Harlow Council Talking Tea Party

Councillor Clive Souter presented cheque for wonderful £265.22 raised by hosting a Talking Tea Party for Mind in West Essex.

Talking is key to wellbeing, there’s nothing like a good cup of tea and chat to show you care about how someone is feeling. Showing an interest in a person’s wellbeing has reciprocal benefits for you too! You never really know someone until you have time to actually listen to what they’re saying. In the busy world we live in, it’s easy to walk by rather than say hi, how are you?

We are delighted to receive the support from Councillor Souter and all who donated, a great way to have a conversation about mental health. 

Feel inspired to host your own Talking Tea Party? To receive your free pack email [email protected]

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 16th January 2020

Community Spirit Shines Through

Whilst it saddens us to see so many people in need of Foodbank support, we are so grateful for your support. This year along with Foodbank donations families received toys donated by you. We handed out a substantial amount of toys but have some left over for this year.

With the January sales why not pick up a pressie and drop it in. We will store in until December and gift it to the families in need. Your support is invaluable and being kind is a simple act we can all do. You made so many people happy, and we can’t thank you enough.

Happy New Year

Mind in West Essex and Foodbank 

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 6th January 2020

Managing Mental Health in Work

Training and resilience manager Mike Ellen sat down to chat with BreatheHR. Provider of HR administration solutions they take mental health in the workplace seriously. Training requests are on the increase and organisations are taking notice and action to support staff.

Mike take this opportunity to discuss some of the key issues surrounding mental health in work, a background of the work we are doing and how the Mind network works. Have a listen today and see how we can help. 

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 5th June 2019

Volunteers week – thank you

Volunteers Week

This year we celebrated the great work of our volunteers in our Wellbeing centre, Bushfair. The work of our volunteers means that people in our community can get support to manage their wellbeing.

Volunteering is a rewarding role and can create great connections, but what is most important is that it is invaluable to the individual and organisations. We appreciate all the hard work and dedication that our volunteers contribute and hope that they inspire you too.

Make a difference and volunteer in you community. Whether it is a one-off event, office support, or befriending there is something for everyone. Take a look here.

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 5th June 2019

Soapbox 2019

Wow, wow, wow. We are blown away. What a spectacular event the Soapbox Derby was. We have to say a huge thank you to the Great Dunmow Soapbox Race for choosing us as one of their three charities this year. 

Without the support of donors and fundraisers, being able to support our community to stay mentally healthy would be limited. Without the help of the volunteers on the day we would not have had this opportunity and so a huge thank you goes out to them too. 

15,000 – 20,000 people in attended on the day raising £40,000 to be shared between the named charities. This will make a huge difference to your community. We hope you had a great day and enjoyed the fantastic show that was put on.

If you are in distress, feeling out of sorts then reach out 01371 876641, Talking Helps, We Listen.

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 29th May 2019

CPD Event Cancelled

It is with deep regret that we have to cancel the Tame the Mind; Feed the Mind CPD event. Please contact Jen via email [email protected] with any queries. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 26th April 2019

Poetry for Positivity – Free Course

We are please to announce another Poetry for Positivity course starting on Thursday 16th May at 2pm. The lovely Sam will be taking the 6 week course which will be from 2-4pm at the Uttlesford Community Hub, Great Dunmow.

There is no entry level requirement, it is a case of coming along and letting Sam guide you. So if you would like to take this limited opportunity contact Sam directly on [email protected]

This is an example of the work the produced in Harlow:

A poem written by a member of the Poetry for Positivity Programme. The group were given a line from Brendan Kennelly’s poem, ‘Begin’ which read, ‘Every beginning is a Promise.’ Using this line they were given the opportunity to attempt an acrostic poem (Where the suggested word or line is written vertically down the left-hand side of the page and each line begins with the letters in that order).

Every day, awaken with renewed
Vigor and valor,
Energized by the rising sun to
Right the wrongs of society, and may we all
Yearn to be

Better human beings one day at a time.
Envision a world without injustice, our numbers
Growing one by one, larger,
Into a movement that takes not only self-interests, but
National interests to heart.
Nurture a desire for justice
Into our children that they may strive to ignore the
Negativity the world throws at us,
Generate in them an

Interest to see and be aware of the
Social injustices that exist

And express your love for them, hug them as you stare at the rising sun.

Protect them as they grow, for one day, they may well
Revive in their peers the need to strenuously
Object to government controls over our
Minds and self-being.
Instill belief in a new a
Social justice system which
Empowers the needy and overlooked in society.

C J Nash 08/02/19

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 12th March 2019

Big Lotto Community Fund Success

We are delighted to announce that our Let’s Get Digital bid with the Big Lotto Community Fund was successful. With out I.T systems being over 10 years old it has certainly restricted our ability to work efficiently. With the team feeling frustrated by poor equipment and not having the funds we turned to IT4Charity.

IT4Charity have been succesfully providing funding solutions to the voluntary sector in the South East for over a decade. We are based in Eastbourne on the South Coast and our customer base covers Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and London.

Together we developed a bid and have been successful in securing £10, 000 worth of I.T equipment and support for a year. This has been well received by all the team and has enabled us to be more effective in our roles. No longer waiting for the whirling thing to load! Can you imagine the pain.

So a huge thanks to Big Lotto Community Fund for enabling us to achieve a happier workforce, and more streamlined approach. 

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 12th March 2019

Mad Hatters Tea Party

Art students from Harlow college used their exhibition day as an opportunity to host a tea party in aid of us. This was no ordinary tea party with a wonderful Alice in Wonderland theme. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party showed great skill and imagination. 

A huge thanks goes out to all who we involved and our volunteers for attending on the day, showing real support. Raising awareness about mental health and reducing stigma is a key aim of ours. When the community get involved it makes us very proud. (more…)

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 12th March 2019

400m Knockout Endurance Race

We are delighted to see awareness raising in the community for mental ill health. Flitch Green runners held a 400m Knockout Endurance race to do just that. Evidence show that exercise is as good for treating mild to moderate depression as some medications. 

One of the 5 ways to wellbeing is Be Active and no matter what level that is, it is shown to improve our over all wellbeing. So what better way to raise awareness than though a community event such as this. (more…)

Author: Sarah Huggett
Posted on: 12th March 2019