“The service and support I’ve received from AMH New Horizons Derriaghy during lockdown has been exemplary. At a time when other services closed their doors, Action Mental Health were there with care and determination to keep contact and services going which meant the world to me. The Zoom classes, the phone calls to home from my key worker, were very much appreciated and reassuring. The staff of AMH helped dismiss the feelings of isolation and uncertainty during these unprecedented times. I’ll be forever grateful for Action Mental Health and their dependable care and support”.
Many thanks to Eamonn Thompson. Eamonn is taking part in our “Working it Out” Project at AMH New Horizons Derriaghy. This project is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.
“I had turned a corner from a never-ending road of predictability, featuring anxiety, hopelessness and dread.
This new direction came about after being involved with AMH New Horizons.
Structure to my day was restored. People from all walks of life were there regardless of background with one common factor, making us all equal with no judgement.
Then the worldwide pandemic of 2020 threatened everything. I was prevented from socialising just when I had regained my desire to do so.
It was like finally learning to fly then suddenly breaking your wing.
I tried to keep calm and stop the tsunami of negativity. AMH were offering Zoom classes as a replacement service. This would enable groups to interact via a video link in the comfort of your own living space.
I signed up to every class I could possibly fit in with no real hope of any positive outcome.
Truth be told, it has been nowhere near the same AMH that helped me turn that corner. Having said that, the service that has been offered in such extreme and unprecedented circumstances has helped maintain the path that I am on and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that
a downward spiral for me mentally, has been avoided thanks to AMH”.
Many thanks to Mark Kinkaid for sharing his experience of AMH during the pandemic. Mark is taking part in our “Working it Out” Project at AMH New Horizons Derriaghy. This project is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020 and the Department for the Economy.
Every year, Action Mental Health proudly supports Belfast Pride.
But with the coronavirus pandemic stalling life, as we know it, for the foreseeable future, this year’s Belfast Pride event is going online.
Like myriad events taking the virtual approach this year, the digital avenue will allow Pride revellers and supporters the chance to celebrate Northern Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community as in previous years.
For 2020, Belfast Pride Festival is planning a launch and award ceremony to kick things off, Pride Talks Back event, a Virtual Parade and Party in the Square and After Party, as well as a host of online events for people to enjoy at home or in small groups with friends and family.
The Virtual Parade and Party will be online on the Belfast Pride Festival http://www.belfastpride.com/ website on August 1st and can also be supported by its social media channels via the hashtags #bproud2020 and #RainbowHeroes.
One of our staff members who will be supporting the event said he knows how difficult it has been for the LGBT+ community during the lockdown.
“Having a minority identity can be isolating, and Covid-19 has shut down the few safe places that many LBGT+ have to socialise/meet and emotionally connect. My heart goes out to LBGT+ people who live more rurally and who live with even greater social and geographical isolation. How do single people cope or attend to their social/emotional needs during a lockdown? What impact does this have?
“I know this has hit the LBGT+ community hard. I recall living in rural Limavady for many years, having few LBGT+ people in the area with nowhere safe to socialise nor meet others – homophobia and heterosexism were rife. It was very expensive to travel to the two major cities to get a night out (let alone pay in or buy anything) and I recall having to spend my hard-earned wages renting hotel rooms in Belfast just so I could have a safe night out in LBGT+ company; this wasn’t an optional city break treat but a mental health essential!
I am very aware I was one of the privileged ones that had a good job, a car and was ‘out’ to my friends and family, what about those who aren’t?
“I am a massive advocate of the essential work and achievement of efforts to eliminate homophobia, discrimination and hate crimes against members of my LBGT+ community. Pride celebrates diversity/equality for all, integrating LBGT+ services within mainstream funding/provision whilst retaining the unique needs of these amazing people, friends, colleagues and peers, that I call my LBGT+ family.
“I look forward to walking the parade route under the AMH banner with pride in the coming years.”
Energetic staff at Coca Cola HBC are endeavouring to clock up 160km this summer as part of a major fundraising drive for their charity partners, including Action Mental Health.
The distance of 160km has been chosen to reflect the distance between their Northern Ireland site at Lissue Road, Lisburn, and its counterpart in the Republic of Ireland, where it is based in Ballycoolin, Dublin.
Employees will be running, swimming, cycling and walking or taking the exercise of their choice to count down the miles, close to home.
One staff member stated: “I’m undertaking Coca-Cola HBC’s 160km Challenge in aid of our charity partners Action Mental Health and the Marie Keating Foundation. All donations will go directly towards helping these charities through this difficult time and any support would be greatly appreciated.”
Coca Cola staff are keeping active to help support and promote good mental health and well-being. The benefits of exercise are well documented, with physical activity playing a huge role in keeping people’s minds healthy. On top of the advantages it brings to our bodies, exercise also helps reduce stress and clear the mind.
Action Mental Health’s Fundraising and Communications Manager Jonathan Smyth said: “Physical activity plays a huge role in keeping our minds healthy as well as our bodies and it is fantastic that Coca Cola staff are boosting their health and well-being through physical activity and raising funds to support our vital services at the same time.
“With one in five people in Northern Ireland experiencing mental ill-health at some stage of their life, it’s important to remember that keeping active can really help to reduce stress and clear the mind and help with overall mental well-being. Looking after your mental health is especially important right now, as we deal with the impacts of the pandemic on our daily lives.”
Some of the beautiful figurines handcrafted by the skill participants of the Crafty Covid sculptors
Clients at AMH Foyle have taken artistic action against the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic, to help support their own well-being while raising vital funds for the charity.
AMH Foyle clients, dubbed ‘Experts by experience,’ are showcasing their creative talents across a diverse range of mediums with the end products being sold in the local community and proceeds benefiting the charity.
When the lockdown shut New Horizons’ nine services across Northern Ireland on March 23, staff got creative to fill the gap and to continue to provide avenues to maintain well-being and mental health among clients.
Staff set about devising a ‘Stay at Home with Foyle’ activity pack that provided instructions and materials for clients to engage in arts projects. The move reflected recent research that showed participating in artistic activities helped reduce anxieties associated with Covid 19, decreasing feelings of isolation, and helping people feel connected.
Some 120 clients were involved in seven unique projects, allowing them to utilise their talents and flair in the Covid Seeders, sunflower and wild flower growing project, the Covid Muse creative writing initiative, the Lock What You See photography, the Crafty Covid sculptors scheme, the Big Covid Bake-Off course, the Covid Dudes sock sewing project, as well as the Unravel Covid knitting collective.
The knitters have created Derry/ Londonderry’s first ever 8ft knitted Christmas tree, comprising a knitted square for every client who has attended New Horizons Foyle over the last 28 years. The unusual tree will be displayed in a central city location, to be a symbol of positive mental health and emotional well-being, with donations by the public welcome.
The Covid Dudes sock sewing project have produced some intriguing characters!
The knitters of the Unravel Covid project have created an 8ft knitted Christmas tree!
Each project encouraged participating clients to cultivate their hobbies and skills to produce collections and showcases of a variety, some of which will be on sale soon.
The programmes delivered at AMH New Horizons service are part of the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.
Stephen Brown, senior lead of the primary care multidisciplinary mental health team of the Derry GP Federation accepts a handmade pot from Pauline Flanagan, Service Manager at AMH New Horizons Foyle.
NHS staff and keyworkers who worked tirelessly during the coronavirus pandemic have been praised by staff and clients at Action Mental Health New Horizons Foyle.
Clients returning to the service after the lockdown wanted to pay tribute to the NHS on its 72nd anniversary, as well as key workers who worked through the pandemic for the community.
The Foyle service wanted to show particular appreciation for the 28 GP practices of the Derry GP Federation’s Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary Teams of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, which continued to refer people to AMH New Horizons Foyle during the crisis.
AMH New Horizons supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health who are interested in progressing towards further education/training or employment. Like other New Horizons around Northern Ireland, the Springtown Industrial Estate-based service is currently delivering a phased, blended timetable of face-to-face and remote sessions of accredited and non-accredited training at clients’ own homes.
Those returning to the Arts and Crafts department in Foyle immediately got creative, designing and throwing ceramic ‘well-being’ pots to be offered in appreciation of NHS staff.
Pauline Flanagan, AMH New Horizons Service Manager said it was important to acknowledge the key workers from the primary care multi-disciplinary mental health teams who worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, referring adults presenting with mental health difficulties to AMH Foyle.
“We want to say thank you, and to acknowledge the amazing collaborative work between both sectors during the pandemic in supporting and encouraging adults with mental health to access support, and to reaffirm that services are available,” she said.
Stephen Brown, who leads the primary care mental health team within the GP Federation said: “We worked very hard throughout the lockdown, ensuring adults in County Londonderry presenting with mental health issues received the information and timely interventions to ensure support and appropriate help was accessed.”
Enjoying some of the arts and crafts at AMH New Horizons Foyle, Louise Jackson,(right) senior mental health practitioner of the primary care multidisciplinary team of the Derry GP Federation, accepts a hand-painted well-being pot from Deirdre O’Callahan, Arts & Craft Skills Coach at AMH New Horizons Foyle, on behalf of AMH Foyle staff and clients.
One client who was referred to AMH Foyle by the mental health team during the pandemic, wanted to highlight the importance of getting support for mental health issues.
“They have a wealth of expertise on services available in the county and more importantly they know how to access them,” she said.
Commenting on the well-being pots, another client commented: “This was a great way for us to showcase our new-found skills. We are studying Level 2 Creative Craft Skills Award and the benefits of working with clay and receiving holistic support and training at AMH Foyle is the prescription for a successful recovery.”
The programmes delivered at AMH New Horizons service are part of the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.
Action Mental Health’s Chief Executive David Babington has been appointed as a member of an important new body designed to influence the shape of Belfast’s future.
Mr Babington joins other leaders from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors, to advocate their views and to influence and advise the city’s Community Planning Partnership in taking forward Belfast’s long term strategy for the future – the Belfast Agenda, and the community planning process in Belfast.
The sectoral advisory panel was initiated by Belfast City Council in late 2019 and plans to enhance participation of the community, voluntary and social enterprise (VCSE) sectors in community planning. It will also play a key role in shaping how people are engaged n future city plans for delivering better services and improving citizen well-being.
Sitting alongside the panel is a wider network of organisations from across the city’s VCSE sectors and key to the panel’s work is improving communication and providing feedback to this network on panel activity, achievements, and impact.
Chair of the panel, Irene Sherry from Ashton Community Trust said,
“We are all looking forward to the challenges ahead as we bring our experience of working with people and communities to the heart of decision making in this city. There is an opportunity for the community planning partnership to build on the great work that took place in recent months as neighbours, families and communities reconnected during difficult times.
“As we emerge from COVID 19, we want to build on the cross sectoral working that we have all committed to over the last number of months. We want to maintain this momentum and will be meeting over the summer to ensure that the voice of communities shape this city’s recovery and beyond.”
Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Christina Black said,
“We recognise the vital role that community and voluntary organisations play in city life, and this has been very much evident over recent months in responding to the Covid-19 crisis in neighbourhoods across the city. As we look ahead to rebuilding and recovery of our economy and communities over the coming years, strengthening representation and participation from the third sector in community planning is vital to strengthening collaboration, and to ensure that voices of our communities are heard.
We look forward to working with the Panel, and strengthening connections with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors in delivering the Belfast Agenda through community planning.”
The complete list of panel members, along with information on how to sign up to the citywide VCSE network can be accessed at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/vcse
“It’s hard to believe that a few short months ago and a world away from here, I knew nothing of coronavirus, lockdowns or social distancing. Another thing I knew nothing about was Zoom. Zoom, for the uninitiated, is the platform of choice for many of those who wish to meet-up and chat online. All kinds of activities are being hosted as the lockdown continues, and organisations like Action Mental Health are bridging the distance between New Horizons services and its clients. You are probably already familiar with Zoom, as many TV shows have been using the technology for years: you know the sort of thing, lots of boxes on a screen, each with a talking head inside. It can look a lot like Celebrity Squares, if anybody is old enough to remember that – Bob Monkhouse, with a grand handcuffed to his wrist! If you haven’t used it yet, you might be wondering what it’s like, so here are a few thoughts on how I have found using it in the sessions on offer at AMH.
“In order to participate in the sessions, you need a device such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop etc, a connection to the internet and an email address. Once you have these, it’s as simple as clicking on a link, sent to you by the session host, which takes you to the virtual meeting area. Before entering the virtual meeting area, you will be asked if you wish to connect with video and audio, so you choose your preferred options and it is as easy as that – you are into your session. Simple right? Ah, hell NO! Far from it, because on choosing video and audio all of a sudden there are people looking at me, in my parlour and there’s me with my double chin and thick neck in among them, looking back. Now, I’m new to New Horizons, having joined just as the lockdown began, so I don’t know anybody and I don’t know how to behave. I’m awkward in real life and have been being coached out of the house by a wee Occupational Therapist for years, and now suddenly I’ve got five people in ma front room with me! I wave and say “hello” and my session mates wave back; I’m struck dumb. The session host chats with some of the other participants. I look at myself – I can’t stop looking at myself. Is my nose really that bulbous? Have I shaved? Have I got a handlebar moustache? Can they see that pile of washing in the background? Can they see up my nose if I lean forward? On and on I picked myself to pieces. Everybody seemed so relaxed with it. Am I a freak? Have all these people been doing this for years and I didn’t know? I mumble something in response to a question directed at me, my heart racing. Oh God, let this be over soon. Forty agonising minutes later, my first Zoom session ends.
“Now, you might think that the story would end there, given my allergic reaction to my first session. But no, and for a couple of reasons, but primarily because, in this time of Covid-19, I was left with little alternative so I went back on again – and again and again. Slowly, I started to warm to the experience and I even found a voice and started joining in discussions. I stopped worrying about the pile of washing in the background and obsessing about my online appearance. I would even go as far as saying I started to enjoy the different sessions I attended. I even started to look forward to them, in fact they kind of became the highlight of my lockdown. So, if you have been toying with the idea of joining in the Zoom sessions hosted by AMH, give it a go. Don’t expect to feel 100% comfortable with it straight away, but hang in there – who knows, you just might enjoy it.“
The client author of this personal ‘Zoom’ story, attends New Horizons Belfast, which will return from the annual summer holidays on July 27, offering a blended services.
The AMH New Horizons activities the client participates in are operated through the “Working it Out” project, which is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.
