Newsletter 18 September 2008

MRHF send out a regular weekly email bulletin on Thursdays, containing information for all our newsletter email group. For the convenience of our stakeholders and for those who might want to find out more about the Forum, we are also publishing that information to the BHA website. Feedback would be very welcome. If you have any information that you would like us to circulate in a future bulletin, please forward it to MRHF by Wednesday 12.00 pm the day before. Please ring us on 0161 872 4600 or email us at mrhf@btconnect.com if you have any queries.

Events/Meetings/Groups

25 September 2008 from 10:30 am
Mechanics Institute, Princess Street (Major Street entrance), Manchester

10:30 am Coffee
11:00 am Presentation followed by buffet lunch

Plans have been announced to transform Greater Manchester’s transport network for the 21st Century. The proposals would see up to £3 billion invested in public transport by 2013.

The funding for this radical transformation would come from:

•    a grant from central government’s Transport Innovation Fund, and
•    a loan to be repaid by the introduction of a peak-time only congestion charge.

The vast majority of the new improved public transport service would be in place before a limited congestion charge could be introduced.

GMPTE are undertaking a formal consultation period to enable the public to comment on the proposals; this will run for 14 weeks from 7 July to 14 October. The information about the transport improvements and in particular the proposed congestion charge, is both detailed and complex. One of the principal aims of the consultation exercise is to ensure that accurate information is communicated to the people of Greater Manchester to enable them to make an informed decision.

GMPTE are keen to engage and consult with representatives of mental health service users and carers from around Greater Manchester in order to understand their views as a vulnerable or potentially vulnerable stakeholder group who are likely to be affected.

If you wish to attend, please contact Beverley Gallier, Health & Education Co-ordinator, on 0161 244 1248.

With the Full of Life Festival now less than one month away, it’s time to start thinking about how you and the members of your group are going to get to Manchester Town Hall for the Valuing Older People Big Event on Tuesday 30 September.

Download this letter for help you and your group may be able to get with transport, or to offer help with transport to other individuals and groups.

Manchester Community Development Workers (Mental Health)
The Friends Meeting House, 10 October 2008 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

The launch on the 10 of October will give individuals, groups and organisations involved in delivering mental health services in Manchester an opportunity to find out more about the project, and a chance to talk to each other.

Working on the national agenda for Delivering Race Equality (DRE), SEVA is a multi-ethnic team of Community Development Workers addressing mental health issues:
    The appropriateness and responsiveness of current services 
    Community engagement in service design & delivery
    BME communities’ access to information.
To this end they are committed to  working with all relevant agencies and user groups .
They would very much welcome your input in their programmes of work.

To find out more about the BME communities they are working with, their role at both an operational and strategic level in the city and nationally, and also how they and you can support one another in improving mental health provisions for BME communities come along to the event.

See the programme for the day.
For more information, please contact the SEVA team:

African and Caribbean Mental Health Services, Empress Building 380 Chester Rd, M16 9EA; 0161 877 0308
Wai Yin , 1st & 2nd Floor, 62 Mosley Street, M2 3HZ;     0161 237 5908
Pakistani Resource Centre, 1 Great Marlborough St, M1 5NJ;      0161 237 1125

Limited places are still available for a free one-day conference about football and mental health organised by the Department of Health, The FA and the Professional Footballers Association.
Monday 13 October 2008, 10.00-16.00 (coffee and registration from 09.00) at the City of Manchester Stadium, SportCity, Manchester, M11 3FF.

Find out:
How football can be used to improve the lives of people with experience of mental health problems. 
How an understanding of mental health can improve your game.
 
Confirmed speakers:
BBC presenter Ray Stubbs will be chairing the event.
Professor Louis Appleby, the Government's Mental Health Tsar, will be talking about how football can improve mental health.
Dr. Alan Pringle will be speaking about how mental health manifests itself in football through the experiences of watching, playing, coaching and refereeing.
 
Sporting Chance Award
Delegates attending the conference will be eligible to enter the Sporting Chance "Mad About Football" award which will be given to the football/MH project that makes the most progress.  The winner will receive a complimentary weekend break at Champney's Health Spa.
Find out more about this event and book your free place online at the SHIFT website.

•    Are you waiting for the people around you to behave as they should?
•    Do you keep hoping that life will be fair?
•    Do you cope with your frustration by being unkind and selfish?
•    Does your behaviour upset you and other people?
•    Would you like to learn how to think and act differently?

A course of six free ½ day training sessions
Tuesdays from 7 October ‘08
Places are limited so contact the Moodswings Network now for more information and application details.

Phone 0161 953 4105 or email info@moodswings.org.uk
Mood Swings Network, 23 New Mount Street, Manchester M4 4DE

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has launched a web page specifically for smaller organisations, with useful information on campaigning, fundraising, volunteers and more.
See the web page here.

Greater Manchester Council for Voluntary Organisations has secured funding to facilitate voluntary organisations that promote equality for specific groups.

In addition they will be helping groups forge relationships with each other and develop a more joined-up approach to tackling their concerns through the new Equalities and Human Rights Forum.

Ideally the Forum will represent all the seven equality strands, recognising the ‘cross-cutting’ nature of equality issues and will be broadly reflective of the population of Greater Manchester. The Forum will take the format of a virtual ‘e’ forum with two ‘parliaments’ and a conference promoting equalities and human rights.
If you would like to be kept informed of news and developments, please contact Shakirah on 0161 277 1012 or e-mail shakirah.ullah@gmcvo.org.uk .

CN4M have recently appointed Mike Wright on a secondment from Novas Scarman Group to project manage the further development of Manchester's Online Community Directory. MOCD is an online directory which provides voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups in Manchester with the opportunity to promote their details to a wider audience and make contact with similar groups to network/share good practice.

It is FREE to get your group's details listed on the directory. There is an online registration form at: http://www.novasscarmanmanchester.org (click on Directory), or alternatively you can contact Mike Wright at CN4M on 0161 234 2909 or e-mail: mike@cn4m.net . For further information, please see the CN4M website

Salary: NJC points 19-24, £17,000 - £21,000 depending on experience. The 2007-08 salary levels for these points are £16,536-£20,099, but a standard of living award is pending for 2008-09. Hours: 35 hours per week; Location: Manchester City Centre.

NEARIS is a friendly and interesting charity which provides education and training to adults on the margins of society. You will be assisting the Chief Executive with a wide range of administrative and financial duties. Experience of administration work is essential, as is a confident ability with written and spoken communication. Training will be provided on the technical aspects of the role (e.g. the computerised accounts package) but you will need to be confident with numbers. Download full details and an application pack from: http://www.nearis.com

Deadline for receipt of applications: 12:00 midday on Friday 3 Oct 2008.

Manager, Salary £26,835– 28,919 (scale PO1)

Advocacy Network – Leeds is looking to recruit a dynamic individual to lead a highly respected organisation.

The network supports advocacy services in Leeds to continually raise the quality of advocacy provision by providing high quality information, training and resources. The Network has regional and national significance.

They require someone with energy, vision and flair to continue this vital work and build on their recent achievements.  Committed to the principles of independent advocacy, you will be an outstanding communicator and possess good analytical skills.

For application packs please email hilary.ashton@advocacy-network-leeds.org.uk or call (0113) 244 9045
Closing date 12:00 noon on Tuesday 30 September
Interviews to be held on Friday 10 October