World Mental Health Day 2022: Castle Young People’s service – fundraising at the Northstowe Running Festival

As one of the leading mental health charities in England, Richmond Fellowship is joining in with this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 and opening up the conversation about “making mental health a global priority”.

Our local services are at the heart of everything we do in Making Recovery Reality. We want to look at this theme from the ground up, and demonstrate how their amazing work at a local and regional level contributes to making mental health a national and indeed global priority.

The support you give when fundraising and donating helps services to organise activities for the people using our services. The activities our services run contribute to recovery and enable individuals to have hope and motivation.

Our services are often charity beneficiaries of fun runs, marathons, and physical activities – not least because of  the connections between exercise and looking after our wellbeing.

For example, in September this year, Richmond Fellowship’s Castle Young People Supported Housing service was selected as one of three charity beneficiaries of the Northstowe Running Festival in Cambridgeshire.

Castle Service provides housing related support for 16 to 25 years olds who are living with mental ill health. The service  has been supporting young people on their recovery journeys in Cambridge since the 1980s.

Runners had the opportunity to sign up and choose Richmond Fellowship as their charity to fundraise for.

Staff from the service were also on hand across the weekend of the event to talk about the work of Castle and to signpost to other services also run by Richmond Fellowship in the area.

The money raised from those who ran on behalf of Richmond Fellowship, will be used to provide a range of recovery activities for the people we support.

The Castle Service is very much rooted in the local community and has been grassroots fundraising for many years to provide even more support and activities for the young people tey work with. This includes at Cambridge’s annual Mill Road Winter Fair, where previously the money raised has been used to provide materials for art projects as well as taking people we support to a football match.

Inspired?

If you organise a wellbeing activity in your local area, and you’d like to support Richmond Fellowship by selecting it as a charity beneficiary please contact us today for more information.

If you’re taking part in a local fun and would like to support your local Richmond Fellowship service by fundraising for us, find out more information here.

To make a donation to Richmond Fellowship, you can do so using our online donations portal, managed by Enthuse, here.

Thank you for your support.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022: Kennedy’s blog

Richmond Fellowship runs a number of crisis houses and Havens across England to provide immediate intervention for someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Our services are warm, welcoming and provide respite when people need it the most. They also support the NHS, emergency services and other providers.

For World Suicide Prevention Day 2022, Kennedy, Senior Practitioner at our Central Lancashire Haven explains what her service does in supporting people with suicidal thoughts, and the steps they put in place to help people along their recovery journeys.

What is The Central Lancashire Haven?

The Haven is a short-term mental health service based in Preston, Lancashire. We run a drop-in service that individuals can attend when they are experiencing a mental health crisis. At the Haven, we support individuals from every walk of life, whether it be for managing anxiety or dealing with intrusive thoughts. We have support available for everyone.

One of the topics of support we offer is around suicidal ideation, and how to keep safe when experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Firstly, we want you to know that you are not alone in having these thoughts. Suicidal thoughts can be confusing and scary, especially if it is the first time you are dealing with them. Often you may feel hopeless or trapped, and sometimes people feel tempted to do risky or reckless things because they may not care what happens to them. We want you to know that if you are feeling this way, we can help.

How can the Haven help me if I’m experiencing suicidal thoughts?

Firstly, as we operate a drop-in service, this means we are easily accessible to anyone needing support of any kind. We are also open 12 hours a day, every day, 365 days a year. You do not need an appointment to access the Haven. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can drop in, or give us a call. One of our fantastic Crisis Recovery Workers will then be there to give support and guidance.

When you come into the Haven, you will be greeted by a member of our team and will be guided into our relaxing Welcome room. In here, you will be able to sit with the Crisis Recovery Worker and tell them what is happening in your mind. You can talk about what is impacting your mental health and come up with a support plan on how to cope with suicidal thoughts.

The Haven staff will provide you with coping skills and de-escalation techniques to use when you are experiencing a crisis. We will also schedule some support with the Haven and offer an assessment with our registered Mental Health Practitioner. If it is agreed that you may benefit from further support, we will provide signposting to other relevant services.

The Haven also runs many groups, so we often encourage people to join these as we find that reducing social isolation during a crisis can often result in a positive outcome.

If you are feeling suicidal and are unsure of who you can speak to our of service hours, you can call the Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or your local Crisis Team.

Grounding technique to help distract the mind when experiencing suicidal thoughts.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique uses the five senses to distract the mind when in a moment of crisis. Doing this technique can help ground you in the moment and allow for your mind to have some time to free itself of negative thoughts.

  • What are 5 things you can see? Look for small details – the more details you can identify and focus on, the longer you remain distracted.

  • What are 4 things you can feel? Run your finger up and down your arm, pay attention to the feeling of this. Does it tickle? Is it relaxing? What else can you feel?

  • What are 3 things you can hear? Pay close attention to your surroundings. Can you hear cars? Is there music playing? If so, do you like the song that is playing?

  • What are 2 things you can smell? Try to recognise some of the smells in the air. Do you have a favourite perfume that you can spray that holds positive memories?

  • What is 1 thing you can taste? Using a strong mint or some chewing gum is a great technique for this step. The strength of the mint can help you to take in a deep breathe, which opens up your airways and sends signals to the body’s relaxation system indicating that you need to relax your mind and body.

Inspired by our work? Did you know Richmond Fellowship is a national mental health charity and your donations to services really help the people using our services by providing activities to support their recovery? To donate to The Central Lancashire Haven, click here.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022: A person we’ve supported story

At Richmond Fellowship, the people we support are at the heart of everything we do.

Our services up and down England provide support to people who are experiencing mental ill health . In recent years we have pioneered the provision of crisis services, designed with and in response to the needs of the people we support.

These early intervention services support to people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis.

For World Suicide Prevention Day 2022, a person we’ve supported at Willow House in Chorley explains how the coping skills they learnt at the service have helped them on their recovery journey.

“Every day I felt empty and numb. There was no emotion and I forgot how to smile. Too often I would find myself in a bottomless dark pit. Honestly, I hated my own existence.

I looked at myself and saw nothing but flaws and failure. I believed people when they told me I was fat, ugly weird. A freak. In my mind I was all of those things. Useless and a burden.

Coming here, although challenging, was the break I needed. As humans we often forget to look after ourselves. We believe that we can take on way more than we can handle but, everybody needs a break at some point.

During my time here I’ve taken social media breaks, fell back in love with old hobbies such as art, colouring and being outside. Depression took my joy and motivation to anything I ever enjoyed away from me. I’ve missed them.

I’ve learnt a lot about myself. I can meet new people, I can do the things I enjoy, I’ve thought up great distractions that I will practice probably for the rest of my life when things get dark again. For me nothing makes me feel better than sitting under a warm cosy blanket watching my favourite movie. Self-care is so important.

I now feel as though I will be capable of using these to my advantage. I don’t need to give in to the dark thoughts. I will feel OK again”.

Inspired by our work? Did you know Richmond Fellowship is a national mental health charity and your donations to services really help the people using our services by providing activities to support their recovery? To donate to Willow House or any of our services across England, click here.

Our Domestic Abuse division in the South, DVIP Turns 30!

Looking back on our work over the past three decades.

The Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP) is one of the longest running projects of its kind in the UK.  

Founded in 1992 DVIP was one of the first organisations to run programmes for the perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.  

DVIP continued to innovate and respond to changing needs, whilst also sharing its knowledge and expertise far and wide.  In 2000 the AL-Aman project was established serving specifically London’s Arabic speaking communities. In 2005 we started working with children affected by domestic violence and abuse, through our Children’s Therapy Team. In 2010 DVIP started the YUVA project, working with young people using violence and abuse within the family. Alongside it all, our specialist domestic abuse assessments of risk and vulnerability have been supporting local authorities in child protection processes and care proceedings through the work of the Family Courts team. 

In 2018 DVIP became a division of Richmond Fellowship and with it, joined the Recovery Focus group. Stability and funding in our sector has always been tough, becoming part of a larger charity ensured our long-term sustainability. Just as importantly it meant that our services and staff could learn from each other and our partners in the Group, developing and improving the support we offer. 

Looking ahead  

The domestic abuse sector is facing a landmark moment, with the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021 really bringing this issue to the forefront of society. The need for specialist domestic abuse intervention continues to be as relevant now as it was 30 years ago. Our mission continues to be about increasing the safety of victims/survivors by providing innovative, holistic interventions and working towards the reduction and elimination of domestic abuse.  

We will continue to strive for a world in which our services will no longer be needed. A world in which inequalities are acknowledged and addressed and where misogyny is no longer tolerated in any streets, workplaces or homes. A world in which there is no domestic abuse to address.  

As DVIP turns 30 we invite everyone to celebrate 30 years of working for the safety of families in London victim to Domestic Abuse. We want the people that use our services, the volunteers that help us reach farther, the staff that daily commit to the work at hand, the partners fighting alongside us, the commissioners enabling us to do the work that we do and the sector we are proud members of, to join us in this anniversary.  

Over the next few months, we’ll be hearing from staff over on our social media about their work, sharing the stories of people we support, fundraising for our services and much more. Make sure you’re following our DVIP Twitter to stay up to date.

Want to support our vital work? To celebrate 30 years, DVIP are going the distance! DVIP staff are moving 3000km, to raise £3000, to mark 30 years. Check out our fundraising page and support our work here: Richmond Fellowship: Distance for DVIP- Celebrating 30 years (enthuse.com)

Young People’s Week – opening the doors to Castle Supported Housing

At Richmond Fellowship we are proud to be part of the Recovery Focus Group of charities, supporting people impacted by mental ill health, domestic abuse, and the harms caused by alcohol, drugs and gambling.   

This week the Recovery Focus partners are focussing on our Young People’s Services we collectively deliver across the Group. At Richmond Fellowship we deliver the Castle Supported Housing service in Cambridge supporting young people aged 16 – 25 years old with their mental health. Our Castle Service recently became part of the Young Futures Partnership, working to support young people in Cambridge threatened with homelessness. This partnership will help the lives of many young people in Cambridge, with all organisations associated drawing on their collective experience, expertise, and resources to offer a consistent and quality service. 

The young people that enter the Castle service are often in a vulnerable state, unsure of where to turn next. Some young people have suffered a death in the family that trigged mental ill health. Others faced harsh experiences as a child that led to poor relationships with their parents or carers. Some young people were originally planning on pursuing education but a life altering experience made them change course. These young people have experienced a lot already at a young age in a very formative part of life when they are trying to figure out what their next steps are, what they want to do and who they want to be.  

With the support of the Castle service, young people have a safe place to live while they consider what those next steps might be. Our recovery workers work with the young people to develop their confidence and independence. The young people can learn how to budget, look after their own home, access training and education opportunities, learn coping mechanisms for their mental health and much more. 

There are many recovery stories to tell from our Castle Service. Below is some insight into the kind of impact our staff have seen in the young people that they have supported. 

“The service has offered Ryan a safe space to grow, express and action change of his own choices. The space he now has from his parents has had a positive impact on his mental health. He has decided he would still like to engage with the mental health support he has on offer and in place already, but this is now his choice, not his parents. The service has allowed Ryan to become more independent and self-confident to make choices of his own.” 

“Liam admits he is in a much better place and his relationship with his father is finally getting a chance to flourish. His job has given him a sense of belonging and being offered a promotion has proven to him that people have faith in him. He has seen the importance of engaging with support and has learnt how to access these independently so that he has a safety net going forward. Liam watched other service users move on positively and at one time felt very negative that this would never happen for him. Securing his own place has been and will continue to be a life changer. Finally having the opportunity to grow and become fully independent. 

“Julia is now set and determined to go to university and improve her future opportunities and although even six months ago she could not allow herself to feel excited, she says she is excited and not so fearful of change, she has acknowledged all the change she has already survived through no choice of her own. Going to university is her choice and her chosen change.” 

The names of these young people have been changed to protect their identity. 

Help us to continue offering this essential support to young people. Donate now to the Castle Service here. The Castle Service is one of the chosen charities for this year’s Northstowe Running Festival, find out more and donate now!

Recovery Focus becomes Synergi Collaborative Centre Pledge Supporter

The Recovery Focus group, which includes Richmond Fellowship, Aquarius and DViP has become the Synergi Collaborative Centre’s Pledge Supporter.

The Synergi Collaborative Centre is a five-year national initiative, funded by Lankelly Chase, to reframe, rethink and transform the realities of ethnic inequalities in severe mental illness and multiple disadvantage.

The Centre works closely with commissioners, policymakers, and politicians, as well as public service providers such as Recovery Focus and those experiencing mental ill health, to create and deliver a vision to help eradicate ethnic inequalities in severe mental illness and their fundamental causes.

At Recovery Focus, we are only too aware of the inequalities certain groups can face in society around accessing the support they need and areas of the country where investment is needed. Being part of this new initiative means we can feed into the research being undertaken across the country and be a positive voice for change.

As senior leaders of mental health services and commissioners of mental health care, Recovery Focus will:

> Initiate fundamental service level changes to reduce ethnic inequalities in access, experience and outcomes
> Measure, monitor and report the nature and extent of ethnic inequalities and progress made
> Work in partnership with local BME communities, service users and relevant community agencies
> Provide national leadership on this critical issue
> Ensure inclusive and sustainable change in our localities and communities
> Support timely and progressive research and policy development
> Contribute to a biannual progress update as part of this Pledge.

Tracey Bell, Group Director of Performance, Quality and Innovation, said:

‘We fully support Synergi’s National Pledge to reduce ethnic inequalities in mental health systems. There is no doubt that urgent action is needed to address longstanding disparities facing people from ethnic backgrounds access mental health services.

As an organisation we’re committed to being an inclusive service provider – ensuring that every individual is treated with respect and dignity with quality of experience and outcome’.

To find out more about Synergi’s Collaborative Centre, visit https://legacy.synergicollaborativecentre.co.uk.

Richmond Fellowship joins Durham Alliance Partnership

Robert Templeton, Richmond Fellowship Director of Operations (right) alongside Area Manager Karyn Ainsley and the team.

Richmond Fellowship is proud to be part of a new partnership that will support County Durham residents with all aspects of their mental health in one go.

The all-inclusive approach of the new Durham Mental Wellbeing Alliance, which brings together 13 individual organisations, will improve access to 21 separate services, helping people to get the help they need without having to write, telephone or attend each service individually.

The alliance has been commissioned by Durham County Council and includes Richmond Fellowship’s two existing Supported Housing services in County Durham and our Floating Support service in the area as well as partners Home Group, Creative Support, If U Care Share, Mental Health Matters, St Margaret’s Centre and Waddington Street.

The new service removes the need for people to approach a number of different organisations and instead means that people can call one telephone number, a single point of access, to have their needs assessed and automatically referred to the most appropriate teams.

People will no longer have to tell their story more than once to access a wide range of free mental health, wellbeing and recovery services, including those which help with relationships, bereavement and suicide. The service will also provide support with accommodation, education and employability, as well as physical activity, befriending, finances and more.

Mental Health Alliance at the Radisson, Durham. Photo by: Silverbird Photography Emily Carey (www.silverbirdphotography.com)

70-year-old Tom Raine, from Gilesgate, is a service user turned volunteer who helped to plan the launch of the new alliance. Former engineer Tom sought support from two of the services which are part of the Durham Mental Wellbeing Alliance, before progressing to become a volunteer with both members, Waddington Street Centre and Home Group.

After several years, a heart issue forced Tom to take some time out and, like many people, he found that living with a chronic illness had a negative impact on his mental health. He turned to Waddington Street Centre again for support and after a period of recovery, was keen to get more involved in helping others to receive the help he had found beneficial.

Tom, who has always been someone who thinks of others before himself, quickly became involved with the mental health, anti-stigma and discrimination charity, Stamp it Out, where he is now a very proud trustee.

He is also an active member of the County Wide Forum, a service-user-led group which acts to support and address the concerns of people living with mental health problems. Tom said:

“I enjoy giving back to the community and have been volunteering and supporting many community projects for years. I’m pleased that the new alliance recognises the importance of involving service users in the planning and delivery of its services and am looking forward to being involved in making it easier for people to access mental health support.

Approaching services for help is a big step for a lot of people who struggle with their mental health. Reducing the number of services that someone needs to contact to get support is a fantastic move towards helping people to live better lives, without fear of stigma or having to repeat information”.

Robert Templeton, Director of Operations at Richmond Fellowship, said:

“We’re thrilled to be part of the new Durham Alliance Partnership, bringing together the expertise of our Richmond Fellowship services in the area alongside other partners in the Alliance.

The new partnership will help create a more streamlined referral pathway for those accessing support in the local area, meaning we can deliver our services to as many individuals needing mental health support in Durham as possible”.

Councillor Paul Sexton, the council’s Cabinet member for Adults and Health Services, added:

“The alliance will have huge benefits for people experiencing issues with their mental health, providing a joined-up approach which will ensure they receive the most appropriate support to meet their needs.

The collaborative approach brings together the skills, knowledge and resources of a number of providers for the benefit of people in County Durham and will provide an improved streamlined service.”

For more information or to self-refer to the service, visit www.durhammentalwellbeingalliance.org, call 0300 304 5527 or to find out more about the services Richmond Fellowship offers in the area, click here.

Volunteers Week 2022: What Being A Peer Support Volunteer Coordinator Means To Me

Our Volunteer Coordinators play a vital role in supporting those who volunteer their time to help the people we support.

As part of Volunteers Week 2022 across the Recovery Focus group of charities, Judith, Peer Support Volunteer Coordinator at Richmond Fellowship’s Wakefield service explains what the role means to her.

“I feel truly privileged to work in this role, as our volunteers are such a core feature of the support we provide here at Richmond Fellowship’s Gaslight service in Wakefield.

We are a community-based service and run several groups and drop-ins which are well attended by our members. These could not function without our amazing team of volunteers, and it is my job to recruit, train up, supervise and support.

It is really rewarding and satisfying to see someone grow in confidence and develop their skills as they become part of the volunteer team, sometimes achieving things they never thought possible. It may have started with a tentative enquiry and then an informal chat about what is involved; or it may be someone who has progressed through our 12 week 1:1 support programme and this is the next step on their recovery journey.

I match up volunteers with activities / hobbies they are interested in and if we don’t have a group that fits then we can start a new one – nothing is off limits, you just need to be creative!

Our quarterly newsletter grew out of looking at options to keep busy and engaged through lockdown and now it is a regular feature. I love the variety and challenge of this role and no two days are ever the same.

Since becoming Peer Volunteer Co-ordinator, three volunteers have returned to employment and while we never like to say goodbye, seeing them find their feet and believe in themselves again is both an encouragement and an inspiration. I am very proud to tell you that one of our volunteers recently applied for the job of Community Link Worker and we are now looking forward to welcoming him on board as a fully fledged member of staff!”

Inspired? Check out our latest vacancies today by clicking here.

Volunteers Week 2022: What Volunteering Means To Me

All this week we’re shining the spotlight on what it’s like volunteering for Richmond Fellowship as part of Volunteers Week 2022 across the Recovery Focus group of charities.

Steve, a Volunteer at one of our Northern services, has written this blog explaining how volunteering has helped him.

“I’ve been involved with Richmond Fellowship for a good few years, going back to when it was previously run by ‘Mental Health Matters’ so I’ve seen many changes.

I had been referred to their employment support scheme by the Job Centre and was then invited to attend a drop-in. I’ve got to know people over a long period of time which has helped me to build up trust and feel safe there.

Becoming a volunteer seemed a natural progression and was something I had often thought about. I found that I enjoyed helping out when I could and got a lot of satisfaction in seeing others grow in confidence and come out of their shell. This was something I could really identify with as it was difficult for me at first to talk to new people when they joined the groups and drop-ins. I found that it gave me a positive focus, something to think about other than my struggles with PTSD, anxiety and depression. It also gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

A bit like riding a bike, I kept on getting back in the saddle, not that I talk about cycling much, honest(!) As the saying goes, practice makes perfect and I feel I am much more confident and at ease in this role now.

Some people may find the sense of responsibility in being a volunteer a bit daunting but for me it was a motivating factor. I didn’t let the negative thoughts take hold or convince me not to go out or do anything because others were relying on me and I didn’t want to let them down. I had a duty so could finally win that battle!

Being a volunteer has broadened my horizons and prevented me from getting stuck in my own world. I’ve made new friends, been well supported by the team and learnt a lot.

Listening to other people’s experiences has enabled me to see things from different perspectives. I don’t think this would have happened otherwise. My volunteering role began with joining the Castleford walk on a Friday morning and I’ve been doing it ever since. This progressed with attending the drop-in there and also supporting a Thursday walk.

It’s very rewarding when you feel you’ve made a difference and if I was to advise someone thinking about becoming a volunteer I’d say ‘put your toe in the water’ and  give it a try. You may already know some of the team and so it would only a small step forward in a safe and positive environment. I highly recommend it”.

Inspired? Found out more about volunteering at Richmond Fellowship here.

Radio Sparky: May 2022 Mental Health Awareness Week podcast

Listen to our latest edition of Radio Sparky, the podcast which shines the spotlight on the excellent work happening at Richmond Fellowship services across the country.

In this special edition to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, Matt Webb Communications and Marketing Officer speaks to Nicholas Barnes, Peer Support Coordinator at our Crawley Staying Well service about his experience of year’s theme ‘loneliness’ and how he uses his lived experience to support others along their recovery journeys.

“I felt lonely even though she was still around at that time. She was sleeping a lot and not really talkative when she was awake. She just wanted to be by herself a lot. I was quite lonely because I couldn’t express myself. I had no one I could talk to in front of, because of her illness it would upset her.” Nicholas, Peer Support Coordinator.

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