Clients at AMH New Horizons Fermanagh are being supported during the lockdown with the help of a comprehensive support package, being delivered to their doors.

Staff at the Drumcoo service, had been considering ways of supporting clients during the annual Easter closure, but when the impact of the coronavirus pandemic shut the centre prematurely, they put their heads together to co-ordinate an extensive outreach during these unsettling times.

Service Manager Caroline Ferguson, explained: “Staff felt it was important to connect in a more personal way with clients before our usual Easter break, and we agreed that each one of them would receive a personalised activity pack, which would be hand-delivered to their door via our service buses. These deliveries will go out to more than 70 of the most vulnerable people across the county.”

In preparation, staff had been identifying the best possible materials for each client, targeted at their particular interests, as well as a useful information pack on dealing with Covid 19, including AMH MensSana guides on looking after their mental health, plus information on local support groups, organisations doing deliveries, foodbanks and similar resources.

Clients at New Horizons Fermanagh, who have been involved in a range of creative art courses, funded through the Public Health Agency’s Life Skills project, will also be provided with materials to continue working on their projects while the service remains closed. Participants are receiving wool, knitting needles, recipes, crochet hooks, novels, jigsaws, colouring-in materials, to support their progression through the course.

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Clients at the Fermanagh service have also been working on an ambitious ceramic project – also funded by the Public Health Agency – focusing on the celebration of women and environmental issues. To continue this, clients will take delivery of clay, to encourage their sculpting skills, and when they return to New Horizons, their artwork will be fired in the Art Department’s kiln, and will all contribute to a larger, collective piece of art.

Caroline continued: “Clients are keen to keep up to speed on accredited training, and we want to provide an opportunity for them to continue with that, so they are receiving text books and training resources to support them at home.”

“We very much appreciate the fact that we can get them out to the clients, who need it most to help them through this very difficult period. This connects clients to the service during this time, gives them a reassuring sense of doing something very familiar, and provides a great distraction from what’s happening with Covid 19.”

Mrs Ferguson added that the outreach initiative also served to support clients living in rural Fermanagh who did not have easy access to broadband internet services – clients who don’t have easy access to mobile phones, email, text or zoom.

Alongside the PHA-funded courses, the projects clients undertake at New Horizons are offered 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.

Two men in isolation due to the global coronavirus pandemic are using their time of enforced inactivity to keep fit indoors and fundraise for Action Mental Health at the same time.

Former international and Olympic rower, Derek Holland OLY and Daniel Logan, a novice rower, are both taking to their oars – on fixed machines during the lockdown – in proof that even when stuck at home, you can still help raise funds for one of Northern Ireland’s most vital charities.

The men will be taking different approaches to their own particular challenges, but each will test them to the limit.

Daniel, from Antrim, will attempt to row the English Channel on May 2 – equivalent to the length of a marathon, at a 26.2 miles – while Derek will undergo an erg test – rowing 2km in a goal time of seven minutes 20 seconds, on May 16. However shorter the distance, it’s no less a feat in terms of guts and endurance.

Daniel, 27, a father of one who is expecting his second child with his fiancé in August, chose Action Mental Health to benefit from his marathon row, stating, “Action Mental Health and cause is very close to my heart”.

Daniel admits he had ‘zero rowing experience’ before deciding on his rowing challenge, but began by training on a machine at his local gym, Evolve Health and Performance Gym, in Antrim.

But when Prime Minster Boris Johnston announced stricter measures on our movements, including the closure of many businesses, including gyms, Daniel feared his challenge might hit a dead end.

However, it wasn’t long before the gym stepped in to lend him a rowing machine – and so the training continues.

Daniel is combining his training with a 100 burpees (like jumping press-ups from a standing position) a day challenge, for every day of April. He is also road cycling to keep fighting fit ahead of next month’s big event which he expects will take between five and six hours to complete.

“I am doing this, not only because of my own previous mental health issues, but because of our statistics of mental ill-health in Northern Ireland,” he said.

“Before the lockdown I got up to 10k in a single training session and for a while there, I didn’t know what I was going to do since I couldn’t train at the gym anymore and because I don’t have my own machine at home. But then Evolve offered me one, so I was able to get back to it after a short gap. I plan to do it in one sitting, stopping only to hydrate.”

“I’d also like to pay tribute to the owner of Evolve gym, Aaron McClelland, who has gone above and beyond to facilitate my efforts.”

After one month, Daniel had raised £500 in sponsorship on his JustGiving page set up for the challenge.

Meanwhile, Derek, who competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, finishing fourth in the Lightweight Coxless Four, will be undertaking an erg – or ergometer test, to be live-streamed on Saturday, May 16.

Erg tests are used to compare rowers to other around the world, with the 2k row proving a blend of endurance and sprinting, which rowers say equates to a gruelling and painful challenge.

Father of three, Derek, is head of rowing at Enniskillen Rowing Royal Boat Club and a Geography teacher at Enniskillen’s Royal Portora School. He said the Covid-19 outbreak has resulted in his first break from rowing for decades.

“This is the first time that I have had a break from rowing for over 35 years. I have been coaching for the last 15 years, which has left me with little time to myself to stay active and healthy, as coaching, teaching and family take priorities. 

“So, now that I’m not coaching I have set aside 90 minutes each day to start getting active again. I have set myself a challenge of doing a 2km race on the rowing machine and whilst doing it raise some money for Action Mental Health and also the RNLI.  Action Mental Health worked with the club last year, doing workshops with the kids and the parents and it is a way of thanking the charity.”

Derek, originally from Dublin, said he hopes his pupils – children aged from 13 and 18 who he coaches at school – will tune in on the day to cheer him along, if not in person, but in spirit, from home.

“This would have been our busy period of racing that the kids have trained all winter for, so it’s very disappointing for them currently as it looks like no racing will take place this spring or summer.

“But keeping up the training from home will be good for them as it continues the structure and will also help their mental health, as they understand and come to terms with the current situation we find ourselves in.”

Derek is mindful that many people may be finding the current pandemic difficult, financially,  but is hopeful of raising £1000 for Action Mental Health.

If you have access to a rowing machine and would like to follow the pair’s example and keep fit indoors during these unprecedented times, let us know at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.

To sponsor Daniel visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/daniellogan and to support Derek visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/2k-erg-challenge

April is Stress Awareness Month and it comes at a time when we all may be feeling more stressed than usual.

As the world struggles to cope with our ‘new normal’, of social distancing and isolation, restricted movement, home-schooling, cancelled exams, pandemic-related unemployment and everything else, many of us are living in the grip of stress.

We may be stressed due to the fear of catching coronavirus on our grocery run, or reeling from losing out financially due to lost employment, feeling the separation from family and friends acutely, and some of us may be fearing for a loved one struck down by Covid-19. Even the lack of a daily routine will cause stress enough for many people.

Stress affects us in myriad ways and can result in irritability, mood swings, affect our appetites and can cause insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns and lead to uncomfortably tense bodies and tension headaches, plus many more.

In situations like these unprecedented times of uncertainty – with frightening news headlines – it could be easy to turn to coping mechanisms like abusing alcohol or other similar unhealthy means.

However, our dedicated teams from AMH MensSana have been busy curating the best advice available to help you through this difficult period, on dealing with stress, anxiety and social distancing, while AMH Works offers tips on getting the best out of working from home. We have also collated tips on encouraging a positive outlook throughout the pandemic, from embracing The Five Ways to Well-Being, talking to children about the global situation, and even specific advice, from AMH everyBODY, on helping people with eating disorders cope with the day to day upheaval of life in our current circumstances.

For our full list of helpful tips and advice visit: https://www.amh.org.uk/coronavirus/

You can read more on stress, how to recognise it and sources of support on:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-stress/

We thought it was time for some fun art therapy for kids (and grown-ups too!), so we’re launching The Big Northern Ireland Easter Egg Hunt. Just print off our handy template, or design your own egg pattern and colour it in – using paint or coloured pencil – and place it in a window facing your street. By Easter, we hope to see lots of eggs while we’re out for our daily walk! Remember to tag us as well @amhNI #AMHEasterEggs

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The gang at Action Mental Health’s Promote isn’t letting the coronavirus pandemic rob them of the fun they usually have at their Bangor-based service in times of normality.

They’ve been travelling the world, taking photography and yoga classes and are even learning sign language classes – all from the comfort of their own homes and gardens.

The group of adults with learning disabilities were among the millions across the globe to have their daily lives affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. However, that has not stopped their skills coaches from getting creative, giving lessons and offering tips on staying well and keeping active via videos and similar technology.

One of the classes scheduled to take place at AMH Promote in Conlig, before the pandemic, ‘The World Around Us’ is carrying on regardless, complete with video and quizzes, using BBC Bitesize resources.

Armchair yoga classes have been helping keep everyone fit, led by Skills Coach Tory, while tutor Laura has been encouraging clients to get outside with their cameras to take snapshots of whatever nature they find on their own doorsteps, being if flora or fauna.

The Promote gang have been getting busy in their kitchens at home too, thanks to helpful videos posted online from Skills Coach Jacqui. In their scheduled ‘I Can Cook’ and ‘Basic Cooking Skills’ groups, they were supposed to be learning how to make delicious fruit salads but thanks to technology, their imaginative tutor has them shucking strawberries and slicing sweet apples and oranges, via a helpful video on Promote’s Facebook page.

Promote clients have also been getting artistic, by creating animal pictures by tracing round their hands and using their imagination. The animal theme continues in sign language classes with clients signing symbols for four-legged creatures, using Makaton, a type of signing for people with learning and communication disabilities. Promote has been aided in these lessons courtesy of The Makaton Charity.

Promote Service Manager Niaobh Adams said the clients are really enjoying staying connected through technology.

“We are sharing our videos and lessons via Zoom for those who don’t use Facebook, and also interactive white boards, so no one will be left out of the vast array of resources we are creating. We just wanted to ensure our clients feel that they can still depend on their Promote family during these uncertain times.”

The arts, crafts and lifeskills classes – like this helpful video on how to iron a shirt – are set to continue throughout the length of the pandemic so check in to Promote’s Facebook page to marvel at their progress!

With so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. It’s important now more than ever, to look after your own and your employee’s mental health and well-being. We understand the new pressures organisations are facing and AMH Works are here to support you in any way we can over the coming weeks. Below are some helpful guides that we have developed with tips and advice to help you stress less and promote a greater sense of peace and control, feel free to share these with your colleagues.

We are also currently developing bite-sized sessions to deliver to participants online via Zoom, such as ‘Building Resilience in Uncertain Times’ which will teach employers and employees the best methods and techniques to better equip themselves to stand up to pressures and stresses of life. If you are interested in online sessions for your organisation please contact AMH Works Manager, Shelly Wilson on [email protected] or 07540 124083.

Download and share our resources

Taking Action on Mental Health

Action Mental Health is delighted to announce that its merger with New Life Counselling takes effect today.

This welcome news is recognition by the Boards of AMH and NLC that by combining resources, services and expertise, there is a better chance of developing and sustaining mental health support for our communities in these challenging times. Going forward, the AMH Board is determined to tackle the disparity of support between physical and mental health services and this development is a mark of its commitment to ‘Taking Action on Mental Health’.

The new partnership takes full effect from today, April 1^st, 2020, which means the two charities are now totally integrated. Whilst we are living through an unprecedented period, face to face services based at our usual locations have unfortunately been temporarily interrupted, however great efforts are now in place to continue to offer support to clients in a range of new ways. In future, once the effects of isolation and social distancing come to an end, all services will return to normal. The NLC service will, with a refreshed brand, retain its name, which is well known and recognisable to local communities, clients and professionals.

David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, said:

“The Boards of Action Mental Health and New Life Counselling know there is a real need for quality counselling across Northern Ireland. By combining forces, there is a greater opportunity to provide the best possible outcomes for our clients regionally, provide greater staff security and maximise scarce resources.

“By combining AMH with such a recognisable and trusted brand we are confident that NLC will be able to develop and grow their service and reach even more communities across the region. There is a really good mix between the two organisations and existing services complement each other.  Most importantly, there is a great similarity in terms of ethos, values and commitment to best practice.   

“The current unprecedented environment is really challenging and I believe that it provides even further evidence that the merger is the best way of ensuring we continue to provide quality support to the people using all of our services. Action Mental Health is a charity focused on ‘Taking Action on Mental Health’ and we remain committed to keeping the people we support at the heart of everything we do.”

Our team at AMH everyBODY (AMH’s eating disorder service in the Southern Trust area) are still here for our clients and have devised a series of Coping Statements to help during this very uncertain and difficult time.

Coping Statements to deal with heightened Anxiety

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Now, more than ever we want to remind you that you are not alone. AMH everyBODY, Action Mental Health’s eating disorder service, in the Southern Trust area, has had to adapt to these unprecedented times, but we are still here – we are still listening and we’re still here to offer you support. Please reach out if you need to. Contact – [email protected] or 077 9088 5438.