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Day 4 – Feeling grateful and thinking of others at Christmas


Day 4 #ElfieAdvent

Maria McBride a Skills Coach in AMH New Horizons -Newry and Mourne, shares her philosophy on taking it easy and feeling grateful, over what is often a stressful and hectic festive season for many. From slowing things down to helping others less fortunate, Maria shares her gratitude for the blessings she and her family enjoy.


“At Christmas I like to do the opposite of what other people are doing. I like to slow things down, light the fire and make yummy food for my family and watch some TV. I try and calm those around me and encourage them to take it easy – to remember the real meaning of Christmas. Giving your time to those who need it and calling-in on folks for a cup of tea, can mean the world to those who may not have much family around them. You’ll also get so much out of it. I also make it a habit to attend a Christmas carol service, that involves local schoolchildren, who sing some of the old Christmas songs: it makes me feel so good. There is nothing as uplifting as children, singing.

Photo by Maria Lara on Unsplash


“Another thing I like to do around Christmas is to tell the people in my life just what they mean to me, instead of just thinking about it. I try to make Christmas day as easy and stress-free a day for myself and everyone in the family. We rise around 10am and open some presents, then have breakfast and chill for a while. Then, while the dinner is cooking, I encourage the family to set the table up nice for us all, with wine glasses, candles and Christmas napkins. Some years, my daughter will take a Christmas dinner to the Gateway charity and help serve food up for those who have no homes, or no family to spend Christmas with. This makes me feel immensely proud of her.

Photo by Fezbot2000 on Unsplash


“We are a very lucky family in that we all love Christmas, but we understand this is not the case for everyone. We are grateful for another year and that we got through all the ups and downs and we are still surviving and thriving.”

AMH News

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for Colin & Lynne!

Christmas has come early for two loyal members of staff at Action Mental Health! Colin Brennan, Skills Coach, has dedicated a quarter of a century to his role helping clients find their potential. The long-serving employee at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh was gifted his early staff award pressie from Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive, David Babington.

David also played Santa to Lynne McDonnell, our cleaner at AMH New Horizons Antrim, who was presented with her long service award for devoting 15 years to the charity.

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Day 3 #Elfie Advent

Christmas is synonymous with traditions and at the Watson house in Killyleagh, one of those is the shared love of a favourite Christmas movie passed from one generation to the next, from mother to daughter. Riley Watson, who celebrates her second Christmas in 2020, will be settling down soon to watch a cinematic favourite that her mum, AMH Fundraising Officer Amanda Watson, loved as a child. Santa Clause The Movie is bang on target for the festive season, so merry Christmas to everyone this year from little Riley, who will turn 2 in January!

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Day 2 #Elfie Advent – Look After Your Mental ‘Elf

The AMH OUR Generation team want you to have the best possible Christmas this year so they’ve put together a few top tips to help you look after your mental ‘elf’.

This year Christmas will be different for everyone and while we can’t control the pandemic and the uncertainty it’s caused, we can focus on the positive things, like keeping ourselves healthy, in body and mind over the festive period.


From getting regular exercise and eating a well-balanced diet to limiting our screen time and switching off from the news that can be alarming, we all need to exercise self-care in Christmas 2020. And if you’re feeling lonely or isolated this year there are steps you can take to help yourself, so remember to turn to someone you trust if you need help.

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Day 1 #ElfieAdvent video premiere

With services throughout NI, AMH Clients have praised the diverse range of activities on offer, in nurturing both their future employment prospects and overall sense of well-being. “AMH New Horizons has been a lifesaver – especially since the start of the pandemic. I am growing in confidence and learning more new skills with every passing week, reinforcing and supporting my recovery and journey to positive mental well-being.” For more information visit https://www.amh.org.uk/services/new-horizons/

Lisburn’s Elf on the Shelf had some great news to share – Mummy & Daddy Elf are expecting another little elf in June! Congratulations!

Follow his adventures on our socal media channels.

Testimonials

“When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we’, illness becomes WELLNESS”

Have you ever been cruising along a busy motorway and suddenly had a puncture?

That’s what happened to me, metaphorically anyway.

There I was, cruising along in my forties, married, kids, steady job and then BANG!

Suddenly I found myself in a very unfamiliar place, where nothing was making the same sense as it was before. I couldn’t shake things off and get back to ‘normal’.

I was ill. Not so much physically, but mentally.

With the benefit of hindsight, I can rewrite the start of this.

I wasn’t so much cruising down the road with brand new tyres.

My forty plus years of driving had pretty much worn off all the rubber on my tyres and that puncture; it was more of a blowout.

So, that blowout was hard to control on such a busy motorway.

My whole life seemed to be turning upside down in super slow motion as I was rooted to a rollercoaster ride by my seatbelt, only able to watch and not able to control it.

We; us, you and me, the royal we……

WE

turned out to be extremely important in my metaphorical circumstances.

I was mentally unwell. I didn’t know what to do.

I was introduced to Action Mental Health at AMH New Horizons in Newtownards.

I’d heard of them, but didn’t really think about it before.

I was invited down to have a look around. So, I went with my wife, my anxieties, my depression and all.

One of the first things that caught my eyes was a black and white picture with a quote on it –

Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When “I” is replaced by “we”, illness becomes WELLNESS. Shannon L Alder

That struck me to my core. It made sense. It highlighted to me, that to try to recover on my own was like trying to navigate the motorway in the fog with no lights to turn on.

Suddenly, walking around AMH rooms made sense – AMH are a big part of the WE!

Art classes, computer classes, creative classes, all sorts of leisure classes to accredited classes; all designed to help people at their own pace and in relaxed surroundings with supportive and understanding ‘teachers’.

The classes aren’t like school. The teachers certainly aren’t like school.

The other pupils – well, they’re a true reflection of what 1 in 4 of the adult population is.

Why 1 in 4 of the adult population? That’s because, statistically, 1 in 4 people will experience mental health difficulties in their lifetime!

Think of your surroundings – work, friends, family or your social circle – how many people do you know could potentially be a ‘1 in 4’?

I am. I never thought I could be, but I am now.

Without  WE (Action Mental Health Newtownards) I couldn’t have completed my European Computer Driving License, my Art (levels 1 & 2), my Beginner Photography (and photography levels 1 & 2) etc!

Never have I understood myself better than having been in Mandy Hanna’s programmes. Never have I gained so many warm people in my social circle before. Never have I had so much enjoyment while being unwell. Never have I been so encouraged by a teacher before Pauline Matthew. Never have I felt intelligent with IT before Nichola Feenan. Never have I felt supported until Clive Armstrong and Selwyn Johnston.

Never again will I underestimate the value of “we”!

Thank you to Neil Finlay, who has just completed his AMH training programme at AMH New Horizons North Down & Ards. Neil took part in our”Working it Out” Project which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.

AMH News

Spread the Christmas spirit to friends, family or customers and the goodwill to Action Mental Health

Personalised Christmas E-Cards available!

Thinking of choosing a local charity to benefit from a donation while wishing your loved ones or your customers a very Merry Christmas? Action Mental Health knows that many people like to celebrate the joy of the festive season by sharing with others, so this year we have created some beautiful seasonal cards to let you do both.

Just get in touch with our fundraising team 028 9182 8494 or [email protected] and we’ll tell you all the ways you can donate and send you the E-card of your choice, we can also add a personalised message such as :

This year rather than buying presents we have made a donation on your behalf to Action Mental Health.
Action Mental Health Changes the lives of those living with mental ill health and promotes well-being to future generations
www.amh.org.uk

Option 1
Option 2

By choosing one of our Christmas cards you can send an attractive festive greeting while also helping people reclaim their lives from mental ill-health and ensure the well-being of Northern Ireland’s future generations.

One in five people in Northern Ireland will experience a mental health difficulty in their lifetime so by buying our Christmas cards you’ll be supporting the wide range of services designed for people from primary school to their later years. Options include donations in lieu of either presents or cards.

A donation of £10 could help to pay for arts & craft materials for a child taking part in an art therapy session

·A donation of £30 could help to pay for learning materials for a local primary school class taking part in emotional resilience training

A donation of £65 could help to pay for a counselling session for someone struggling to cope this Christmas

A donation of £100 could help to pay for specialist training for local people recovering from mental ill health, helping them develop strategies to cope with stress and anxiety.

Action Mental Health is proud to be Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity, offering services across the region, for young and old alike, offering steps to employment, education, training – and most of all, hope.

To order cards and donate email [email protected]

AMH News

Thirty Days of the Stairway to Heaven for charities – including Action Mental Health

The intrepid Michael Kerr, who has scaled the Stairway to Heaven in Fermanagh everyday in November and will keep on going until the last day of the month

A Fermanagh father of two is scaling one of Northern Ireland’s most picturesque peaks for three local charities – every single day for the month of November.

Michael Kerr, 35, is walking to the top of Cuilcagh Mountain, which looms some 665 metres over County Fermanagh, and down again, in a 15km trek which takes him two hours every day. Bordering County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland, Cuilcagh is Ireland’s only cross-border county peak.

Important for its blanket bog, the popular walk is known as the Stairway to Heaven following the installation of a pedestrian-friendly boardwalk which covers part of the track.

By day, Michael works at home, in his role with MFC Sports, sportswear company, but before that, he dons his walking boots at 7.30am to head out in all weathers, joined each day by fellow walkers.

Having different company on each trek is one of the welcome aspects of the walk that varies, Michael confirmed: “There’s someone new every day and it’s good because we get chatting and helps to distract me from the fact that I’m doing the same route over and over again.”

The weather is another factor that can vary greatly from day to day. Speaking on November 12, Michael commented: “On a good day you can see for miles, but I’d say out of the 12 days I’ve done it so for, eight or nine of those days we could only see about 50 yards in front of ourselves, but it’s that time of the year.

“Yesterday it was horrendous with the wind and the rain beating into our faces,” he said, adding that once at the summit he and his companions stay no longer than ten minutes.

And to prove that he goes out in hail or high water, Michael takes a photograph of the people accompanying him that day, confirming they have all made it to the peak with a short video which is then posted on social media.

Michael manages as local soccer club and has kept himself physically fit. This year’s lockdown however, resulted in him being less active, as many the world over experienced.

“I chose Action Mental Health because of the Covid-19 pandemic really. A lot of people suffer from mental ill health and this has only made things worse. A lot of players before the lockdown would have come to me with mental health issues but this pandemic has had impact,” he said. 

“I would hate to think of anyone suffering in silence so I hope the awareness raised for Action Mental Health would help more people speak out and to reach out for help if they need it.

“I also hope that would encourage people to get active because I’m a great believer in physical activity as something that benefits mental health,” he said.

If you would like to support Michael’s month long fundraising efforts visit https://uk.gofundme.com/f/26hvlwkk9c