Solent Mind

We are very grateful to Jane Ingram for choosing us as her charity of the year. Jane has just begun her role as Chairperson of District 11 of the Association of Inner Wheel Clubs, and she invited Elizabeth White Ripley, our Head of Wellbeing, to give a talk at her inaugural lunch.
International Inner Wheel is one of the largest women's voluntary service organisations in the world with more than 100,000 members in 104 countries. District 11 is one of 29 Districts in Great Britain and Ireland, and we very much look forward to their support in the coming year. International Inner Wheel

Our Portsmouth Wellbeing Service runs pop-up workshops and activities across the city - take a look below for directions to our sessions on Tuesdays in Room D on the third floor of Portsmouth Central Library.
Drop in between 10am and 12pm on Tuesdays to register for our useful timetable of activities: https://buff.ly/2WEGvDu

Our weekly Cafe Club in Shirley is a great place to grab a cuppa, share experiences and connect with others.
Pop along or contact our friendly peer support team for more information: ☎️ 02380 208 920 📧 sidebySide@solentmind.org.uk
... Friends of St. James' Park
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“Having minimal experience with singing and playing instruments, I was pleasantly surprised at how involved everyone made me feel. I loved every minute of the session and would definitely encourage others to come along and participate, no matter your prior musical experience.” - Alana
If you live in Thornhill, Bitterne Park, Townhill, Midanbury, Harefield or Bitterne, or you are registered with a GP in these areas, you can join people like Alana at our music group and build ...confidence and new skills through improvisation, songwriting and performance.
Drop into one of our sessions on the first Friday of each Month, 1pm - 3pm at Hightown Studios, Tunstall Road, Thornhill.
Participants will be asked to contribute £3 towards the cost of running each session. Drop in or contact our friendly Community Peer Navigators for more information:
☎ 023 8020 8920 📧 navigators@solentmind.org.uk Southampton City Council SoCo MusicProject
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We’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the lovely people at DM Dance Studios and DM Dance Centre, for holding an amazing Dance Cabaret evening for us in May, raising over £1,600 for local mental health services ❤️! DM Dance Centre DM Studios

We’re so proud to see Lou Richards, one of our Community Peer Navigators in The AND Guide magazine this week 😀. James Foad talks about his struggle with depression following the end of his career as an international rower:
“Going to my GP was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. One of the hardest, because, as I said before, I never really believed depression was a real thing. An illness. It was just something in your mind you has to get over... Luckily a l...ocal charity, Solent Mind had a drop-in service that morning and it was one of their employees Lou, that I first opened up to and told what I had thought about and tried to do... It was like opening a cork on a shaken bottle of Champaign. My emotions flooded everywhere, but Lou just sat there and listened to me. He never passed judgement. He never told me what I should do to make myself better or what I had done wrong. He simply listened and reassured me that at that moment I had made the biggest step forward by speaking about how I was feeling... My story will continue, but I hope my experience can raise awareness and help others feel less alone than I did.”
You can read the full article here (page 20). https://buff.ly/2IvMa5R
And find out more about our Community Peer Navigators here: https://buff.ly/2WTnVTj
TheAndGuide
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Kevin Barton has set himself the ‘Mind Over Mileage’ challenge of walking 1,000 miles in six months to raise funds for us 😊. So far, he’s walked 912 miles, and, with nine days to go we wanted to send him a message of encouragement ❤️!
Kev ‘The Walking Gardner’ explains, “I started this just giving page to raise support and awareness for Mind UK and for Solent Mind. The challenge is to walk 1,000 miles in six months, culminating in a 100k walk in 24 hours along the Cotswold Wa...y. It has made me think a lot, however, about how fortunate I am to have the support of friends and family, activities that keep me fit and mentally active and the ability to seek advice and support whenever I need. So many people do not have these advantages and that is why the work of Solent Mind is so important. Keep walking - and giving!”
You can visit Kevin’s Just Giving page here: https://buff.ly/2LcHJi2
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We’re in awe of Robert Makinson, who is climbing Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in the Alps) for us this August, raising vital funds for local mental health services 😊.
Robert Says, “Mental health covers a variety of issues including PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders and many more, all of which can impact on our daily lives and most of the time we have no idea how we can help. I have personally been in this position and feel this is the best way I can spread awareness and help others. This is where I need your help. Please donate what you can, and share my Just Giving page to show your support for Solent Mind.”
You can find Robert’s Just Giving page here: https://buff.ly/2WXbaXM

We’re excited to be chosen by the Hampshire Business Show as their nominated charity this year 😊. The event takes place on Thursday 10th October, World Mental Health Day, and hosts 17 speakers and seminars, showcasing up to 100 exhibitors.
Josh Mitchell, Event Director at the Hampshire Business Show says, “The 10th October falls on World Mental Health day and this year’s theme is mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Wellbeing is an incredibly hot topic at the minu...te and rightly so! As human beings everyone has a right to happiness. Sometimes the journey of life can be tough and people can become isolated in their own thoughts. We are committed to Solent Mind to help them raise awareness so people know that there is support out there and if you need to talk to someone it is easily accessible. We are inspired by the tremendous work Solent Mind do for mental health challenges across the board and the people they help and support on a daily basis.”
You can book tickets now: https://buff.ly/2GzrKsX
The Ageas Bowl @hampshirebusinessshow Hampshire Chamber of Commerce Hampshire County Council
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Thank you for your amazing support DIY Southampton 😊❤️.

Starting tomorrow, you can grab award-winning plants with a purpose at the Mayfield Nurseries End of Season Sale. 🌻
Find out how a purchase at Mayfield supports the mental health of your community, here: https://buff.ly/2UytBF9

Take a look at this wonderful crop harvested by Joan and our green-fingered allotment group! 👩‍🌾
Could getting in touch with nature improve your mental health? Take a look at our new Portsmouth Wellbeing Service calendar and get in touch to join in: https://buff.ly/2WEGvDu‍

Our @SolentMind Brighter Futures & Buried in Your Treasure groups are cancelled today unfortunately as our lovely friends @YMCAWoolston deal with a tricky issue with the building. Call 02380 208920 if you were planning to go along & want to chat with our peer team instead.

Could our Portsmouth activities, workshops and classroom learning help you improve your wellbeing?
Come to an upcoming drop in session to register and chat to our friendly teams about:
🧘‍♂️ Our free wellbeing activities and workshops taking place across the city, such as Assertiveness & Self Esteem, Mindfulness and our welcoming Allotment Group.... 🎓 Our innovative Solent Recovery College, which offer courses and practical skills for managing mental health issues, all in a safe classroom setting.
Simply come along to the St Mary’s Hospital reception and ask for directions to the group rooms in the Long Term Conditions Suite: you’ll see our sign on the door!
Solent NHS Trust Portsmouth City Council
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Through our vital work with victims of crime and the diverse communities who use our services, we know that acts of hate can have a devastating impact on people’s mental health.
We stand together with organisations across Southampton who are challenging intolerance through fantastic community projects and productions like Rotterdam and offer our help, support and guidance to anyone who may need us. #YouBelongHere🌈