Newsletter 9 October 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.

Abraham Moss Centre, Portacabin – top carpark, Crescent Road

Please contact Naomi Davies at Zest for more information.
Zest's Healthy Living Room , Abraham Moss Centre
0161 908 8334/5 or 655 7888,  n.davies1@manchester.gov.uk
Please contact Zest if you require interpretation at the meeting.

Monday 27 Oct 3:30 - 5:30 pm
St Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green North, Manchester.

The AGM will start at 4:00pm with a talk from Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council who will focus on the Manchester city-region and partnership working.  Registration and refreshments will be available from 3:30pm.

Please inform GMCVO of any member of staff from your organisation who would like to attend indicating name, organisation, e-mail address and whether or not they have any special requirements.  (Please contact Susan Barrett on 0161 277 1001 or e-mail on sue.barrett@gmcvo.org.uk)
GMCVO would appreciate a response from you no later than Wednesday 22 October 2008.

 Faith Network 4 Manchester (FN4M) invite you and any members of your community to participate in a conference that will seek solutions to the problem of gang and weapon violence across our city.

This conference, “My Gang = My Family” will take place on Monday 3 November 2008, starting at 6:00 pm (prompt) at Nawab Buffet Restaurant, 103 Queens Road, Cheetham, Manchester M8 8UT.

It will be an opportunity for everyone present to air their views, concerns and fears, and to hear from experts working in various areas of Manchester trying to deal with the problem.  We will hear about the efforts and work being done at present, why it is being done, what has worked so far and problems being encountered.

Most importantly FN4M hope to make some recommendations for the future together and find ways to ensure something positive happens as a result of this evening.

Places at this conference must be booked in advance. The price includes a two course buffet meal, with strictly vegetarian options available.  Please return your booking form with the £10 fee (concessions £5) by 22 October.  Cheques should be made payable to FN4M.  FN4M do not want anyone to be excluded for financial reasons, so please let them know if the cost is an issue for anyone who really wants to participate in this event

Booking forms are available from Warren on 07879 454292 or mail@fn4m.org

BHA’s 18th anniversary (1990 – 2008) celebration and Fundraising event.
Thursday 13 November 2008 7:30 pm – 1:00 am
The Place Hotel, Ducie Street, Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2TP (just behind Piccadilly train station)
Ticket Price: £25

See the invitation for details of how to obtain tickets

Head shave for Breast Cancer Care

Angela's sponsored head shave will be taking place at the Zion Community Centre, 339 Stretford Road, Hulme, M15 4ZY on Friday 31 October at 2:30 pm.

Everyone is welcome - please wear something pink if possible!

See the poster for details, or visit the Justgiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/angelashead
Please pass this on to your friends and colleagues - it is a very good cause!

The Community Safety Network (CSN) has teamed up with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to develop two new pieces of work which will help both voluntary and community sector groups and MMU students.

RESEARCH HUB

If you are a voluntary or community sector group looking to carry out a piece of research or project evaluation, they can help you find undergraduate students through the Department of Sociology.

INTERNSHIPS

MMU currently manages a Volunteering and Community Networking course which allows students to gain an understanding of employability and develop skills to help them on their chosen career paths.

If you are a voluntary or community sector FREE placement, the CSN can put you in touch with the University.

Contact: stephanie.jones@c-i-c.org.uk

There are still some places left on the free USIT course for women Refugees and Asylum seekers, at Ada House starting on 21 October.
See the poster for more about the course.  Booking forms available by email or post on request from Sarah Keeler, Course Administrator, The Women's Electronic Village Hall, Ada House, 77 Thompson Street, Manchester M4 5FY  Tel No: 0161 833 8800  info@wevh.org.uk

Manchester Community Information Network run a Community Reporters programme. They show people how to set up and write blogs, make podcasts, and film and edit video, and they then pull it all up onto the sites. They believe that they can use these social media tools to empower people to create change, to tell their stories and to bring communities together.

MCIN wouldd really like to get the BME community involved in what they're doing. One of MCIN's Community Reporters, Mohamad, has made a film about what it was like living as an asylum seeker in Bury, which you can see on the front page of the website. If you'd like to do something similar, either with film, podcasting, or writing in a blog - and it can be about ANYTHING! - get in touch with MCIN, and they'll support you through the whole process. Maybe your community group is holding an event, and want to film it? Maybe you love something about your area and want the world to know? MCIN's websites get 30,000 visitors a month, so it's a great way of getting your message out.

If you're interested, or know someone who might be, please get in touch. You can email  jess@mcin.net , or ring Jess on 0161 230 1430.

World Mental Health Day 10 October 2008 - Mental Health Network

Mental health is about the way you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs. It’s important to take care of yourself and get the most from life. For this year’s World Mental Health Day MHN have put together 10 top ways to look after your mental health, but they also want you to tell them how you look after your mental health. For more information visit: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/look-after-your-mental-health/  

An ambitious programme to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health went live on a national scale last week with mass-participation physical activity events, the local launch of a nationwide campaign, and a new interactive website.
Read the Time To Change newsletter here
and visit the website: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

Enough is known about the causes of breast cancer to make a vaccine or prophylactic drug a real possibility, a leading cancer expert said this week
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Diabetes costs NHS £1m an hour, charity says
• Incidence of disease spiralling despite treatment advances
• GPs often miss telltale symptoms

The NHS is spending £1m an hour, 10% of its yearly budget, treating diabetes and its complications, according to a new report.
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The war on drugs disproportionately targets black people in the US and UK, exacerbating oppression, says Sebastian Saville
Full article

Confident, dynamic and well-organised individual required to address social isolation among Somali elderly people in Manchester by organising and publicising regular social activities.

 SASCA is a new voluntary organisation that has been set in partnership by six Somali groups with help of MACC and Manchester City Council’s POPP programme. The position is funded until March 2009 with an expectation of funding extension.

Based in Manchester, the successful candidate will need to have proven experience of working independently and of supporting Somali elders either formally or informally.
 
The ideal candidate will have good understanding of problems faced by Somali elderly people and some of the key health issues that are likely to arise for Somali elderly people in Manchester. As the role will involve building and maintaining relationships with Somali service users and relevant organisations, excellent communication skills in English and Somali are essential.

Salary: £528 per month (13 hours per week, spread over 3 days)

Closing date for applications is mid-day on Wednesday 15 October 2008. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be on Monday 20 October.

An application pack is available from Ismail Hussein:  email  ihusseinh@hotmail.com;  telephone 0161 226 2519 or 07939 433360.

SASCA, 37 Lloyd Street South, Manchester M14 7HS.

Internet TV station provides a platform for mental health service users

inspired-stories.tv will be the first Internet TV station to give people with lived mental health experience a platform to tell their stories and  provide filmmaking skills training.The station sets out to promote film as therapy, future employment and a forum for discussion and change. The channel goes live on 10 October - World Mental Health Day.
An eclectic mix of mental health films including two produced by Together Working for Wellbeing will be screening on the site. Themes include self harm, stigma, social alienation, hearing voices, creativity and identity. Explains Sybil Ah-mane, Film Director, Flexible Films, 'As well as a showcase for mental health service users to tell their stories, we aim to provide films, manuals and training on the film making process; encouraging users to find their own voice.'

So passionate are they about the therapeutic and empowering effect of filmmaking that Flexible Films intend to fund the first three months of the TV station. The success of filmmaking as a life-changing tool is illustrated in the work they have been doing with Inspirational Filmworks, (a mental health service user film group funded by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust) whose films will be screened on the channel.

Since 2003, out of 19 Inspirational Filmworks members:
-4 have gone back to work
-1 has completed a BA in Fine Art
-7 are in Further Education
-4 are doing voluntary work

‘The filmmaking process itself, is a powerful way of rebuilding both confidence and self esteem. Filmmaking requires discipline, attention to detail and a high degree of flexibility and creative thinking. Skills that can be applied to all areas of life,’ says Sarah Lewis, Director, Inspirational Filmworks.

Inspired Stories TV will be asking people with lived experience to submit their films and two will be selected for broadcast in January 2009.

For more information email inspiredstories@flexiblefilms.co.uk
www.flexiblefilms.co.uk

Mind's policy on involvement of people with experience of mental distress - have your say

Mind is producing a new policy on the involvement of people with experience of mental distress in its work. They would like to hear your views on what you think would be useful things to cover in this policy - perhaps one or two things that would be good practice for Mind staff to do when they try to involve you in a piece of work. Please email your ideas, no matter how large or small, to Shannon O'Neill via email s.oneill@mind.org.uk by Friday 17 October. 

If you would be interested in attending a focus group to consult on the draft policy, please email Vicki Ensor at v.ensor@mind.org.uk with your availability to attend during the last week of October. The focus group will take place by teleconference and will last no more than two hours.