Hello, and here is this weeks roundup. firstly, shortly after Swindon's carers center announced that they were closing, they posted that they had come to an agreement and will be open until at least 1st Jan 2026. fantastic news. But that sent me on a research quest. The research I performed found 461 carers resources which I have imported in to the website. Im slowly going through these one by one to ensure they are still valid, that there is the correct contact details, website, facebook page etc. Its going to take time, the result being, day by day, there are further carers resources which are being signposted to from this website.

This week saw another event hosted by Spear London, in Kingston, where I had a long conversation with the Mayor of Kingston and providing her with a handful of leaflets for her office. Having interacted with a number of service providers who were keen on using the website, and service providers who again indicated they were keen on using the website to find services they were not aware of.

Website update: The location service I use to get the district / town / area you are located is proving to give false information. I am in the middle of updating the method of locating your area to be able to provide the support you need. This means you either click on allow to enable the browser to send location details which will result in finding the district / area your in, or using your postcode, which will again just return your area. I dont save any information about users of this website, and the information provided is publicly available.

Next week: Not a lot happening next week, Chatterbox is back on Thursday, which I have indicated that I would be interested in co-hosting this event, so when the person running it is away, i can step in and ensure its running. The normal Sutton Mental Health Foundation visit on friday, Carers Recognition Group meeting on Wednesday, its the following week where i have several meetings which is good, means I get to share information between groups at a high level.

Have a good week, but if you find your suffering, please make use of the website to find the support you need at www.mymentalwellness.uk

This week, Swindon Carers Center announced that they were unable to get funding so they were going to close end of the year. Just under 30 years of service, serving just under 6000 carers. That is amazing, but that in it self, is heart breaking. They just annoucned that they have funding to the end of 2025 so, well, thats better than it closeing this year... Then I found out that Age UK have closed their offices in Southampton, Mind have closed their office in Andover. Im guessing this is just the tip of the iceberg. After hearing the speach from His Majesty King Charles III, related to Mental Health, I had faith that things were going to change, and change for the better.

How is closing these offices due to lack of funding making this change for the better ?

Im worried, really worried. Then on the other hand, creating and developing this website has taken on a whole new meaning, new requirement, new need. So watch this space.

Hey, how are you? I have just been asked to be a Community Health Ambassador.. role sounded interesting.

So, whats happing with the website? I have been chasing becoming a CIC - Community Interest Company. This means the insurance will have to change and as part of that, I need to be more compliant with the data I hold. So, if you are a service provider, listed on this website, prepair for an automated, yes, I dont do anything, the website does it all its self, it sends an email to the service provider with a unique coded link. They click on the link and if you can get through the security on the website, you are invited to validate the information. This can be just the title of the service and facebook group, but it looks at website addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers etc.

So, yeah, look out for emails :)

The times I have spoken to a service provider to hear, what garentee do we have that you will be around in 3 months, 6 months time? Your not a registered company...

Becoming a registered company has two effects for me, it indicates that Im serious about the work im doing, sharing information between services and the public, that Im not going away any time soon, and, it is a step further to getting funding for the work im doing. Im not doing this website, communicating between services and public for money, but on the other hand, transport to the meetings, website, phone, internet access, insurance, they all cost money, money I dont really have, so becoming a CIC will bring me a step closer to being able to apply for funding to cover these costs. In the last 7, no, 4 days, I have traveled over 45 miles to events, meetings and conferences, which is around £12 to £15 in fuel alone.

Some people have indicated that im only befriending them, in order to get "donations" for the website. The website is free to use, free to advertise services and events. There are only two reasons a service or event is not listed, 1 is the service or event is not free to use, 2, no one has told me, or added the service or event to the website. As long as it is free for people to attend, even if there is an area restriction, it can be listed on the website as long as it is Mental Health or Wellbeing related.

If you would like to donate, to towards costs of keeping the site running, cards to give out to people at events, I continue attending events and passing out cards, then please get in contact. But your access to the website does not depend on if you donated or not.

Its been something i have wanted to do for a while, create a calendar to list free local events such as fetes, festivals, webinars, courses, conferences, anything which is free and either hosted by or is attended by a Mental Health or Wellbeing service. And now its here. You have the facility to add services based on area, and, if the event is being hosted by a known service, which covers several areas, then you have the option to include all or some of those areas.

Because of how it works, anybody can add an event, for any service provider, but I will have to verify and publish the event before its seen publicly. In the future, i plan to change that so the host of the event, or the service provider attending the event will have to confirm the contact details are correct by validating their contact details. this will also give the option to remove or edit the event details, but the fact its there, ready to run, im so excited about it.

The potential is huge... so, if you are aware of any free events being held locally or even nationally, feel free to add it. If there are important details you need to add but there is nowhere to add those details, let me know and ill see if i can add that in to the add and edit page.

This week has been, for want of a better description, eye opening, and humbling. The thought of the week, after attending the Spear London event, the Emergency Paramedics Mental Health and wellness conference, The Eating disorder Conference, the lack of communication is incredable.

So. We need to talk.

Being apart of the audience, the on looker, knowing that at any time, my mental health may suffer and I will need any one of the services Im singposting to, can be an overwhelming feeling. But, what im seeing is people know these services are availble but are waiting until they are at crisis point before they reach out for help.

We all look around us and see other people in same situations, appearing to be able to cope with simular situations, so why not me, why arent i good enough, why am i finding it difficult to cope? where in reallity, they are looking at you, thinking how strong you are, you can deal with these things and carry on, how do you cope so easily.

So why arent we talking to people? neighbours, friends, families? Is it embarrassment? Are you supposed to be the provider, the strong person in the family? Is what your going through nothing to do with anybody else? You dont want to feel a burden? Think about this for a moment. What one situation are you going through, which is unique, that no one else is going through, that no one else has a story to tell about how they managed this situation, how they got through the day? This week, I have heard nearly every phrase, why we dont talk to people, yet, the time we need support from others is nearly always the time we start to withdraw, stop talking to people, stop going out.

Join a walk and talk group, or a support group. you dont have to talk, you can just listen. I will say, it is likely, your story is simular to somebody elses, and what you have found to help, will help other people. so give it a go. what have you to lose? but, more importantly, you will gain confidence, knowledge, knowing that you are not alone, that there are people out there going through what you are going through, and surviving it.

in one of the conferences, a person asked, In the USA, most people talk to a Therapist, before they are at crisis point, why dont we do that here. Somebody responded, saying that its a misconception made up by the film companies. But, what if, it wasnt. why isnt it reality? my first thought is, cost, but as listed locally in Sutton, there are free counciling / Therapy, so, its down to you. do you want to safeguard your mental health, or hope there is someone there who wont take 'im ok' as a real responce to 'are you ok' at the time, your not.

Its amazing, how events occur, starting with an idea which came from attending an appointment to see the Drs, to going to a Recovery College, to finding out about Sutton Mental Health Foundation, being introduced to Sutton Nightwatch, and now, Sutton Nightwatch introduced me to SpearLondon, where I am now attending one of their events, with a laptop, a Tablet and 100 postcards, talking to other Service providers and Service users, telling them about the website, demonstrating how it works.

Hearing how amazing the website is, how it can be used, even the Job center advisor took some postcards to put up on their board in the office for service users to check out.

Im really looking forwards to making this in to a Community interest company, which will help with people wanting or not wanting to use or display information about the website.

Thanks Sutton Nightwatch for the introduction to SpearLondon.

After getting on the bus, having it cancelled mid way through the journey, not once, but 3 times, I eventually arrived at SouthWest london and St Georges Mental Health Trust's Springfield Hospital. Then misreading the location, I stood outside the trining room for a good 5 -8 minutes before confirming where I should be and then joining the Mental Health First Aid England's Champion course.

The course was ran by Clive, from MHFA England, whos aim is to make 1 in 10 people Mental Health aware, and currently he indicated its at 1 in 40, so they have made a huge impact and progress in this plan.

The course was really interesting, although it reviewed the manual briefley, what we went over was in depth, giving a whole new understanding of how to look for Mental Health distress and then how to manage it and sign post approprately.

Meeting and talking to the other students, was an eye opener. I made a comment, which was intended to be humourious but in hindsight, it only highlighted how a throwaway comment could be taken as being judgemental (its ok, we are now Linkedin friends with a view to enhance the website further). Other than that, which I felt so guilty and sorry about, the whole group really connected and shared information which made the course even more informative and, useful.

So, watch this space, as the website is going to get even more informative.

another busy night, its now 1.30am, this is why i need coffee lol

So, this nights update is to add walk and talk groups to the Support Group catagory. Welcome The Proper Blokes club, The Walk and Talk Movement, and Andys Man Club. These all run walk and talk groups, which are open to anybody free of charge. usually end up somewhere for a cuppa at the end. although one which is reasonabally local is going to a market. may go and vist that one myself

So, keep an eye out on the website as more and more services are being added almost daily, certinally weekly. Something may be added which is of interest to you. If i dont talk to you before hand,

Have a great weekend, but if you find you are struggling, please, check out the website and I trust you will find the support you need.

I have just added an interesting article by Bipolaruk.org, it is a short this is what bipolar is, who could have this condition and information about this condition. Worth a look if you have a moment free. your find a link to this under Learn about mental health @ www.mymentalwellness.uk