23 days and counting - SuttonSoup.org.uk (click to visit)

its near 8pm and the tasks i have to complete are lining up. one of the tasks has been completed, and that is to get the My Mental Wellness UK cic and the Take P-heART logos printed on our t-shirts. I asked on facebook, looking for a local printer to get the shirts printed in time for the 24th apr, and somebody recommended Lucie Fapoosy, who runs Universal Transfers UK, from Sutton. I described my requirements, sent the logos and a quick example of where to print the logos. She appologised as its a weekend, then sent a mockup of what it would look like. Yes, amazing. Then she did something so unexpected. When I asked how much, she said consider it a donation to My Mental Wellness UK cic and Take P-heART, then an invoice came through for £0.00. I just sat stairing at the screen for a couple of minutes, trying to think of words to express our gratitude. Thank you Lucie, your amazing. I hope you have chance to come up and use the Art and Craft materials. So, why the rush to get it printed? On the 24th Apr, we are presenting Take P-heART to around 200 people. The presentation take 4 minutes, and then the audience can ask 4 questions. Then there are 3 other charties / CIC's to present. After the presentation, we all (well, hum, im not sure if we get a mug of soup but) go and get a mug of soup, and while drinking the soup, they vote for the best presentation. That person can take home as much at £1400-£1500, depending on how many attend and pay £5 at the door for their soup.

On top of this, I applied for funding with The Fore, and I received an email confirming im through to stage 2, where I have to write a 3 page document, describing what my business is, what I do and how the money would help. They dont want to know what it will be spent on, but how it will help me, the business and the people who benifit from the business.

The next couple of weeks are going to be exciting... I just have no words to express how im feeling, how things are progressing. It is truely amazing and im so grateful for the support.

Now for the bit i dont like doing, fund raising. If you have used our services, and you have found it useful, please consider donating, but please understand, the website and services are all free to use. You dont have to donate to use them.. You can find 3 methods of donating in the link section of takepheart.mymentalwellness.uk including a link to easy fund raiser, which doesnt cost you a penny to raise donations for us, or if you prefer, please contact me and I will share details to setup a bank transfer.

to social media or not to

The Magic of Showing Up (and Believing!) There's a special kind of feeling when you're setting up for something you've poured your heart into. We arrived at the cinema, those familiar butterflies fluttering as we laid out the materials, anticipation buzzing in the air. 11 am ticked by, and a little whisper of "where is everyone?" crept in. We've all been there, right? That moment of wondering, "Did we do enough?" Did we share enough on social media? Did we miss a local group?

I know many of you understand that feeling of doubt. You put your all into something, and then… you wait. But even in those moments of uncertainty, there's always a spark of hope. I remembered talking to someone at our last session, and it reminded me how important it is to connect directly with people. We took a moment to show them how to navigate our WhatsApp channel, and their eyes lit up as they discovered all the updates. It was a beautiful reminder that sometimes, we just need to guide each other.

Then, this morning, a little ray of sunshine! A visit to my doctor, who’s been so supportive of Take P-heART, turned into a moment of pure joy. He told me that people are talking about what we're doing in meetings! Hearing that our efforts are making a difference, that we're reaching people, fills my heart with warmth.

And then, the magic began. At 11:30 am, one person arrived, then another, and another! Social media, it seems, was working its wonders after all. The cinema has been incredible, sharing our events in their emails, and we're so grateful for their support. And even better news: we'll be featured in the Sutton Scene in April!

It's clear, isn't it? We're growing. We're proving that we're needed. We're creating a community, a space where people can come together and enjoy the magic of conversation, arts and crafts. And most importantly, we're here for you.

To everyone who's been a part of this journey, thank you. Thank you for believing in us, for showing up, and for being a part of something truly special. We're here for you, and we invite you to come and join in the joy!

Catching Up & Heartfelt Thanks

Catching Up & Heartfelt Thanks

Wow, time flies! It's been a whirlwind since our last update in January. We've been incredibly busy, and we have so much to share.

Generous Donations Fuel Our Mission

First, a huge thank you to the Rotary Club! In February, we were delighted to receive a £100 donation from them, courtesy of their Christmas Santa. They're allowed to support a Charity/CIC, and this year, Santa chose Take P-heART. We're truly grateful, Darren!

We also want to express our deepest condolences and heartfelt gratitude to the family of Trish Gomez. Trish was a talented artist who sadly passed away last year. Her family generously donated her artist materials and tools to us, a gesture we are deeply honored by. Thank you.

Take P-heART: A Thriving Community Hub

Speaking of Take P-heART, we're absolutely thrilled to share that we've welcomed over 100 people to our Talking Arts and Crafts sessions at Throwley Yard Cinema since we launched on December 27th, 2024! We're open every Thursday from 11 am to 3 pm.

To learn more about our WhatsApp channel, chat, and how you can donate, please visit our website: takepheart.mymentalwellness.uk.

Exciting News: Becoming a Bewell Hub!

And now for some exciting news! We've completed training to become a Bewell Hub, in partnership with Citizens UK and London Listens. This initiative is all about fostering community conversations and providing vital support. Stay tuned for more details!

Better yet, why not come along to Take P-heART and hear it all firsthand? We'd love to see you there.

Until next time (whenever that may be!), we wish you all the best.

Art and Crafts Take P'HeArt 2

Art and Crafts Take P'HeArt 2

9th of Jan, we had our second Art session. We had 8 people at the first session, this time we had 12 people. We also had the first business meeting for My Mental Wellness UK CIC with all 3 directors, and later, with the Health Ambasidor Project lead from Sutton Volunteer center.

All I can say is im blown away with the ideas. We have a target audiance for the art and crafts, as well as a focus on the website.

One of the Talk, Art and Crafts participants came over and asked, if they paid for some tiles, could they take them away. Now, the idea is that the service is provided free of charge, so my responce was, yes, there are two pay scales, one is £0, and you just take what you made away, the other is £300. The idea is that the £300 is too expencive so they would go for the £0 option, but no, they wouldnt accept either. So, after discussing with everybody who was at the session, is, make a donation of what you feel it is worth to you. Nothing more, nothing less.

some of the others said they attend groups elsewhere, who charge £2 - £3 for a 1 to 2 hour session, we are open 4 - 6 hours, so they think we should charge for our sessions. Im against that. The idea is there are no boundries preventing people from joining in. At this time, with the cost of living, I want people to have a distraction, a safe place for people to go, to have fun, to get away from the world out there. so the idea is, come, have a chat, do some art and crafts, but if you want to take it away with you, then make a donation of what it is worth to you.

Take P'HeArt Lives

It happened. 27th Dec, Throwley Yard Cinema, 11am. We hosted our first art session. We had 8 people come, and spend the majority of the day with us. the feedback is amazing, so, yes, we are going to make it a repeating event. We provided supplies, books to colour and, someone to talk to. The day ended up with conversations more than creative art, except for the oranges and cloves which one participant brought to do, along with the whole history behind the oranges and cloves. We are looking at several different venues in Sutton along with the Selkirk pub to see which would be better suited, but at the moment, the cinema is winning.

so, come along to the next event, where you can be as creative or talkative as you want, all free of charge.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Ok, yes, its almost over, but now is when I have time to sit down with a glass of ... Yeah ok, JD Honey and Coke.

After cooking a turkey, large enough for 14 people ( there is 3 of us, plus dogs and cats ), I realise that this business has consumed me. Im either providing care which is needed for a good portion of the day, or im looking at the business which now consists of the website, looking for funding, attending several stearing forums, attending support groups I co-host and well, we will get to the next bit shortly, but I need to apologise to those who I usually contact to say Merry Christmas or interact in some way.

And you know why? did you know there were over 75 thousand people alone last year? I want to do my best to help bring that number down.

I have funally got 3 directors for the business to go ahead and should have the bank account finalised on Friday, which is our event launch day. Yes, thats right, free events. The Arts and Crafts project we have named Take P'HeArt, is free to attend. We will have a few bits and peices for sale, such as the useful Fridge magnet, which provides quick access to this website, and a completly optional £1 donation towards venue hire and the supplies.

So, back to Christmas ( Take P'HeArt is on the 27th )... even now, im looking around, and all i see is art supplies (some were kindly donated from a friend - thanks Julie ) and im thinking about updating the website with the company number. (now done - nothing like the present to do things eh) and listing the directors (yeah, that to is now done) but the biggest update is still yet to come, which will integrate the events calendar in with the whole of the website.

And this is where im going to say oh no... I forgot to send Christmas Cards out so... this is my thought to you... Merry Christmas, have a fantastic New Year, but if you find you are struggling, then please check out this website to see if there are services and venues local to you who are waiting for your call to support you.

Ok, ive been called. Nibbles and dips comming up.

Merry Christmas!

This is it... A proper business

17th Dec. This is the date it all starts.... on the 17th Dec, i received the documentation inciating that registration for the business was successfull. so, still really busy. Next friday is the first P'HeArt session which is really exciting but, getting the stuff together is taking its time. We will get there. We will succeed, lets see what happens eh

Take P'HeArt

Hello... I have been so busy. Ok, firstly, I now have all the signatories to create the CIC Business. I will be doing this over the weekend. Secondly, and this one I am more excited about than creating the business... Take P'HeArt, Take PArt in Art from the HeArt, get it, a play on words, and letters... Tracy came up with this, which is the new arts and crafts group sessions we are starting, the first is being held on the 27th Dec, the aim is to provide a safe space for people to meet, talk and take part in arts and crafts to help with both combating Mental Health and loneliness.

All supplies are provided free of charge, all we ask, if its affordable, is an optional one pound donation towards costs and venue rent.

The art sessions are listed under the support group in Sutton, and the first starting at 11am, 27th Dec 2024 at: Throwley Yard Cinema 2 Throwley Rd Sutton SM1 4GJ

im so excited!

your rights with section 91 and Triangle of Care

Morning all. So, section 91, Triangle of care... have you heard of them???

Section 91 is part of the Health and Care Act 2014 It describes that the NHS trusts and foundation trusts have a duty to involve patients and carers in discharge planning for adults who require care after leaving hospital.

So what does that mean? It ensures patients and carers have a say in their care and discharge plans by promoting communication between healthcare professionals, patients, and carers with the intention to improve the quality of care and reduce unplanned readmissions.

Triangle of Care emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication between healthcare professionals, patients, and carers.

Where the Healthcare Professional is the medical or nursing staff providing care to the patient, the Patient is the individual receiving care and the Carer is the person who provides support and assistance to the patient, often a family member or friend.

The intention is improved patient outcomes due to shared decision-making and coordinated care. This can have a further effect resulting in enhanced patient satisfaction and reduced stress for carers.

How does Section 91 and the Triangle of Care work together and how does it relate to you? Section 91 and the Triangle of Care promotes patient-centered care and collaboration between healthcare professionals, patients, and carers. Section 91 provides a legal foundation for involving patients and carers in discharge planning, while the Triangle of Care emphasizes the importance of collaboration and communication among all parties involved in the care process.

References: Section 91 of the Health and Care Act 2014 is a key piece of legislation in the United Kingdom that focuses on improving the discharge process for patients leaving hospital. Here's a link to the official government website where you can find the text of Section 91: * Legislation.gov.uk: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/section/91

Triangle of care https://carers.org/triangle-of-care/the-triangle-of-care#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Triangle%20of,by%20including%20and%20supporting%20carers.

The not so weekly, weely round up

Weekly Round up

Hello and well, here we are, a little over , 2 weeks late.

Service Verification

Firstly, I have a system to verify and validate the services I signpost to. Its a simple system, it will email to the service provider, tell them what is held in this site, and ask them to click a link to validate the information. Click a link. thats all. What I want to know is, if people click the validation link, does it work? or is the link not clear enough?

Should i reduce the information sent via email so they have to click the link to see what is being held... I get several emails saying thanks, thats right, or amendments to the information. This can all be changed if the link is used, and the service can be removed if the provider doesnt want it to be hosted on this site, all they have to do is click the link in the email.

Activities

So, the past two weeks, I have again, attended several meetings, related to services presented to service users, and support systems presented to carers. The initial outcome, always seems positive, I can see the benifit in what they are trying to do. However, some of the meetings describe a different project, which, if implemented in the way it was ment, then there would be no need for, it feels, half of the projects, focus groups, meetings, because the intention in "this meeting" has already been explored and implemented. make sense?

Website Update.

I have new plans for the website. currently if a business has a service they offer, then thats good. one entry. but if that same business has 2, 3 or 5 services they offer, then there is duplication of informaiton, the only difference currently is the event title and posibly email address, so Im changing that. There will be a directory of businesses, and if you click on that, it will expand and show exactly what they offer. The initial home screen will remain the same, with easy and quick access to services, but if you want to know more, it will be there ... soon ...

Service providers update I have several, i guess, hundreds of services waiting to be put on the website, but currently the two people I care for are unwell, with a bug which is making the rounds locally, so my carers time is being made use of 100%, leaving not much after. this is resulting in the website not being updated as often and with as many entries as I would like. Watch this space, its happening, but slowly, and with the changes I intend to do, which ultimately will make the process quicker, is slowing things down while i complete it.This will also have an impact on the event calendar, which will be linked in to the services offered. this means any service which has restricted opening times and dates, will be able to define these on the website. Im still in two minds whether to hide them if they are not open, disable the button or just leave as is. What do you think?

Right, im going to get some coding in before it gets too late.

Have a good rest of the week, but if you need support, I trust you find the support you need at the time you need it.