What Works

This is a workshop hosted by the What Works Centre for Wellbeing at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University on Thursday, 10th September 2015 from 09:30 to 12:30 to examine how wellbeing evidence can be used to improve community wellbeing. The workshop is an opportunity for you to inform the early stages of a key evidence programme which will have national impact.

The What Works Centre for Wellbeing is a UK government-funded initiative recently launched by the What Works Network to enable a range of stakeholders to access independent, high quality, accessible evidence syntheses on wellbeing.

This workshop will explore how wellbeing evidence can be useful in the day-to-day work of those working in a range of sectors including local government, the voluntary and community sector, public health, housing and the private sector. It is aimed primarily at those in the Yorkshire region.

We will be focusing on policy areas related to place and community, including planning, housing, built environment, social capital, participation, public health, green space, transport, and community development. The issues the What Works Centre focusses on will be determined based on this stakeholder engagement, so these workshops represent an important early opportunity to influence the Centre’s work.

During the session we will be tackling questions such as:
•What ingredients are important for community wellbeing?
•How can your work enhance community wellbeing?
•What are the key challenges in our work for improving community wellbeing?
•How might wellbeing, a focus on wellbeing, wellbeing data, or effective wellbeing interventions, address these challenges?
•What gaps are there in wellbeing evidence?

There are just 12 tickets left so if you want one, sign up for What Works at:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-what-works-wellbeing-stakeholder-engagement-workshop-tickets-17933870690

When the Chase for Perfection Ends

As far back as I can recall, I have always strived for ‘perfection’. I was raised in a single parent household; my mother abandoned our home when I was aged 9 and my brother, Tom, aged 3. Our father was a hardworking executive who always put his children first, and I always wanted to show him that we would be alright without Mum. When Mum first left us, I used to hear him crying in his bedroom, though he never openly shared his pain with us. I, too, cried every night for many months, but I did not want Dad to know how much we missed Mum.

I took on the role of mother in our home, preparing meals for Dad and Tom and somehow still managing to get top marks at school. Every day was a struggle for me in adolescence and I felt that although my teachers always told me I was an excellent student, inside, I was not worth half as much as they thought. I felt like I had to work harder than anyone in my class to do well, for I wasn’t an intellectual by nature and what I really wanted to do, was be an artist. Summer in Leeds was always one of my happiest times, for I could set the books aside, pull out my canvass and head for Middleton or Chevin Forest Park, painting the beautiful natural landscapes which surrounded me and eased my pain. When I painted, I could finally be myself and that felt very liberating.

It wasn’t until I was at Uni that my drinking problem began. I started drinking at parties in my first year of Law, but soon, alcohol became part of my routine wind-down every evening after attending lectures and studying. It didn’t help that my flatmate, Martha, commonly downed at least a bottle of wine every night.

At first it was fun to get wasted and lose ourselves in the haze that is the party lifestyle but I soon got a warning from one of my favourite Professors, that the last written assessment I had handed in was way below my usual standard. She said she had noticed that I wasn’t showing up for lectures or tutorials either, and asked if I had a problem. I denied it, of course, but after hitting rock bottom a couple of times, I spoke with my Dad and decided to go to rehab. The following summer I completed a six-week stay at an inpatient centre, and continued to seek outpatient care when Uni began.

The ‘gold standard’ rehabilitation programmes often require that recovering addicts quit alcohol or drugs altogether, but somehow, I found that the ‘cold turkey’ approach didn’t work for me. I worked alongside my therapist on a ‘harm reduction’ programme, meaning I gradually began reducing my alcohol consumption. From a bottle a day, I was soon content with just enjoying a glass or two in the evening, and upon my therapist’s suggestion, I joined the University art club, meeting with other painters every weekend and heading for lovely areas to paint, sculpt and share our views on the current art scene. It was there that I met my good friend, Laurie. She introduced me to yoga, something that has become an important part of my life. Yoga helps me disconnect from stress and find the acceptance I think I had always struggled to find.

I received a mixed reaction from my friends when I told them about ‘harm reduction’. ‘Shouldn’t recovering alcoholics completely abstain from drinking?’ they asked. Of course abstinence is ideal, though sometimes drinkers just don’t have the strength to quit all at once; I will admit to having had two ‘relapses’ during which I binged on alcohol. One binge occurred when my father passed away eight years ago; the other on the first year anniversary of his death.

These days, I have completely stopped drinking. The yoga lifestyle has saved me, I often say, and I tend to seek my ‘highs’ in my legal practice (I specialise in Intellectual Property), in exercise, and in painting. To this day, I still spend any free time I have in my favourite park, capturing some of the most beautiful moments in the beautiful landscapes of Leeds.

Anne Peterson

Further reading: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB12994/drug-misu-eng-2013-rep.pdf http://www.rehabs.com/pro-talk-articles/exploring-the-impact-of-trauma-culture-and-policy-on-womens-health/ http://www.ihra.net/files/2010/05/31/HIVTop50Documents11.pdf http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nta_review_of_the_effectiveness_of_treatment_for_alcohol_problems_fullreport_2006_alcohol2.pdf http://www.ihra.net/what-is-harm-reduction

Highlights

If you haven’t already seen Highlights, the “dazzling annual showcase of artwork by members of Arts & Minds”, you now only have until Sunday, and you’ll really miss something if you don’t see it. The quote in the previous sentence is from the blurb in the Love Arts programme, but it’s really not an exaggeration. This is an extraordinary collection – very varied, in terms of the type of image on display, with photography, straight and manipulated; pencil drawings; paintings abstract and realistic, ranging from the fantastical to simple images of domestic pets and other animals; scenes of gritty urban life and idyllic scenes of nature – but all generally of a really high standard, at least as far as I could tell, as a lay person who likes to look at such things.

One of the artists, local poet Liz Helliwell, has already blogged about the opening last Wednesday – see  http://www.lizhelliwell.co.uk/2014/10/light-fantastic/ for her take.

I’ve put a few examples below to whet your appetitie, but they are really rather random – I liked so much of this collection that I’d have had to photograph most of it to give a true reflection. The Light is open from 6 a.m. to 12.30 a,m, daily, and the exhibition is staffed during the day. It’s free and the brochure says:. “Just turn up”. I would.

 

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The images above are Royal Park School, by Jill Setterington; A Daydream by the Water’s Edge, by Ian Gill; Villification by Liz Helliwell; Veiled Garden by Amanda Burton; and Divine Mystery by Patrick Hanratty.

Survivor Poets on Songs of Praise

For the next three days you can see members of Leeds Survivors Poetry featuring in last Sunday’s Songs of Praise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04g4q44/songs-of-praise-carnival-and-culture

In its 20 year history Leeds Survivor Poets haven’t made TV very often. There was the Poetry World Cup in 1998 which merited a mention on Calendar. (We were runners up and got the Poetry Saucer, after I couldn’t find a rhyme for ‘orange’ in a poetry shoot out). But last Sunday we got a whole 3 minutes on Beeb 1 as they had a special programme from Leeds. They featured various Leeds religious folk and the things they get up, including Leeds Carnival, hip-hop, photography, and they followed the lovely Sue Matthews, one of LSP’s regular members, as she came to one of our workshops at the Civic Hall.

Here’s Sue at a previous workshop, and (below) at one of the group’s readings in Kirkgate Market a couple of years ago.

LSP continues to meet every first and third Friday evening at the Civic Hall, 5.45 to 7.45, next meeting on Friday 5th September.

Our bit of the Songs of Praise programme comes after 24 mins 30 seconds.

 

Place and Memory – help to kickstart a unique project

During the magnificent Love Arts Festival last October I went to a great event at the White Cloth Gallery – a series of fascinating short films by local artists, on the theme of how important place and our memories of it are to us. This was part of the Place and Memory project and there was much more to see in the artwork and installations at Trinity Church on Boar Lane. Now there’s a chance to support this project and these artists through a brilliant new way of fundraising – crowdfunding. This has been described as ‘democratic finance’, and may well be the future for many small ventures as grants get harder to come by.

Place and Memory are aiming to get £7,500 and so far £1, 538 has been pledged. there’s 9 days left, so click on the link below and, to paraphrase the immortal words of Bob Geldoff, “pledge them your f***ing money”. (I did and it’s very easy to do.)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/267877376/place-and-memory-eight-artists-one-city

Place and Memory Mentor Emma Bolland writes:

“Place and Memory is a professional development project for artists who have experienced mental health difficulties. I am incredibly proud to be one of the mentors for this project. The project started in June of last year, and was funded until October, while we worked with them in producing a wonderful book and film. The project won an award for these outcomes and for its work. Since October I, artist Tom Rodgers, curator Judit Bodor and writer and publisher Brian Lewis have continued to give our time and work with the participants on a voluntary basis, but we now need your help to complete the project, to work with the wonderful artists and writers in creating a second exhibition, and a publication – part art book, part document of their amazing journey, and part an exploration in text an image of the hidden histories and beauties of the city of Leeds. Please, click on the link below, watch our short film, make a donation and pass this appeal on to your friends and family. Thank you.”

Wildlife Photography Competition

Your chance to have your photograph displayed at Leeds City Museum AND win some great prizes.

Earlier this year Sara Porter photographed our taxidermy, insect, egg and skull collections for the ‘Natural Beauty, Part 1’ display at Leeds City Museum. We now want to put your wildlife photographs on display at the museum.

Any age, any camera, any ability… everyone’s welcome.

The competition is divided into 7 categories;

• Beautiful Yorkshire – images that show off the county
• Leeds Wildlife – images of urban wildlife in the city
• Wild Yorkshire – images of Yorkshire wildlife in a Yorkshire setting
• Animal behaviour – shots of British wild animals in action – unusual or interesting behaviour especially welcome!
• British wildlife – images of British wildlife in a British setting
• World wildlife – images of exotic wildlife from around the world
• Beautiful Botany – images that particularly concentrate on British plants or fungi

Apply by going to the ‘Downloads’ section on the Leeds City Council website

Each category is open to your interpretation and we ask that you submit an explanation of your images and your reason for submitting your image in this category.  There are two age categories; 15 years 11 months and under
and 16 plus.

…And win some great prizes.

Photographs from the winners and runners up will go on display from January 2014 to July 2014.  The overall winners in both age groups will receive a Canon digital SLR Camera. Winners of the 15 and under categories win a high quality canvas or print of an image of their choice. Winners of the 16 and over categories will win £200 of photographic vouchers.

The closing date is 27th September, so get snapping!

Natural Beauty is kindly sponsored by CC Imaging, Ark Display Graphics, Dale Photographic and Pictures Plus.

The UK’s first national competition for marginalised and disabled writers is launched!

Here’s an interesting opportunity for budding ‘marginalised and disabled’ writers. I wasn’t too impressed that you have to pay a fiver to enter, since the entry form refers to ‘funders’ anyway, but the project does look pretty good. Closing date is midday Sunday 16th June. Terry

Creative Future Literary Awards

Today we launch the competition for great writing by marginalised and disabled writers. We can’t wait to see your entry so get writing!  We want to show the world that having a disability or being marginalised and socially excluded doesn’t stop you from being a great writer (perhaps it even gives you greater insight or a wider range of experience to draw on). We want to challenge people’s preconceptions of what disabled and marginalised people are capable of, so send us your entries and let’s show the world how great you are.

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Nutrition and Wellbeing

I’ve always intended to eat better, ever since meeting Danny 30 years ago, the macro biotic juggler who could walk backwards down the stone steps in my garden juggling 5 balls. There must be something in it, I thought. However I don’t have that kind of discipline – never juggled more than 3 balls (badly), and rarely been able to eat well for very long. But I can see it makes sense, and that generally the more attention I pay to what I eat, the better I feel.

About 10 years ago I won a copy of Amanda Geary’s ‘The Food and Mood Handbook’ and it really impressed me. Browsing through it now, I read ‘food is more than fuel to keep you going, and what you choose to put in your mouth can influence the state of your mind. Greater control of your moods and energy levels is possible through exploring the links between diet, nutrition and emotional and mental health.’ The only thing that stands out in my memory is how brilliant sweet potatoes are – I don’t think I ever touched one before, but I’ve enjoyed them ever since. I’m ashamed to see that my rizla paper marker is stuck at page 23, and that I never got on to chapters like ‘Brain Chemicals and Gut Feelings’, ‘Caffeine and Chocolate’ or ‘Good Mood Foods’ (there are tons of them). Why is looking after myself such hard work?

Anyway now Leeds Mind’s Peer Support service, which has already been the subject of a post on these pages in March, is about to run a six week Nutrition and Wellbeing Course, aimed at providing us with an understanding of basic nutrition and how it can affect our mental wellbeing. They say “using fun and interactive tools, and discussing our positive and negative associations with food, the sessions aim to improve our ability to make healthier, balanced food choices that will help our mental and physical selves.”

Sessions will include; Food and Mood, Basic Nutrition and Eating Socially. The course will run on Tuesdays, 1:00 – 3:00pm, 4th June through to 9th July.

They want to be sure that attendees feel they will get what they need from the course before attending, and want interested persons to meet with a facilitator, who will explain the content of the course and what it involves. The bad news is that meetings will be held tomorrow on Friday 24th May, from 12.00 – 4:00pm at Clarence House in Horsforth – sorry it’s so late in the day telling you this. The meetings will be on a one-to-one basis (rather than a group activity), and will be 15 minutes long. To book one you need to ring Leeds Mind on 0113 305 5802 or email luke.rushworth@leedsmind.org.uk

The publicity also says that If you will struggle with attending on 24th May, a telephone call may be arranged at a time that suits you, so even if you pick up this information after the event there may still be a chance of getting on the course. Go for it. Remember, you are what you eat, and you don’t want to be a pork pie all your life, do you?

Terry

Slow Art

The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery at Leeds University is well worth a look. It’s very easy to find – just go up the steps of the Parkinson Building at Leeds University, the big white building that’s visible from just about anywhere in Leeds, go through the revolving doors and the gallery is just to your left. They have a permanent collection there which is interesting, including a painting of Whitelocks bar which was used by the BBC for a recent programme about poetry in Leeds, (which you have just two days to listen to on iPlayer!!). There is always also a temporary collection – at the moment it’s Jewish Artists in Yorkshire. There’s lots of Jacob Kramer, who gave his name to our local art college, and some paintings by Joash Woodrow, who caused something of a sensation after his death in 2006 when a thousand art works were found at his home in Chapeltown, where he’d lived as a recluse after having a breakdown in the 1950s. My favourite from this exhibition was a large piece by Gillian Singer – 49 panels of photographs and other images of Jewish family life – it takes a whole wall so you don’t really get the effect from my photograph of the postcard!

This Saturday there’s a special event at the Gallery. I’ll let the gallery publicity explain in its own words: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. This month’s motto is borrowed from Henry David Thoreau and the Slow Art Movement who put it on their banner. What is ‘Slow Art’? The movement believes that when people look at art slowly, they make discoveries. By looking closely, you won’t require an expert to explain things to you. Slow Art unlocks your own creativity and passion for art!
Slow Art Day this Saturday, 27 April 2013, asks everyone to visit an art gallery to look at art slowly. Look at just 5 artworks for 10 minutes each, and see what happens. Get some friends together, and discuss your findings over lunch! Or join us for ‘Linger Longer’ – the only official Slow Art Day activity in Leeds!
Just in time for these contemplative exercises, the Gallery has plenty for you to feast your eyes upon. Our new exhibition ‘Jewish Artists in Yorkshire’ reveals and celebrates treasures by artists of Jewish heritage, in honour of the Leeds Jewish community’s 150th anniversary celebrations. We’ve got lovely artists’ books from Herbert Read’s collection still on display until this weekend. And of course, all kinds of events, exploring topics as diverse as ‘The Paradox of the Modern Jewish Artist’ to making puppets!”

Wellbeing Web workshop at Inkwell next Tuesday

Social Media surgeries have been getting very popular in the last couple of years, as places where people who have some information and knowledge about social media give their time to help people who want to learn. For people involved in mental health, either as workers or people with direct experience, there’s now a free regular social media surgery every second Tuesday of the month at Inkwell Community Arts Centre in Chapel Allerton, 3.30 to 5 p.m. And next Tuesday Leeds Wellbeing Web will be running a workshop there!

I first went to a social media surgery about a year ago, knowing virtually nothing about blogging, tweeting etc. but wanting to learn because of a growing interest in Leeds Wellbeing Web. It was actually a really nice experience. An experienced blogger took me aside and worked with me one to one for about an hour, answering my naive questions, and generally being extremely kind and patient. The surgery next Tuesday at the Inkwell is being run by Leeds Mind and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and their blurb says ‘our surgeries are a safe space to learn about how to use the web and social media to communicate, campaign or collaborate. It is relaxed and informal, offering a friendly helping hand and no jargon’. Whatever you want to learn about – WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, or any of the millions of other things out there, chances are someone will be able to help you work it out, or at least point you in the right direction. If you want to know more about the event as a whole go to:
http://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/_documentbank/2248_Social_media_leaflet_JAN_13_2.pdf

Tuesday would also be a great time to come along and meet members of Leeds Wellbeing Web (see above planning what we’ll be doing on Tuesday). We are cheerful amateurs, learning all the time about this, but we do jointly have a vision for a living online space where people with experience of mental health issues (as we all are) can talk to each other about what it is about this city that helps us to survive. We’ll be there from 3.30 to 5 to talk about how we came to set the Wellbeing Web up, what we’ve been doing, and what we plan to do next. You can sign up for the workshop at:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5948715769

If you want to know more, or want to volunteer as a ‘surgeon’, contact Sarah on 0113 3055989 or e-mail communications.lypft@nhs.net

I was tired after watching Christian and Vicky work so hard