Victoria Park Foodbank
"Working with the Victoria Park Baptist Church foodbank volunteers has been very beneficial. The volunteers were one of the first groups that I used the new CASS Toolkit documents with, and also used the new CASS booklet. These resources had a very positive response. One mentioned that he had been saying for years that it would be great to have one ‘go to’ document to find more information to help them with their work at the foodbank, as often they have felt lost or unable to help. They were very grateful for the information session, and were amazed by the amount of different services available that they previously had no idea existed." Natalie Campbell
Training Greenway Centre
"I worked with the ACE Service and Southmead Development Trust to develop some training for staff at the Greenway Centre.
The aim of the training was to support front of house staff (receptionists, café team etc) who come into contact with people with mental health needs. Since the mental health team have moved to the Greenway Centre, inevitably, Southmead Development Trust staff have come into contact with more people with mental health needs, and occasionally, in situations of distress. This training was therefore developed to help staff become more confident in managing situations that may arise, whether with clients of AWP or any other member of the public using the building with mental health needs.
I worked with the different teams in the Greenway Centre to get a picture of what would be useful to them in a training sessions and then collaborated with ACE to put something together that was bespoke to meet their needs.
Feedback from the training was that most people found it useful and relevant. It also offered a good opportunity for staff and management to reflect on the systems that they have in place and consider how they operate as an organisation. This case study shows a good example of responding to the needs of a community organisation and working together with others to provide something that is meaningful and practical for their work."
Southmead Sports Campaign
"During the 2016 Olympics, I worked together with 4 sports groups in Southmead on a campaign to promote the benefits of sport for local men, and how it impacts upon their physical and mental health.
Southmead Community Sports (football club), Southmead Rugby Club, Southmead Boxing Club and TNT gym participated in this campaign.
This campaign was aimed at men, one of CASS’ equalities groups, as research shows that men are less likely to seek help and support around their mental health when they need it. This campaign aimed to recognise and celebrate the things that are important in peoples’ lives in contributing to their positive wellbeing. The campaign also provided an opportunity for communities to find out about mental health help and support available for when people may be struggling.
This project was made up of:
1. A Facebook campaign
2. Online articles telling the stories of 6 local men involved in sports (linked to Facebook campaign)
http://themead.org.uk/news/southmead-stories-power-sport-0
3. Appearance on BBC Radio Bristol (Saturday morning show) with 2 sports group leaders promoting the campaign and talking about men’s mental health
4. Full article in The Mead newspaper, delivered to just under 5000 homes in Southmead.
The campaign was successful in creating a local buzz and generating conversation in Southmead and specifically within the sports clubs themselves. During the week of the campaign, it reached over 18,000 people on Facebook and over 500 people clicked to read the full articles." Letty Anderton
Polish Professionals Network
The meeting I had with the Polish Professionals Network was lively and interesting. We discussed the many different needs of the Polish community and the barriers they face to accessing services. We also discussed how the current provision of services can be improved.
I also promoted the Time to Change Champions Fund and everybody was interested. I explained how to apply, and how important it is to be able to talk about mental health without the stigma attached to it. Later on, I was informed by the head of the Polish Saturday School in Bristol that their application was successful. Two volunteers from the school held an event in February, delivering information on mental health services in Bristol and holding meaningful discussions. Anna Balcerek
A church group in north Bristol
Last month, I sent out an e-bulletin with a focus on men’s mental health. A person who I had previously worked with through CASS emailed me (8 months after our initial meeting) with interest in the topic. They asked if I knew of any related groups and activities in North Bristol. I passed on some information and offered to keep in touch with other materials on men’s mental health.
This shows that the work we do isn’t just a one-off interaction with a group, but establishing a relationship with a group leader and staying connected through useful and relevant information. It shows the value of our work as a source of information for community, equality and faith groups in developing their knowledge and understanding of mental health. Letty Anderton
The Durville Road Neighbourhood Watch Group
The Durville Road Neighbourhood Watch Group has been going for a number of years but, when I met with this group, they told me that they just don’t talk about mental health. No matter what they may be going through, they just don’t talk about it. I explained CASS’s role in relation to Bristol Mental Health and the local community. I also shared a selection of leaflets about local services and general wellbeing.
After the meeting, I followed up with an email containing links to further information and positive stories of people sharing their experiences of mental health. The group leader fed back that this was particularly helpful and meant that he developed a better understanding of mental health. He went on to share this information with another group member who also found it helpful.
I later ran an activity with this group where several people took away leaflets, asked questions and shared their stories. One attendee thanked me for coming and said she had found it informative and helpful. Agata Palmer
