Published by Redbridge Concern for Mental Health

Volunteers wanted for befriending service

A new befriending service for people with dementia in Redbridge is looking for volunteers to engage in regular social activities. Training will be provided.

For further information please email: or call . Alternatively, check out our website

Paint The Town Red

'Paint the Town Red' is the title of our forthcoming art exhibition, held in partnership with thinkarts, to celebrate World Mental Health Week.

The exhibition will run from the 6 October to 17 October at Central Library, Ilford

If you would like to exhibit please download our guidelines or please on .

Cross-Borough Partnership to provide more Choice over Care

Redbridge along with Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Waltham Forest Councils recently awarded 'Outlook Care' with a two-year contract to help maximise people's independence by giving them more choice and control over their own care and support in choosing a carer also known as a Personal Assistant.

The service is called 'People 4 People' and will find potential carers - called personal assistants and match them to people whose needs they best suit. The new system will make the process of finding and employing a personal assistant much smoother and people will no longer need to rely on care agencies. The person in need of support will be able to interview a personal assistant to make sure they are right for them.

Outlook Care is an established support and care specialist for people with a learning disability and mental health conditions. The organisation operates 47 services within eight local authorities, including supported living, residential care, nursing care, domiciliary care and housing management.

The official launch of the service will take place in September and is open to anyone in need of or who currently has a carer or personal assistant and would like to employ their own personal assistant.

To find out more visit the People 4 People website or call

Out and About in Redbridge - What's Going on?

There are a whole range of events going on around Redbridge over the next month including the thinkarts creative writing group; five-a-side training and football with airfootball as well as open sessions at the Redbridge Music Lounge.

To find out more please browse our Events' Diary

Fears grow over care of mentally ill as GPs say they don't want the job

Mental health campaigners fear that a "postcode lottery writ large" will leave vulnerable people without care as doctors indicate they do not want to take on responsibility for services for the mentally ill.

Two polls of family doctors have revealed that an overwhelming number don't feel able to take on the role of providing services for patients with mental health problems. In the first, by the charity Rethink more than three-quarters of GPs said they didn't feel equipped for the role, while the same proportion were happy to provide for patients with conditions such as diabetes and asthma.

Rethink says that without a national plan to train GPs, an estimated 1.5 million people with severe mental illnesses will not get treatment.

Paul Jenkins, chief executive of Rethink, said: "GPs with a real interest in mental health can play an invaluable role. But we often hear from people with mental illness that GPs don't understand mental health and want to quickly refer them on to specialists. Now GPs themselves are telling us that they have concerns too."

The Wanstead Art Trail puts Wanstead on the map 19th September - 26th September 2010

Bring along your family and friends to the first Wanstead Art Trail, and enjoy one of the neighbourhood's biggest free events. The trail - supported by The Wanstead Society community group - begins on Sunday 19th September, the same day as the Wanstead Festival, to help create an exciting buzz in the area. Shops, businesses, pubs and community centres in and around Wanstead High Street will be displaying work by over 130 local artists, from professionals to enthusiastic amateurs.

A variety of work - painting, sculpture, photography, mosaic, textiles, stained glass and more - will also be displayed at Wanstead Golf Club, The Temple in Wanstead Park and Wanstead House Community Centre. Local schoolchildren will also be participating, with displays at Wanstead Library and Christ Church. All the venues are within walking distance of each other. Free trail maps will be available from about 65 participating venues, including high street shops and local libraries.

For further information, go to www.wansteadsociety.org.uk

Alzheimer Cafe - Tuesday 14 September 2010, 11am to 1pm

For everyone interested or affected by Alzheimer's or other forms of Dementia - the Alzheimer Cafe, Redbridge has invited Dr Fadipe (Locum Consultant Psychiatrist) to talk on Common Types of Dementia

The event is on Tuesday 14 September 2010 from 11am to 1pm at IRDSA Hall, Craven Gardens, Barkingside, IG6 1PS (Next to car park)

For further information please contact: Eileen Tan, Admiral Nurse on or Coral Kathro, Alzheimer's Society on .

Domestic Violence One Stop Shop at Loxford Polyclinic

Everyone has the right to live free from abuse and fear. If you are experiencing domestic violence you may feel frightened, alone and confused. The new weekly Domestic Violence One Stop Shop provides a completely free and confidential service every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm at the Loxford Polyclinic in Ilford Lane.

There is no need to book an appointment, just turn up and drop in for free confidential help and advice from the police, Independent Domestic Violence Advocates, housing and education agencies as well as solicitors.

Please download a poster here.

Web Site Editor

Jon Abrams
Redbridge Concern for Mental Health
98-100 Ilford Lane
Ilford, Essex, IG1 2LD
Web Site: rcmh.org.uk
Email:
Telephone:

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Registered Charity No. 1065770

A big thanks to our funders: the London Borough of Redbridge and NHS Redbridge

Disclaimer

All links in the Concern for Mental Health’s enews bulletin have been selected using a standard links protocol. Links are provided for information and convenience only. Redbridge Concern for Mental Health cannot accept responsibility for the content of sites linked to, and any links do not represent an endorsement by Redbridge Concern for Mental Health. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and we have no control over the availability of linked pages.