Our latest news - Page 6 of 8

Do you want to be a Mental Health First Aider?

Places are now available on our next open course, running on the 16th and 23rd June.

Accredited by MHFA England, this course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider and teaches you how to identify, understand and help adults who may be experiencing mental health problems.

The course is delivered over two days via an integrated online learning hub, including individual learning, plus four live instructor-led sessions, with our training partner at My White Dog.
The course costs £285 per person, including a certificate and course materials.

Email: training@wiltshiremind.co.uk to book a place or for more information.

Charity Chair in Golf Marathon

Jim Donald, Chair of Wiltshire Mind is doing a Golf Marathon on 27th May at Kingsdown Golf Club.

Hoping to raise much needed funds to support local mental health services, Jim is aiming to play as many holes as possible in one day at his Golf Club. As a former Club Captain, Jim is a dedicated golfer.

In deciding to set up his Golf Marathon Jim said:

My original plan to run a team golf day is not feasible this year due to current COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore I will undertake a golf marathon myself, playing as many holes as I can in one day. I am seeking your support and sponsorship either per hole or a one off donation. I plan to play from around first light until I drop!

Ashford Homes have generously sponsored Jim in his bid to raise funds, and Managing Director Stuart Morgan is hoping to join Jim for a few holes on the day.

Wiltshire Mind is an independent mental health charity, and relies on the generous donations of its supporters and beneficiaries. Providing counselling services for adults and young people, as well as peer support groups and mental health training, Wiltshire Mind operates across the county. These are particularly challenging times for everyone, and Wiltshire Mind offers a safe and confidential space for those experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress.

If you’d like to support Jim’s Golf Marathon, and help raise funds for Wiltshire Mind, you can visit his Just-Giving Page:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jim-donald-golf

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Good luck Jim on the 27th May at Kingsdown Golf Club.

Personal Best in Bath Half Fundraiser

Wiltshire Mind fundraiser Sarah Cardy, a regular at Melksham parkrun, completed the virtual Bath Half marathon this weekend, knocking 12 minutes off her personal best!

Raising over £700 for Wiltshire Mind, Sarah has used running to help with her mental wellbeing during the pandemic, but wanted to raise funds for Wiltshire Mind, so we can help with the wellbeing of those who cannot or might not choose to run.

“So many people have struggled in the past year with their mental health. I have been lucky enough to have found running to get me through. However, it’s not for everyone. If I can use my running to support others, then Wiltshire Mind is in need of our support.”

To provide mental health support to our communities across Wiltshire through 2021, we need to raise £465 a day. We rely on the generous donations of our supporters and local fundraising activity, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and the social restrictions.

This year we are seeing almost a 50% drop in our income so far.

If you would like to help raise funds for Wiltshire Mind to enable us to continue providing our mental health support work across the county, please email fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk to see how we can support you.

We are an independent charity, and every penny fundraised allows us to extend our support to more people in Wiltshire. We’d really value your fundraising, and would love to work with you.

Places now available on our Mental Health First Aid course in April

Whether you are an organisation wishing to create a culture of support in the workplace for anyone experiencing mental health problems, or an individual wanting to gain skills and confidence in supporting others with their mental health, our two-day Adult Mental Health First Aid training is for you.

Accredited by MHFA England, this course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider and provides:

> An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing

> Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health problems

> Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress

> Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening

> Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support.

The course is delivered over two days via an integrated online learning hub, including individual learning, plus four live instructor-led sessions, with our training partner at My White Dog.

The course will be held on the 20th and 27th April. The course costs £285 per person, including a certificate and course materials.

To book a place, or for more information, email training@wiltshiremind.co.uk.

For details of all of our courses, please visit our Mental Health Training page.

Wiltshire Mind joins BBC’s “Make a Difference – Happy Heads” local radio campaign

Helping Children and Young People across Wiltshire

One of the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic is the effect on children’s mental health.

BBC Wiltshire’s local radio campaign Make A Difference: Happy Heads aims to help children, parents and carers by promoting volunteering, and sharing links to organisations and charities that can help.

Wiltshire Mind’s Counselling Co-ordinator and Community Fundraiser Laura Oatley joined the local radio conversation on 17th February. You can listen here to the full interview.

Our counselling service for those aged 11+, provides long term support, away from the school environment. Provided by specialist young peoples’ counsellors, the service is easily accessible – to find out more email us at counselling@wiltshiremind.co.uk

Our free counselling for children and young people provides a safe space where highly specialist counsellors use a range of creative therapeutic methods to help young people connect to, and express, their emotions. Helping young people develop coping strategies can mean they are able to thrive rather than just survive.

We are an independent local Mental Health Charity based in Melksham providing county-wide services and we are here for you. We are affiliated to Mind, supporting those who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress.

Visit our website today for more information.

If you would like to support us, please donate using our Just Giving page.

We are recruiting: Qualified Young People’s Counsellor

We are recruiting for a Qualified Young People’s Counsellor on a fixed term of 3 months to support demand for our counselling service for 11-17 year olds.

The advert and job description are detailed below.

2021-Young-Person-Counsellor-3-Month-Fixed-Term-Job-Description-v2 Download

2021-Young-Person-Counsellor-Fixed-Term-Ad-v2 Download

CLOSING DATE 26^th February 2021

How to apply:

To enquire about the role and request an application form, please either call or email Philippa Collins using the details below:

01225 706532 | philippa.collins@wiltshiremind.co.uk

Peer Support Groups resume via Zoom

We are taking the Coronavirus pandemic extremely seriously and know that it has caused anxiety amongst the public and our own staff, volunteers and participants, especially where we have had to suspend face to face services.

It is great news that we are now able to resume our Peer Support groups online via Zoom, and this is available to both existing and new group members seeking support with their mental health and wellbeing.

The timetable of groups is as follows:

Chippenham – Mondays 10am
Malmesbury – Mondays 12pm
Devizes – Tuesdays 10am
Melksham – Wednesday 12pm
Trowbridge – Fridays 10.30am

We will also be re-starting the Evening Group and Tidworth group soon. Tidworth will run on Thursdays at 10.30am and the Evening Group will run on Tuesdays at 6.30pm.

To register your interest in attending our peer support groups, simply email supportgroups@wiltshiremind.co.uk with your contact details and the group you are interested in attending.

Our 1-2-1 counselling services are continuing remotely via Zoom and telephone.

In addition to our adult service, we offer counselling to young people from 11 years of age.

To find out more, or to register for counselling, please email counselling@wiltshiremind.co.uk

We understand the huge impact that months of lockdown have had on people’s mental health, and we are here for you. Please do get in touch if you would like to access our online services.

We need your support please

Since the first lock down in March 2020, Wiltshire Mind has been providing Counselling for adults and young people and also running Peer Support Groups to those in need of mental health support. We have seen a big increase in demand in recent weeks, and we have been able to offer online counselling and support groups to people across Wiltshire. Last year, we were able to offer over 1150 counselling sessions.

Like many charities, we are seeing a decrease in our income though. We offer low-cost services, ensuring they are available to anyone. But this also means our current level of income is not covering our costs.

To provide mental health support to our communities across Wiltshire through 2021, we need to raise £465 a day. We do not currently receive any commissioned or statutory funding, so we rely on the generous donations of our supporters and local fundraising activity, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and the social restrictions.

1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in our lifetime. We make a difference by offering hope through mental health support to our community. The Coronovirus pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental health. Help us be there for everyone in Wiltshire who needs us at this time.

If you can help in any way, please support us and donate today.

To find our more about Wiltshire Mind, visit our website.

Support over Christmas period

Our counselling and peer support groups close over the Christmas period. If you are experiencing problems, and need support urgently, please see our Information and Support pages.

Support contacts

Support Contacts

If you are struggling with your mental health, it’s really important to reach out for support. Here are some organisations who can provide free support at any time, day or night.

Side by Side

This is a supportive online community where you can feel at home talking about your mental health and connect with others who understand what you are going through. It is a safe place to share experiences and listen to others. The community is available to all, 24/7.

Shout

Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 and a trained volunteer will get back to you. You can talk about a range of issues including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, relationship problems, bullying or if you’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s free to text from all major UK mobile networks and your messages are confidential and anonymous.

Samaritans

To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org

Help in a Crisis

If you or someone you know might imminently attempt suicide, or has already seriously harmed themselves, contact 999 or go to the nearest Accident & Emergency department. Mental health emergencies are serious, you are not wasting anyone’s time.

If you need urgent support for your mental health but it is not life-threatening, contact the NHS on 111 who can tell you how best to get support in your area.

Our charity shop opening hours over Christmas

Christmas is nearly upon us! Our Charity Shop is fully stocked and ready for the festive season. We are open every weekday and Saturday up until Christmas Eve.

Visit us in Melksham – and check out our Facebook page

OPENING HOURS

Thursday 24^th December – Open 9am until 3pm

Friday 25^th December – Closed

Saturday 26^th December – Closed

Sunday 27^th December – Closed

Monday 28^th December – Closed

Tuesday 29^th December – Open 9am to 4pm

Wednesday 30^th December – Open 9am to 4pm

Thursday 31^st December – Open 9am to 4pm

Friday 1^st January – Closed

Open as usual Saturday 2nd January

Wiltshire Mind Charity Shop sells a range of ladies and men’s clothing. We are a local Mental health charity and monies raised helps us to continue our vital work within the community.

We provide mental health support to adults, children and young people and offer a safe a friendly place for those experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. Every penny counts, and thank you for supporting Wiltshire Mind.

Merry Christmas to all!

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/christmascardappeal?fbclid=IwAR3YJCkMoqZQRIUQ0f7vl1yN7BTV4JacAY8Gh0BcGKg2HE4eu76hi_s6lG0

Check out our Christmas Card Appeal here.