaluable. Reading feedback from a young person who has accessed our helpline and says

"When I phoned you I really was planning on ending my life tonight but now I’m not. You have really made me feel better, I have not been able to talk to anyone like this before, thank you so much”.

How do you like spending your time when you’re not working?

I love walking my dog – no excuse living in Powys! I love traipsing around shops in our small towns and meeting friends and family for coffee, cake and a chinwag!

Many thanks to Kate for telling us all about her role at PAPYRUS. If you want to find out more you can contact Kate by emailing Kate.Heneghan@papyrus-uk.org.

If you are a young person thinking about suicide, or concerned for a young person, you can call The PAPYRUS helpline HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org 9am – midnight every day of the year (weekends and Bank Holidays included).

For more information about PAPYRUS and their resources and training offer check out the PAPYRUS website

Celebrating 10 years of the Powys Mental Health Blog!

 10 of our most popular posts 

Oh my goodness, it’s 2022! The year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and the 10th anniversary of the beautiful Wales Coastal Path - all 870 miles of it! And, as it happens, also the year in which we celebrate 10 years of the Powys Mental Health blog!

This blog, which is managed by the mental health team at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, was originally set up as an experiment in 2012 by myself (then a Project Officer, now a Mental Health Information Officer) and Laura Gallagher, the then Mental Health Team Lead (Laura left PAVO in 2014 to set up Arvon Ales in Llandrindod Wells). Our aim was to try and reach out to people in a more conversational and accessible way - and to encourage a two way conversation if at all possible.

Since then, whilst starting quietly, the blog has proved massively popular over the years - for people and organisations to read about services in all sectors of mental health in Powys - and in encouraging debate about all aspects of mental health. The language is as contentious as ever - as we found out in an early post in 2013 - “Am I a person or a service user?” 

But on one thing perhaps we can agree - it is, in 2022, just as important:

• To listen to people and hear about their life experiences.
• To encourage discussion (“it’s not about what’s wrong with us, but about what happened to us,” being a key theme for many of us).
• For all of us to feed in our views to the mental health service providers - whether in the statutory (NHS) or voluntary sector.

Here, in case you missed them, are some of our all time top 10 blog posts from over the years. We hope you enjoy reading about them again, we have certainly enjoyed dipping back into the archives. Do tell us if you think some of the historic issues are just as relevant today as they were in the past and if you have changed your views over the years. Above all tell us what you’d like to see next on the blog!

So, here we are, 10 of our most popular posts, in reverse date order:

1. Remembering Jill Dibling - December 2019

Derek Turner and Freda Lacey wrote a moving tribute to Jill Dibling, long-time chair of Mid Powys Mind and the Powys Mental Health Alliance, and also a wonderfully creative artist based in Llandrindod Wells:

“Jill was a pioneer in modern thinking about mental health. She not only had her own lived experience but she had ‘lived expertise’ as well. By lived expertise I mean that she learnt valuable skills from her own overcoming of the challenges she faced. It was her ability to use this expertise to the benefit of other people that makes her stand out.” DT

“I will miss her, her quiet support and the way she would invite sharing. I will miss her steadfastness and extraordinary lived experience, her gentleness and yet her solid convictions on what was right and what was needed. Her loss in respect of mental health services in Mid Powys will be keenly felt.” FL

2. Pegasus - changing the way we talk to Dyfed Powys Police - July 2017

Police Community Support Officer Aileen Stewart told us about Pegasus - a service for people who live and / or work in the Dyfed Powys Police area aimed at those whose disability or illness makes it difficult for them to communicate when calling or speaking face to face to the Police.

It’s designed to make it easier to contact Dyfed Powys Police quickly and easily on both the 101 and 999 numbers.

The attending officers are then fully aware of the caller's needs when dealing with them, making it a more positive experience and ensuring they receive the help they need as quickly as possible.

Aileen said: “There is a person that I speak to regularly that I signed up to the scheme. Due to knowing their needs I have been able to see when their mental health has begun to decline and get in touch with their mental health worker to begin the ball rolling for the person to have a psychiatric assessment.”

3. To DBT or not to DBT? That was the question - January 2017

Dr Kathryn Walters, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Dr David Pyle, Associate Specialist Psychiatrist, told us all about a relatively new service that had been developed in South Powys, to deliver Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for the first time in the county. They were joined by Richard, who was one of the first people in Powys to join the programme and was able to tell us what it was like for him.

Prior to joining Richard described his life as very difficult: “meds, meds, and more meds”, and not much support. It was rare for him to think through his thoughts – they were automatic and he would react to them. He was experiencing difficulties with his personal life to the extent that he self-harmed a lot. But this all changed once he started the 14 month DBT course. A third of the way through the DBT programme Richard had an experience which really changed his life. Everything suddenly became clear, and he felt changes within himself. He started to discuss his thoughts. By the end of the course he felt that he was a completely different person from when he had started.

4. Terrible things happen to other people - June 2016

Police Constable Owen Griffiths, then of Dyfed Powys Police, shared his own story of mental distress.

“Bad things always happened to other people - faces on the news and names in the paper - or so I thought. My life was good and right and nothing was going to change that, of that I was sure. All that changed for me on the 22 May 2004. Let me tell you about it.

My name is Owen Griffiths. I am a 43 year old serving Police officer who currently works in the training department for Dyfed Powys Police. On the 22 May 2004 I was involved in an incident whilst on duty - one which I was very lucky to leave with my life intact. I can clearly remember being quite badly injured and standing at the side of the road. I was bruised and bleeding badly and although these injuries hurt me greatly they were nothing compared to the pain that hit me in my mind.”

5. The Art of Health in Wales - May 2016

At a Wales Arts & Health Wellbeing Network meeting in Llandrindod we heard about the innovative arts practices which were helping people experiencing mental distress across Wales. The Powys focus was a creative writing and film project based at Llandrindod High School and run by Emma Benyon.

There is now a growing body of evidence to show the value of the arts in improving the health of people who experience mental or physical health problems. The social prescribing model allows GPs to prescribe arts activities to promote a patient’s wellbeing.

6. Light up the community - May 2015

Shakira, then 11, told us why she started volunteering at the mental health charity Ponthafren Association in North Powys when she was just 8:

“My sister and me are in the PR (public relations) group. 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. 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.”

7. Mental Health Act 1983 - Code of Practice: the review (in England) - August 2014

Jan Roberts from Newtown (who was later awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her contribution to this important piece of work) was a member of the Expert Reference Group reviewing the Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice in England.

"Having experienced mental health issues for a long time, it was a journey within my recovery that I will never forget. I was very honoured to have been chosen to sit on the group. The way that it came about was - I started volunteering at Ponthafren Association, with the PR group, took an information stall along to a PAVO event, from there gave talks to Dyfed Powys Police and other front line services and PAVO put my name forward for the Expert Reference Group.

I remember the first time I came down to the group, my stomach churning and brain spinning and the voices and extra people were worse than they had been for a while. When we all introduced ourselves and I explained the issues I deal with, voices etc, straight away I felt accepted for who I am - lock stock and barrel - and this meant so much to me it’s unexplainable in words really. Passing on my lived experience gives me a purpose and an outlet for the HELL I live in sometimes.”

8. Bronllys Grand Opening - Wellness & Recovery Learning Centre  - July 2014

The Grand Opening of the new Wellness and Recovery Learning Centre at the mental health Felindre Ward in Bronllys Hospital took place. The Centre’s design was shaped by patients, volunteers, ward staff and other agencies to provide a peaceful and relaxing place where books and online information, supporting learning about mental health, wellbeing and recovery, could be accessed by patients on the ward.

The ward patients had created an amazing “recovery tree” with colourful leaves and inspiring words:

• Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.
• The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.
• Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a song bird will come.
• Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
• Make your optimism come true.

9. National Mental Health Partnership Board update  - December 2013

Eight years ago the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum (as it is now known) was called the National Service User & Carer Forum. We looked at the mechanisms which had been put in place by Welsh Government at the time for people to feed in their views about the mental health services they had been using.

The voice of lived experience continues to play an absolutely essential role in the planning and delivery of future mental health services at both national and local levels in Wales. To find out what is happening today you can read more on the website of Practice Solutions which provides support to the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum through a co-production model.

10. Unconventional Wisdom - Organic Reasons for Psychosis - September 2013

When Laura Gallagher was in the team she wrote an excellent series for the blog under the heading “Unconventional Wisdom”, where she challenged the mainstream views underpinning mental illness diagnosis. She frequently asked: “Should mental health services be shaped by the question - what happened to you, rather than what’s wrong with you?” We still ask this question today.

This post looks at the organic / physical causes which could produce symptoms of psychosis in someone and asks: Can psychotic symptoms be misdiagnosed as "mental illness" when they are actually caused by organic/physical conditions?

What is your favourite post on the Powys Mental Health blog? We would love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments box below, or email us at mentalhealth@pavo.org.uk

We wish you well for 2022.

Christmas & food - a Powys point of view

Christmas is almost upon us! And what is Christmas if not a festival of food (amongst the gifts, the seasonal games and festivities, the celebrations with family and friends - or not - depending on your preference or situation). The news is full of updates about what foods may or may not be available for people this year. Yet whilst most of us will not go hungry, even given a restricted choice at the supermarket or our chosen local food outlet, there will be others who will struggle to put food of any kind on the table, be it Christmas or any time of year.

For this blog post we want to explore a few of the ways we interact with food, and consider food get-togethers, at Christmas and also other times of the year. We will also touch on the support for people with eating disorders at Christmas.

Food for Life get-togethers - new Powys Food Network

In November the first Powys Food Network meeting took place, organised jointly by Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations and Cultivate. Cultivate is a cooperative based in Newtown in North Powys, run by volunteers and employees who are dedicated to supporting a resilient local food economy.

The Grow, Cook and Share in Powys Network, which is funded by the Soil Association’s Food for Life get-togethers programme, has been set up to support groups across Powys to get involved in growing, cooking and sharing activities. There are many benefits to a Food Get Together, not just the opportunity to enjoy tasty, wholesome food prepared from locally grown ingredients. The groups who attended the first network meeting in November this year reported that people enjoyed coming together - not just to eat and learn about food - but to socialise. This is a really important aspect of coming together to eat, as isolation and loneliness, which can impact hugely on mental health, are at much higher levels in our local communities since the pandemic.

At Christmas it’s important to look out for family, friends and neighbours who don’t have the opportunity to get together with others for the traditional festive meal, whilst at the same time being sensitive to the wishes of those who choose to enjoy the holiday time quietly by themselves. 

My colleague Jen, PAVO's Health & Wellbeing Information Officer, has pulled together some useful information about Powys community groups and venues offering Christmas meals and other activities over the 2021 festive period. 

You can find further details on the main PAVO website.

Meanwhile, the next meeting of the new Powys Food network will hopefully take place at Cultivate’s community gardens in Newtown in early 2022. If you’d like to find out more about the network, or even sign up, then email sue.newham@pavo.org.uk

How Christmas diet choices can affect our mental health

There is a huge amount of research now about the potential impact of our dietary choices on our mental wellbeing. According to the UK charity The Mental Health Foundation: “Eating well – which means having a balanced diet full of vegetables and nutrients – can improve your sense of wellbeing and your mood.”

The article explains the link between different foods and the impact they can have on your mental health and highlights particular foods that can lead to low mood such as those with high levels of fats, sugars and caffeine.

Festive food, of course, is full of these dietary nasties! Perhaps the best approach is one of balance at Christmas - just a few sugary treats but plenty of healthy fresh food for the most part. It’s actually amazing how wonderful fresh fruit and veg can taste when you cut down on your sugar intake. Fresh cabbage and carrots, especially those grown locally and organically, are so naturally sweet to the taste buds!

Eating disorders at Christmas

For anyone living with an eating disorder, the festive season can introduce even more challenges to daily life. Suddenly we’re not just expected to eat three square meals a day, but to snack endlessly on all the so-called Christmas edible goodies that appear in the shops and maybe even as presents from well-meaning family and friends.

Then there is the added hurdle of extra visitors who join the dinner table at festive meal times - family and friends we may not have seen for many months, and who may not understand how anxious such a setting can be for someone living with an eating disorder.

The eating disorder charity Beat has a useful web page of tips for anyone in this situation to help make it as stress free as possible:

Five questions you might have about Christmas with an eating disorder

Young Minds, the charity supporting young people with their mental wellbeing, suggests distraction techniques, adjusting expectations and being kind to yourself if thoughts of Christmas make you feel upset, angry or anxious:

Tips for coping with an eating disorder at Christmas

Beat's helpline services will be open 4pm – Midnight from 24th December to 3rd January. During this time people can call 0808 801 0433, email waleshelp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk or speak to an advisor using one-to-one webchat.

If you need urgent help outside Beat’s opening hours, then contact the Samaritans on 116 123, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Favourite festive local produce of our team

Locally produced food has less food miles, supports the local economy, and boosts climate change resilience. Perhaps it also has that extra feel good factor which can help us feel better about ourselves and the planet!

So, what Powys food and drink can we enjoy this Christmas? The Health & Wellbeing team at PAVO tell us about the locally grown / produced food and drink that they most like to enjoy!

Clair Swales - Head of Health & Wellbeing

WJ George Butchers, Talgarth - Turkeys

Originally established as a butcher’s over 135 years ago, W.J. (Billy) George took over ownership of W.J. George Butchers from his uncle in 1935 and it still remains in the family to this very day. It’s our Swales family tradition to buy our Christmas Turkey from here. Their meats are sourced from local farms and there is a real passion for the produce they sell.

Gareth Ratcliffe - Health Promotion Facilitator, Mid Powys

LUCKY 7 Beer

Lucky 7 is an independent brewery in Hay-on-Wye making fresh, modern, creative beers. They produce beers that highlight the quality of the ingredients. Beers that will stimulate and excite the palate. Beers that will complement a moment. They are a must for Christmas day as well as the summer BBQ.

Jackie Newey - Mental Health Information Officer

Kale Nero di Toscana - Italian kale

Straight from our organic veg garden! Perfect greens for Christmas dinner - they can survive all kinds of awful winter weather and still taste so good.

Jen Hawkins - Health & Wellbeing Information Officer

Dairy Dreams local milk

Dairy Dreams is a family run dairy farm on the Powys/Shropshire border producing fresh, pasteurised milk from their herd of free range cows. I love the 1 litre bottles that the milk comes in, reducing the amount of plastic and knowing that my milk has only travelled a few miles from farm to cereal bowl! Also love the great range of delicious ice cream they produce, current favourite is a seasonal gingerbread ice cream for Christmas.

Lucy Taylor - Startwell Development Officer

Wendy's Eco Chic pickles, chutney and oils - Builth Wells

They make such a nice present in a basket or with a festive bow.

Owen Griffkin - Mental Health Participation Officer

Hwgga Ales - microbrewery in Llandrindod Wells

Nice selection of interesting ales named after local landmarks like Lover's Leap and Shaky Bridge and a great present for family and friends from elsewhere.

Sue Newham - Engagement Officer

Richard Edwards’ squashes - Newtown

Richard is a smallholder who grows squashes that you can buy in Cultivate in Newtown. They look like small, knobbly pumpkins, but they taste glorious. I make squash soup or roast them in slices.

A peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers near and far

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day 2021

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

This year Saturday 20 November is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day across the globe. The annual awareness day is organised by the American charity the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the day is described as: “an event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience”.

The awareness day was originally created in 1999 in the United States Senate. Senator Harry Reid had lost his father to suicide, and introduced the resolution which led to an annual Survivor Day. It always falls on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in November) as it was felt that holiday times are often particularly difficult for suicide loss survivors.

Self heal - Prunella vulgaris

Bereaved by suicide in Powys

The issue of suicide is as relevant in Powys as it is anywhere else in the world. In June this year the newly appointed Powys Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Co-ordinator, Jan Roberts, wrote about the three key areas of her work here on our blog. The second key area is: Improving the support available to those bereaved by suicide in Powys with the creation of a new Powys Suicide Bereavement Service.

“The idea is in its early stages, but the intention is that the family or person would be offered practical and emotional support with regular check ins, where they have consented; it’s about checking in and asking what support they need at that particular time. Peer led support is another option being considered in conjunction with the voluntary sector. Health board staff and partners in the voluntary sector are receiving suicide bereavement training to better equip everyone to work together to progress this in Powys.”

For more information on this crucial work, please contact Jan Roberts, Powys Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Co-ordinator, by emailing Jan.Roberts3@wales.nhs.uk

Meanwhile, as Jan progresses work on the new Powys Suicide Bereavement Service it seems appropriate, not just for International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day but for any time of year, to flag up some of the resources and services that are currently available to people bereaved by suicide in Powys.

Resources

Public Health Wales has produced a booklet called Help is at Hand for anyone bereaved through suicide or other unexplained death.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is a self-help organisation which exists to meet the needs and break the isolation experienced by those bereaved by suicide. The charity has produced a Support after Suicide booklet, also available in Welsh. There are also many other resources for survivors on the charity’s website.

The Support after Suicide Partnership brings together suicide bereavement organisations and people with lived experience, to achieve a vision that everyone bereaved or affected by suicide is offered timely and appropriate support. The Partnership has a website with many other downloadable resources.

Papyrus – the charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide – has information on Suicide Bereavement.

Cruse Bereavement Support has a webpage on What you might feel when someone dies by suicide. You can contact Powys Cruse Bereavement by tel: 01686 610220 or email: cruse.powys@btinternet.com

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a website page with Stories of Real Hope.

If you are feeling suicidal, or in mental health crisis, there is support:

Samaritans provide a helpline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Tel: 116 123.

C.A.L.L. Helpline offers a confidential listening and support service in Wales. Anyone concerned about their own mental health, or that of a relative or friend, can access the service. 

Telephone helpline: 0800 132 737 or text Help to 81066.

Papyrus Hopeline UK - prevention of young suicide: 0800 068 4141.

If you have further suggestions for help and support for people who have experienced loss by suicide, 

then please add in the comments box below.