The SkillSET partnership was delighted to welcome guests to a showcase event at The MAC, Belfast on Wednesday 13^th December 2023.

The SkillSET project is funded through the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which is administered by the Department of Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUHC). Representatives from the Department attended the event and had the opportunity to meet and chat with representatives and participants from all seven SkillSET partners.

SkillSET is a disability employment programme providing support to adults with a range of disabilities  delivered by  Action Mental Health, NOW Group, Orchardville Foundation, Cedar Foundation, RNIB, Mencap and Adapt NI. SkillSET supports people with disabilities to build their skills through education, training and access to volunteering, further education and the workplace.

Guests who attended the showcase event included John Osborne (Deputy Director, Levelling Up, Major Programmes), Chris Taylor (Head of UKSPF Northern Ireland) and Emily Shepard (Head of UKSPF for England Scotland & Wales). They were accompanied by other senior UKSPF & DLUHC staff members from across the UK.

The event was hosted by David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health (SkillSET’s lead partner) and featured presentations from SkillSET participants including Jack Flaherty (NOW) Aaron Meehan (Cedar Foundation) Dave Morton (Orchardville Foundation) and Joanne McMillan (RNIB).

There were also video case studies from Finbarr & Ciaran from Mencap and Caitlin McNamara from Adapt NI.

Many thanks to our partners at the MAC, for providing the venue and helping to make the event such a success.

The SkillSET project is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through the Department of Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUHC).

For more information on SkillSET, click here

Watch the recording from our webinar with Professor Siobhan O’Neill and Dr Colette Ramsey, and access some additional resources.

“Being trauma informed, at a basic level, means asking not ‘What is wrong with you?’ but instead ‘What has happened to you?’. It’s about asking what has happened in our past that has lead us to feel or behave in a particular way.” Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Mental Health Champion

Thank you to our panelists and to all who attended the event. If you were among the 140 attendees who joined us today, we’d appreciate your feedback – please take a moment to complete this short feedback form.

If you missed today’s event or would like to re-watch, you can view the recording below. We’ve also compiled a list of additional resources for those who would like to find out more about OUR Generation.

View the webinar recording

OUR Generation resources

You can also download the OUR Generation app from any App store.

What impact has Action Mental Health had this year?

We’ve outlined some of the highlights below – but you can download and read the whole report here.

This report is full of numbers – but each of these numbers represents a person and a story. We’re grateful for every individual who has entrusted us with their story, and for every person who has supported us to continue our vital work. Thank you!

Download the full report here.

A hard copy is available by contacting [email protected] 

As the days get shorter, the evenings colder and the mornings frostier, many begin to look forward to cosy nights in, warm fires and Christmas festivities. For others, the idea of darker days, cold weather and less time outside can be a daunting prospect. In fact, as winter creeps in, google searches for ‘seasonal affective disorder’ rise by approximately 500%, with many finding that the colder months negatively influence their motivation, mood and productivity. Whilst less than 3% of the population have a diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder (NHS, 2023), many more find that the colder months leave them feeling sluggish, tired and struggling to keep on top of mental wellness habits.

Why does winter affect mental health?

• Decreased Sunlight: Whilst the clocks going back may bring an extra hour in bed, the shorter and darker days can be a big contributor to lower energy and motivation levels. Vitamin D (typically sourced from sunlight) helps our bodies to produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter which affects mood. Vitamin D is also key to the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. Therefore, when sunlight is in short supply during winter, many experience a dip in vitamin D which leads them to feel sluggish, decreases mood and causes disruptions to their normal sleep schedule.

• Decreased exercise: The link between exercise and mental health is well established, with those who exercise 3-5 times a week experiencing significant improvements in mood, stress and anxiety (Nie et al., 2021). Yet with pavements coated in ice and rain seemingly endless, it’s not surprising that many of us opt to forgo a lunchtime walk or post-work run during the winter season. Whilst cosying up indoors can feel tempting, exercise is known to trigger dopamine, a pleasure hormone known to improve mental well-being.

• Financial concerns: Whilst the festive season brings opportunities to catch up with loved ones, it also often carries increased expenses. A 2022 study by ‘The Independent’ found that nearly half of people are concerned about whether they could afford Christmas presents, yet less than a fifth were prepared to communicate this to friends and family. With the cost of living crisis in effect, many find that the financial pressures of Christmas presents, increased winter bills and festive social obligations play heavily on their minds.

• Loneliness: With increased time indoors and a change in regular routines, winter can prove a challenging time with 45% of adults reporting feeling lonely (Campaign to End Loneliness, 2022).

How can we protect our mental health during the winter months?

Find the light: We know that the lack of sunlight experienced during winter is a primary contributor to seasonal dips in mood and motivation. One of the best ways to counteract this is to find opportunities for brightness throughout your day. This may include getting outside in natural sunlight where possible (even if just for 5-10 minutes at a time), opening blinds and curtains in your home, situating your desk close to a window and using lamps and mirrors to increase brightness indoors. Whilst natural light is ideal for boosting mood, studies have found that exposure to bright indoor lights during the day help our bodies to regulate the sleep cycle and stimulate the brain to feel alert and revitalized.

Get sleep savvy: When the mornings are pitch black, it’s tempting to press snooze and roll over into another bout of sleep. Whilst sleeping too little can lower our resilience and ability to deal with stress, sleeping too much can also be detrimental to mood and motivation. Instead, try setting a consistent sleep and wake time, allowing 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Whilst getting the right amount of sleep will benefit your mental wellbeing, focusing on sleep quality is important too. Keeping an eye on your caffeine intake, dimming lights before bed and avoiding screens in the run up to bedtime are all important contributors to good quality sleep.

Keep Connected: Whether you’re trying to limit the financial stress of Christmas or reticent to get outside in freezing temperatures, it’s easy to become isolated over the winter months. Yet too much time alone can often lead to unhelpful thinking patterns, rumination and anxiety. Rather than opting for overpriced activities, would you feel up to meeting a friend for a walk or having a friend or two over for coffee? If you’re concerned about catching winter illnesses, try connecting online or over the phone where you can.

Plan for difficult times: The festive season can often bring increased socializing and family functions. Whilst this a great chance to catch up for some, others may find this period tense and challenging. If you notice that you feel particularly stressed in specific situations or around certain people, try putting in place self-care strategies for before and after these occasions. This may include trying some breathing exercises to de-escalate (box breathing is a great strategy to start with), journaling about how you’re feeling or planning ways you can take breaks throughout the event to prevent feeling overwhelmed.

Accessing support for your mental health:

If you are suffering from poor mental health, you are not alone. As many as one in 4 adults in Northern Ireland experience signs of a mental health issue every year. Help is available:

Reach out to your GP: When you talk to your GP about your mental health they’ll listen, give you advice and introduce you to a mental health service they think will be most helpful to you. These services may come from your GP surgery, a large local health centre, a specialist mental health clinic or a hospital.

Lifeline: Lifeline is a free 24/7 crisis response helpline service for those experiencing distress or despair. Lifeline is there to help 24 hours a day and can be contacted on: 0808 808 8000

AMH New Life Counselling: AMH New Life Counselling provides free, high quality counselling services across Greater Belfast. Further information can be found at: https://www.amh.org.uk/new-life-counselling/

Details of further support services and helplines can be found at: https://helplinesni.com/

A new exhibition of artwork by those who attend AMH New Horizons has opened at Clotworthy House, Antrim Castle Gardens.

The exhibition, entitled The Art of Recovery, was opened by Cllr Roisin Lynch of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, on Monday 9^th October 2023.

There are a range of artworks on display in the Conservatory Gallery, including paintings, sketches, photographs and artworks made using wool.

The exhibition opening began a busy week of events for the Antrim service, which marked World Mental Health Day with the launch of its Chatty Bench, and closed out the week with a client certificate presentation attended by representatives of Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Northern Health & Social Care Trust; both organisations provide funding for programmes provided by AMH New Horizons in Antrim.

Thanks to this vital funding, Action Mental Health is able to provide services to individuals who experience mental ill health and help them on their road to recovery. Individuals benefit from a variety of personal development, vocational skills and employability training, including the new SkillSET programme that is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Art of Recovery Exhibition will run until 31st October 2023, admission is FREE.

For more information on AMH New Horizons, click here. More information about SkillSET can be found here.

Action Mental Health has held a celebration event and certificate presentation for those who have engaged with AMH New Horizons and SkillSET programmes at its Antrim service. It was the first such in-person celebration event since 2019, due to the pandemic.

The event featured a display of arts and crafts and there was music from the Men’s Shed group – The Shedders.

The event was hosted by John Davis, Service Manager, AMH New Horizons Antrim.

Speakers included Jacqui Armstrong, Assistant Director Mental Health Services, Northern Health & Social Care Trust, who also presented certificates to clients.

Also in attendance was Joy Hammond, Northern Health & Social Care Trust, Chris Moore and Paula Armstrong, Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as well as Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, David Babington, AMH Board Member Billy Kohner, Audrey Allen, Director of Operations, AMH and Ingrid Gallen, Director of Business Support at AMH.

Clients who shared their personal testimonies on the day were Andrew, who took part in the SkillSET programme, Karolina, (New Horizons) and Alison, who is the lead for the Local Advisory Group, with each remarking how important Action Mental Health services had been to them. The event rounded off a week in which the Antrim service marked World Mental Health Day with an open day, plus the launch of their new Chatty Bench and the opening of their annual art exhibition at Clotworthy House.

The SkillSET Programme is funded by the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund.

For more information on New Horizons click here. For more information on SkillSET, click here

Following on from the successful launch of chatty benches in parks and green spaces around Northern Ireland, two new benches crafted from recycled timber, have been given the artisan treatment by members of AMH New Horizon’s Antrim (Steeple) Men’s Sheds.

Designed to offer a comfortable perch for an informal natter for people using green spaces at Regional Office, Antrim and on the Holywell Hospital site, the benches were officially launched on Tuesday 10 October 2023 by Eddie Lynch, Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, who said:

The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch, said:

“Loneliness continues to be a big issue for many people and can have such a negative effect on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.  The chatty bench is a wonderful initiative, which offers so much more than just a place to sit – it provides an opportunity for social connection, which can have a positive influence on our health, mental health, life expectancy and wellbeing.  It’s great to see another chatty bench being installed in Northern Ireland, and I hope that people will embrace the idea and use the opportunity to spark up a conversation and enjoy a chat with someone they don’t know.”

AMH New Horizon’s Service Manager, John Davis said:

“I am delighted to be involved with the Chatty Bench initiative in the knowledge that increasing the number of Chatty Benches is an opportunity to help people tackle loneliness. The Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing highlights the importance of connecting with others and being physically active. This initiative combines both of these important steps, encouraging people to enjoy our open spaces and support and connect with each other. The plaque also offers added value with the inclusion of a QR code signposting directly to the Lifeline website for further advice. I would encourage everyone to find their local Chatty Bench, take a seat and have a chat!”

Action Mental Health’s Men’s Shed was made possible thanks to #National Lottery players.

www.amh.org.uk