Events To Mark World Mental Health Day Focusing On Workplace Wellbeing And How You Can Get Involved

Published on: 3 Oct, 2017
Updated on: 4 Oct, 2017

World Mental Health Day is being marked in Guildford on Tuesday next week (October 10) with free awareness events at Farnham Road Hospital, plus some of the town’s iconic buildings will be lit in purple in support of the day.

Sparky’s is open to all.

The fabulous Sparky’s café at Farnham Road Hospital is open to all and next Tuesday will feature:

A talk on eating disorders by health and wellbeing adviser Suzette Jones. 11.30am to 12.15pm.

Free healthy buffet lunches and distribution of information about the connection between healthy eating and good mental health. 12.30pm to 1pm.

Music by the Music in Hospitals organisation. 1pm to 2pm.

A talk on the importance of positive thinking with sound therapist Valerie Drummond. 2pm to 3pm.

Laughter yoga with professional teacher Yasmin Pain. 3.30pm to 4pm.

Plus, Guildford Dragon NEWS writer and local historian David Rose will be leading a free guided walk from Sparky’s café, starting at 10.15 am.

Hear about the history of the hospital and the Guildford Park area of Guildford as the walk will go up to Guildford Cathedral and back. Arrive early to have a coffee before the walk, and / or another when you return.

The landscapes grounds of Farnham Road Hospital and a number of sculptures are well worth seeing.

Sparky’s Café is run by the Richmond Fellowship, a charity with more than 55 years’ experience in mental health.

Not only does the café offers a delicious and varied menu with very accessible prices, its staff includes volunteers who have mental health issues and learning difficulties.

Something of a best-kept local café secret, it is used by patients, staff and visitors to Farnham Road Hospital, but is open to all and well worth a visit.

It can be accessed through the main entrance to the hospital off Farnham, Road, or from the ‘back’ entrance from Bray Road, with an easy walk to the café.

Sparky’s is open from 8am to 6pm on Mondays to Fridays, and from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Saturdays.

Click here for Sparky’s Facebook page. See what others say about the café.

Voluntary Action South West Surrey’s (VASWS) new Welcome Buddies project supports people with mental ill-health helping them take part in activities within the community.

It is currently recruiting volunteers across Guildford and Waverley who enjoy meeting and chatting to people in the community and who are available two to three hours each week (flexible).

Full training is offered, supported by a VASWS co-ordinator. Reasonable agreed expenses will be paid.

Once trained, volunteer buddies will help people to build up confidence and motivation, search for meaningful activities, attend interviews with clients and activities if required.

Most importantly volunteers will be a listening ear and a friendly person to share time with.

For more details call Denise Graves at VASWS on 07825 417204 Email: d.graves@vasws.org.uk

You can sign up on VASWS’s website: www.voluntaryactionsws.org.uk

VASWS Welcome to Volunteering project also hosts a drop-in session on Tuesdays from 11am to 2pm at the Wilfrid Noyce Centre in Godalming for people who are suffering from mental ill-health. Lots of activities are planned for the session on World Mental Health Day. For details, call Denise Graves on the above number, or Lorraine Yates on 0777 5556772. Email: l.yates@vasws.org.uk

Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre will be lit up in purple in support of World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, October 10.

Making a vibrant effort to highlight the importance of mental health and wellness on Tuesday, Guildford Cathedral, the Castle, Tunsgate, the Guildhall and Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre will be lit up in purple.

The theme for World Mental Health Day 2017 is workplace wellbeing. It is being organised by the World Federation for Mental Health.

Guildford’s Oakleaf Enterprise has provided vocational training for people with mental health needs since 1995. It is encouraging people to “start talking about mental health in the workplace”.

On its website is notes: “Did you know that one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem this year?

“Or that time off work due to a mental health illness costs the UK economy £108 billion per annum?

“At Oakleaf Enterprise our aim is to make life work with mental illness and to break down the stigma attached to mental health.

“Encourage positive mental health in the workplace by: ensuring everyone takes regular breaks, introducing leisure and team building activities, helping to manage and relieve colleagues’ workload, encouraging open and honest conversations about mental health.

“World Mental Health Day is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. Mental health problems can affect anyone, on any day of the year, but October 10 is a great day to show your support for better mental health and start looking after your own wellbeing.”

Cllr Iseult Roche.

Guildford Borough Councillor, Iseult Roche, lead councillor for health, safeguarding, sport and its Project Aspire initiative, said: “Through Project Aspire we are committed to improving the lives of all our residents, including those with mental health problems.

“Mental health problems have sometimes been a taboo subject in the past. Although this is changing, we still need to work together. We are also working with Guildford First [a new group set up to highlight mental health issues among local businesses] to highlight awareness.

“We are also engaged with the Time to Change campaign, and aim to remove the fear of stigma of talking about mental health issues at work.”