It’s all about You at Impact…

It’s always great to get positive feedback, and at Impact we really enjoy pulling all of the comments together for our annual report. The next report will be available in March 2017!

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Bedford You Programme Postponed

The Bedford You Programme which was scheduled to start on 14th October has been postponed.

If you would like to know when the new dates are available, please get in touch and we’ll keep you up to date.

Pathways to Recovery… and we’re off!

Pathways to Recovery: Course 1. Week 1. Day 1. All the planning, preparation, team discussions (oh so many!) have all paid off. Our first day delivering our brand new Pathways to Recovery course has been a great success. The facilitators enthusiastically fed back their accounts of the day, starting with the delight of welcoming back […]

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Improved Mental Health – The Proof Is In The Smiles

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The You Programme Press Release

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Beth Hart and Bipolar Disorder

Beth Hart and Bipolar Disorder. Singer, Songwriter and a totally inspirational person!

I love and have most, but not all of her music. I have even had the good fortune to see her perform at the Roundhouse in Camden recently. Beth Hart is an artist heralded and admired by me and my immediate family. It’s a rare thing for the three of us to agree on something!

On the 8th December, The Independent wrote an article about Beth and her Bipolar

“The Grammy-nominated singer writes about the darker side of her creativity”

Good article. No, it was a damn good article! If I’m disappointed, it was by the too few comments (2 at the last count) that appeared below the article. With one in four of us experiencing some form of mental ill health and so many organisations with and without celebrities doing their bit to challenge stigma, raise awareness and promote healthy discussions, I was a tad saddened that this frank and honest insight into Beth’s world did not cause a ‘bigger’ conversation ripple…

However, just like her songs, Beth gives it her all, sparing no ‘twisted’ detail on the impact of bipolar on her work and in her life. The truth, straight up from a straight up kind a lady. I admired Beth for her skills in singing and song writing; Now? I am totally inspired by Beth as a person.

Community Mental Health Pilot Update

The Community Mental Health Pilot in Central Bedfordshire, funded by the Learning Skills Agency through Central Bedfordshire Council, has enabled Impact this year to deliver 12 two-day YOU Programmes in Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard, Stotfold and Biggleswade at a variety of community based venues.

Community Mental HealthWe are happy to report the programmes have provided us with very positive outcomes regarding the benefits to those attending our programmes. As such, it has been agreed to revert the two-day programme back into its original form of six-weeks, at one day a week.

Using the model of intentional peer support, the Impact team will help you identify well-being challenges, find techniques to overcome pressures and barriers and create plans to improve your health & well-being with a clear focus on your strengths to help build recovery plans for the future.

If you would like to know more about The You Programme, click here …

Reducing The Stigma Around Mental Health Issues In Children and Young Adults

The government is launching a campaign to reduce the stigma around mental health issues in children and young people.

But what about right here, right now?

We welcome the campaign with open arms and will be doing our best to raise awareness of the Youth Mental Health Hub website (YMHH?)  Considering the audience, we were expecting something with a slightly ‘snappier’ title?

Many of us know of and understand the challenges our youth are facing and the often devastating effects these can have on their mental wellbeing. So, we are somewhat surprised that we have to wait until 2018 for the government to complete the research of nearly 10,000 people aged from two to 19 and their families who will be interviewed to assess the prevalence of mental health issues, providing the first commissioned survey of young people’s mental health since 2004.

In the mean time, what support in addition to ‘YMHH’ is there? The charity Young Minds offers a wealth of information, all of which is useful and importantly, meaningful in its purpose and delivery. Their services feel fresh and to the point, with snappy, punchy titles too! We particularly like the title “HeadMeds” – that’s just so “on point”!

There are pockets of good practice, services and support up and down the country but with too few joined up practices, how can this be raised to support the three children in every classroom experience mental health problems ranging from self-harming to eating disorders, according to The Time to Change charity?

Personal Health Social and Economic (PSHE)  education, has in various forms been part of the National Curriculum for schools in UK since 2000 but not is seems, has this been compulsory. Perhaps now is the time. Not only should we be making this compulsory, schools should have the opportunity to work with agencies to provide a range of topics within PSHE and importantly, these topics should be determined by our students.

The more we engage and genuinely consult, the more we have a greater chance of changing the educational landscape to reflect the needs of our students, not just academically but in a way that will provide them with the life skills they might need to keep them well; emotionally, physically, spiritually, socially, professional and mentally. 

PSHE is vital but we need to adapt to the changing needs of our youth. Perhaps then, as a thought, PSHE ought to stand for… Peer Support for Health and Emotions?

Impact Provide Mental Health Training For Bedford College

On 1st July, the hottest day of the year so far, Impact were delighted, if not a tad over-heated, to join Bedford College once again for the staff annual conference and training. A warm and wonderful reception from everyone at all three sessions!  Thank you once again for making us feel welcome.

…and a few words from the College

Bedford College was delighted to have Impact join us at our staff conference this year.  Carol and Deanne held lively and open discussions about mental health and shared their personal experiences.  The discussions around peer support helped staff recognise potential mental distress in themselves and in others.  All three sessions were fully booked and received very positive feedback from staff from across all areas of the college.   We look forward to working with Impact again.

Claire Issacs

Advisory Group for Target Depression in the Workplace

On Monday 8th of June the Advisory Group for Target Depression in the Workplace met in Brussels, Belgium. Our Chief Executive, Déanne Clark was kindly invited by one of the most influential figures in the global mental health field, Bill Wilkerson, Executive Chairman, Mental Health International, to attend the group and deliver a brief presentation on:

In addition to enjoying her time in Brussels and sampling rather too much delicious Belgian chocolate – the Advisory Group provided Déanne with exciting and thought provoking discussions on how to tackle this debilitating and avoidable illness in the work place.

Within the comprehensive attendee pack, Déanne found information and introductions to a wide variety of topical issues relating to the Advisory Group’s current and future plans. Importantly, she was delighted to read some real ‘down-to-earth’ facts about this employee epidemic and in particular Bill’s source document Why Depression, Why Business, Why Now.

The ‘Target’ pilot projects are ambitious and inspiring and to be among the people and companies from around the world such as those that make up the group and who have willingly come together to face, challenge and succeed against an illness that can only be described as a ‘mind bully’, was, to say the least for Déanne, humbling, and she admits she came away inspired, enlightened and slightly overwhelmed – in a positive way!

The group’s interest in the Impact Mental Health model of peer support was encouraging, and the interest and the questions about mental health peer support were testament to the work still to be done and the people still to be reached.

In work, out of work, peer support works; Déanne believes our services can play a vital part in complementing other support services, to help shape and create peer-active and supportive work place environments, and she looks forward to continuing the relationship with Bill and the trailblazing advisory group, Target Depression in the Workplace.