Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Newsletter October 2008
If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it, even if I may not have it at the beginning. Mahatma Gandhi
Artist to launch PRA new Fundraising Event
We are fortunate to have on board a contemporary artist, Natascha Germane, to support our fundraising work. Natascha was born in Hamburg in 1972 to German/Persian parents. She moved to Tehran when she was very young and lived there for a few years during the thickest fighting of the Iran/Iraq war. She studied graphic design and took an apprenticeship to a master painter. She works with a variety of material and her work has been exhibited in Hamburg and now in London. Natascha is donating a number of tailor made paintings for our counselling rooms to assist with the therapeutic process as well as 20% of the sale of her paintings which will be exhibited in our Et Cetera Gallery in the next few months. You will have the opportunity to view the exhibition while enjoying a complimentary drink and listen to live music. So watch this space to find out when the event will take place, we are looking forward to seeing you there.
New Training Opportunities
Thanks to the kind support of The Tana Trust, two new training programmes are on offer to all PRA members. They will be delivered by Create and will take place from October 2008 to March 2009. There will be a course in "Jewellery Design and Making" and a course in "Journalistic photography" to complement the "Citizen Journalism" training programme which will be delivered by Social Spider.
Both workshops are run by professionals in the specific field and will lead to certificates of accreditation. At the end of the training an exhibition of students’ jewellery and photographs will be held at PRA’s Et Cetera Gallery in Hackney. The certificates will be presented to the candidates at a ceremony combining the private viewing and attended by The Tana Trust representatives, PRA stakeholders, families and friends of students, local dignitaries and the media.
Access to Justice Conference
PRA Et Cetera Gallery hosted an ‘Access to Justice’ event organised by the Mental Health Special Interest Group (MHSIG) and City & Hackney MIND. It included presentations given by MIND, a lawyer from the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Hackney Borough Commander of the Met.
The aim was to break down mutual suspicion and misunderstanding between the criminal justice system and service users. About 100 people attended of which only about 15-20 were service users. The discussions were dominated by mental health professionals who made up the majority of attendees.
Deloitte Volunteers
In August Deloitte volunteers worked hard to repaint the top floor of our sheltered workshop in Hackney. In addition they engaged with members to paint pictures on canvas to hang on the walls.
This was not all; the volunteers provided a picnic lunch for all the members in the local park. It was a great day enjoyed by all and the outcome is a much brighter working environment for our members, full of cheering master paintings!!
But that is not all, two other groups of Deloitte volunteers treated members of Et Cetera and 18G (former Mitchley) workshops to a day out at Kenwood House in July and members of the Stean Street workshop and Darnley Road Day Centre to a day trip to the Hendon Air Museum in September. All had a great time and totally enjoyed the venues.
A big thank you to Deloitte Volunteers!
Summer Day Trips
Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors PRA members have had the opportunity to enjoy a number of day trips to the seaside and places of interest. The resources went even further when projects joined forces and trips to Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze, Margate and Hastings were organised.
Frantic Theatre Co. visits Southwood Smith Centre
On 15th August 08, members at Southwood Smith enjoyed a music and dance show presented by the Frantic Theatre Co. 35 members attended and it was a successful afternoon with a delicious buffet spread to tempt all.
PRA Annual Art Exhibition
Preparations for the next PRA Art Exhibition are in progress. It is a great event with a variety of exhibits, from paintings and drawings to woodwork, ceramics, photography, poetry, jewellery, handmade cards, sculptures and much more. The exhibition will open on the 15th December and run for one week. All PRA members and friends are invited to the special event and award ceremony on the 18th December starting from 2.00pm. Any member interested in participating will need to submit the art work by the 5th December to the Et Cetera Gallery. Delayed entries may not be accepted.
News from Haringey User Network
The Haringey User Network (HUN) continues to grow and develop. Over the summer a new glossy quarterly newsletter was launched. Designed, written and edited entirely by service users it is full of up to date information and it has been a great success. If you would like to receive the next edition, please contact the HUN coordinators at info@haringeyusernetwork.org.uk or phone 020 8885 1258 or Freefone 0800 012 1803. And they will add your name to the mailing list.
HUN is hosting a special meeting for service users, carers and other interested parties in Haringey on the current changes to benefits, in particular to Incapacity Benefit. A benefits advisor, Mr. Danni Hardi will speak and answer any questions people may have. All are welcome. Details are as follows:
2pm, Friday 17 October
Therapeutic Network,
Canning Crescent Community Health Centre,
276 High Road
Wood Green N22 8JT.
Good Bye to:
Katie Bury, who has moved on to train as a mental health nurse. We wish her all the best in the development of her new career.
Welcome to:
Iliana Tufo and Shirley Quartey-Gyamfi, who have joined our staff team at the Cloudesley Road project. We wish them success in their new role. Oscar Kjell, who has joined the Co-ordinators team at the Haringey User Network. We wish him well in his new post. Lorraine Henry, who has joined the Darnley Road staff team. We wish her all the best in her new position.
C4BH - The Stress of Disappointment
Unfortunately, things don’t always work out according to our expectation or desires. Relationships fail or go cold, business strategies fall flat, healing takes longer than expected, and these are just a few examples of what encourages disappointment. Emotions such as grief and sadness are often associated with disappointment, and the level of stress that results is often determined, not so much by disappointment, but by the way we handle it. I read once that Walt Disney went bankrupt seven times before finally being successful. We must admit that he coped extremely well with disappointment by getting up and starting again. Certainly determination, a sense of self-worth and a desire to succeed were the right ingredients which helped him along. Disappointments extract maximum toll when we give up, when the desire to continue evaporates. Trying again is the true measure of who you are and even if disappointment reoccurs at least you have the satisfaction of reconfirming your own courage, determination and willpower.
We, at the C4BH, believe that managing stress is one of the secrets of better health. Our holistic approach to healthier living is supported by a number of initiatives and we have a lot of information which is available to those interested.
To find out more contact our Services Co-ordinator
Simon Behrman
Tel. 0208 985 3570
Email: simonbehrman@praservices.org.uk.
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