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News

Drop-in for Dads

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Anxious about becoming a new parent? We are here to listen and offer support for new and expectant mums and dads.

Here at Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, we understand that becoming a parent for the first time is a period of great change, responsibility and adjustment for both mum and dad and this can be a source of increased stress, anxiety, mood change and worry.

That’s why we are proud to support both parents, mums through our Mums in Mind service and dads via our new male only drop-in and possibility of subsequent 1 to 1 support.

A study published by Baby Centre shows 1 in every 10 fathers has postnatal depression and it is much more likely to affect dads (and mums) in the first year of their child’s life. Dads appear to be most vulnerable to depression when their baby is between three months and six months old. 

About Mums in Mind

Our well established Mums in Mind service provides support for pregnant women and mums who are experiencing mental health issues, emotional distress and/or those who feel lonely and may lack the support of family and friends. The service is there to help pregnant women and mums to increase their social and support networks, improve their confidence and self-esteem, and to help improve their emotional wellbeing. To find out more about our Mums in Mind service, click this link.

About the Male Only Drop-In

As part of the Mums in Mind service, we are now holding a drop-in session for dads and are here and ready to listen, offer support and guidance and share experiences to help those dads who might be struggling to cope.

Our Male Only Drop-In Support Session is due to take place:

When: Friday 28th June, any time between 10am and 12noon

Where: Cooper’s Lodge, 61, St. Nicholas Street, Radford, Coventry CV1 4BN

Contact:

Please call 024 7622 9988 if you would like to arrange a 1 to 1 meeting with an experienced member of our staff team.

Mayor of Rugby Donation

Latest News, Rugby

We were delighted to welcome Cllr Tom Mahoney to our Wellbeing Hub in Rugby as he presented CW Mind with a £5,264.28 cheque raised during his time as Mayor.

The money donated by Cllr Mahoney was generated during his term of office as he had chosen Coventry and Warwickshire Mind as one of his charities of the year. A quiz night and Mayor’s Ball were among his fundraising activities that helped towards the total.

Cllr Mahoney visited our Hub in Cromwell Road on May 14 and met volunteers, clients and staff at the drop-in session during Mental Health Awareness Week as one of his final duties as Mayor of Rugby.

Fiona Palmer, Rugby Wellbeing Hub manager, said:

“I would really like to thank Cllr Tom Mahoney for his support of us throughout his year as Mayor of Rugby.  We are incredibly grateful for the money he has raised and it will make a huge difference to the people we help here in Rugby. His support means more than the money he has raised, as I feel the Wellbeing Hub has made a real friend, a friendship which will last beyond his term of office. He is welcome to visit us any time.”

Fiona Palmer, Rugby Wellbeing Hub manager

Volunteers’ Week 2019

Homepage Slide, Latest News, Uncategorised, Volunteering Opportunities, Volunteering Stories

What is volunteers week?

Volunteers’ Week is a chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place from June 1 – 7 every year.

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind is thankful for the large number of volunteers who work across a range of our services. While supporting our charity, they gain valuable new skills and experiences.

Would you like to join us as a volunteer?

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind has a number of services that are in need of volunteers, such as:

The Buddy Service

The Buddy Service is dedicated to ensuring a young person’s self-esteem and confidence will grow and for them to feel comfortable and happy with their social life so they no longer require the Buddy Service.

Can you spare two hours per week for at least six months to make a difference to a young person’s life? If so click this link.  

Mums in Mind

Mums in Mind provides support for pregnant women and mums who are experiencing mental health issues, emotional distress and/or those who feel lonely and may lack the support of family and friends.

Could you support a pregnant woman or new mum in Coventry with their emotional wellbeing? To find out more follow this link.

How to get involved with CW Mind volunteering

  • We are always looking for volunteers. Find out more about volunteering with CW Mind and how to get involved by clicking this link.
  • At Coventry and Warwickshire Mind we have a variety of services that benefit from our volunteers work. To find out what services you could volunteer for visit this link
  • Meet some of our volunteers and find out about their experiences volunteering with us by reading their stories via this link.

Events

Throughout the week there will be numerous events across the UK which you can get involved with to help support those who take the time to support others. To find out more information about Volunteers Week and its upcoming events, click this link.

We’ll be on Twitter promoting the campaign along with other organisations across the UK. You’ll find us @cwmind using the hashtag #VolunteersWeek.

Winner: Charity Governance Awards

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It is with great pleasure that we announce Coventry and Warwickshire Mind has been named winner of the Embracing Opportunity & Harnessing Risk category of the national Charity Governance Awards 2019.

The award was presented to Steven Hill, CEO of Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, and members of the Board of Trustees at the ceremony in London on May 22.

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind had been shortlisted for identifying the need for a residential recovery centre in Coventry, leading to the development of St Clair Gardens.

“The board of trustees and senior management team at Coventry and Warwickshire Mind are proud to receive this award for Embracing Opportunity & Harnessing Risk for the challenges we faced when building a new recovery centre for people with complex mental health needs.

“This was a first for our charity, borrowing money and building from scratch, but demand has been high and we are now full, four months ahead of schedule. Thanks again for your recognition.”

Steven Hill, CEO of Coventry and Warwickshire Mind

The ceremony featured a keynote speech by Nat Sloane CBE, England Chair for The National Lottery Community Fund, ahead of the announcement of the winners from the 21-strong shortlist. The shortlist also included fellow local Mind, Dorset Mind, in the Managing Turnaround category.

Michael Jarvis, who chairs the Awards for the organisers The Clothworkers’ Company, said, “Congratulations to all the winners – and the shortlisted candidates should also be proud – this was, yet again, a field of a very high standard. These creative, hard-working and inspiring trustees and their colleagues deserve to be celebrated.

“I would encourage everyone in the third sector to read the stories of our winning charities – these real-life experiences and innovative ideas could help any charity seeking to improve their own governance. It also reminds us all that by improving governance a charity can dramatically improve the lives of those it serves.”

For the Charity Governance Awards, The Clothworkers’ Company – a City of London livery company that supports trusteeship initiatives – is partnered with not-for-profit consultancy NPC (New Philanthropy Capital), sector recruitment specialists Prospectus, and trustee-matching organisation Reach Volunteering.

The expert judging panel boasts a wealth of experience in charity governance and the voluntary sector. Judges include Dawn Austwick (CEO, The National Lottery Community Fund), Vinay Nair (Co-founder, Lightful), Dan Corry (CEO, New Philanthropy Capital), David Gold (CEO, Prospectus) and Janet Thorne (CEO, Reach Volunteering) among many other notable names.

Stories of all of the winning charities, and the shortlisted entrants, can be found at www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk.

Image credit: Kate Darkins Photography

Maternal Mental Health Week

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Maternal Mental Health Week takes place this year from 29th April to 5th May. It is a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental illness during pregnancy or after having a baby and signposting to support for all mums.

The focus is on advocating for mums affected by maternal mental health issues and helping them to access the information and help they need to enable recovery. This year’s theme for the third annual UK Maternal Mental Health Week is Mums Matter.

Mums in Mind

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind’s Mums in Mind service provides support for pregnant women and mums who are experiencing mental health issues, emotional distress and/or those who feel lonely and may lack the support of family and friends.

For many women being pregnant or a new mum can be an overwhelming, frightening, and stressful time especially for those experiencing mental ill health and/or who lack support of family and friends. Mums in Mind are there to help pregnant women and mums to increase their social and support networks, improve their confidence and self-esteem, and to help improve their emotional wellbeing.

We offer as part of this service:

  • Befriending
  • Peer Support/Short Courses
  • Baby Massage

Mums in Mind is for women who:

  • Are experiencing antenatal or postnatal depression or anxiety
  • Feel lonely or isolated
  • Lack the support of close family and friends
  • Are single
  • Are young
  • Have suffered with anxiety or depression in the past
  • Are in a difficult/abusive relationship or have been in the past
  • Have low self-esteem/ confidence

To find out more about our Mums in Mind service, click this link

For more information about Maternal Mental Health Week 2019, visit this website

Mental Health Awareness Week

Community Events, Latest News, Uncategorised

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual campaign coordinated by the Mental Health Foundation and runs from 13th – 19th May 2019.

The week aims to raise awareness of mental health and usually has a targeted theme which changes each year. The theme for 2019 is Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies.

Body image issues can affect all of us at any age. During the week we will be hosting a range of events in support of Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme. Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Bus will be on the road across Coventry and Warwickshire and stopping in a number of locations.

Plus, our the doors will be open to our Wellbeing Hubs to provide mental health support and people will be encouraged to think positively about themselves and what makes them unique.

Get involved

  • Join in the local events and activities we’re holding which are listed in the table below, and keep checking this page for updated activities as new events will be added.
  • Follow the hashtag #BeBodyKind to keep up with our activities on Facebook/cwmind and Twitter @cwmind

Find out ways to get involve with this national campaign by clicking this link.

CW Mind events for Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

DateEventInformation
Monday May
13th 		Mental Health & Wellbeing Bus – Rugby Library, Rugby:
10am – 3pm		Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Foleshill Library, Broad Street, Coventry: 10am – 1pmJoin us to find out more about Coventry and Warwickshire Mind services including Wellbeing for Coventry, which is delivered in partnership with Tamarind and Sahil.
Mancetter: 9am-12pm
Coventry: 1pm – 5pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Nuneaton Outreach at Asda, Nuneaton Asda: 2pm – 5pmCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Tuesday May
14th 		Mental Health & Wellbeing Bus – Rugby College, Rugby:
10am – 1pm		College students only. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.

Stoke Library, Kingsway, Coventry, CV2 4EA: 10am – 1pmJoin us to find out more about Coventry and Warwickshire Mind services including Wellbeing for Coventry, which is delivered in partnership with Tamarind and Sahil.
Bedworth Outreach at Bedworth Market: 9am – 12noonCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Rugby: 1pm – 4pm
Coventry: 1pm – 5pm
Nuneaton: 5pm – 8pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Nuneaton Walk-in: 1pm – 4pmCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to talk in private with one of our Wellbeing Practitioners.
Wednesday
May 15th		 Coventry: 1pm – 5pm
Bedworth: 5pm – 8pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Central Library, Smithford Way, Coventry city centre, CV1 1FY: 10am – 1pmJoin us to find out more about Coventry and Warwickshire Mind services including Wellbeing for Coventry, which is delivered in partnership with Tamarind and Sahil.
Bedworth walk-in: 5pm – 8pmCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to talk in private with one of our Wellbeing Practitioners.
Thursday May 16th Mental Health & Wellbeing Bus: North Warwickshire
South Leicestershire
College
Nuneaton:
10am – 3pm		College students only. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Cheylesmore Library, Cheylesmore Community Centre, Poitiers Road, Coventry, CV3 5JX: 1.30PM – 3.30PMJoin us to find out more about Coventry and Warwickshire Mind services including Wellbeing for Coventry, which is delivered in partnership with Tamarind and Sahil.
North Warwickshire Outreach at Coleshill Town Hall: 9am – 12noonCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Coventry: 1pm – 5pm
Nuneaton: 5pm – 8pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
North Warwickshire Walk-in, Mancetter: 1pm – 4pmCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to talk in private with one of our Wellbeing Practitioners.
Friday May 17th Mental Health & Wellbeing Bus: University of Warwick:
10am – 3pm		Our Bus will be out at the University of Warwick today with staff offering support and guidance.
Mancetter: 1pm – 4pm
Coventry: 1pm – 5pm
Bedworth: 5pm – 8pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Saturday May
18th 		Broadgate, Coventry:
10am – 3pm		Get on board our bus at Broadgate in Coventry and access the information you need about mental health.
Rugby walk-in: 10am – 1pmCome and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to talk in private with one of our Wellbeing Practitioners.
Rugby drop-in: 10am – 1pm
Coventry: 1pm – 5pm 		Open access drop-in available to everyone. Come and visit us and learn more about ways to feel good through the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Opportunity to see exactly how images are enhanced and airbrushed, bring and share photos of a time when you felt good, and take part in our Body Positivity Challenge.
Sunday May
19th 		Coventry: 1pm – 5pm Our Wellbeing Hub is open and here to offer
the information you need for your mental health.

Charity Governance Awards 2019

Latest News, Uncategorised

We are thrilled to announce that Coventry and Warwickshire Mind has been shortlisted for the UK-wide Charity Governance Awards 2019.

We are in the running for the Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk category of the awards which comes with a £5,000 unrestricted grant. Coventry and Warwickshire Mind is one of 21 charities from across the UK that complete the full shortlist.

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind joins the shortlist of charities representing a diverse range of activities that include mental health care, family support, disability sports, heritage conservation and the arts.

The 21-strong judging panel have shortlisted the entries and will select a winner in each of the seven categories. The winners will be announced at the official awards reception at the historic Clothworkers’ Hall in London on 22nd May 2019, featuring a keynote speech by Nat Sloane CBE, England Chair for The National Community Lottery Fund.

Among Coventry and Warwickshire Mind’s recent achievements has been the development of St Clair Gardens, a residential recovery centre in the Foleshill area of Coventry which opened in May 2018. The multi-million pound 14-bedroom development was designed to the charity’s specifications by Coventry-based architects IDP and built by Harrabin, a building company based in the city.

“We are delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious UK-wide award in the Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk category.

“It has been a long-held dream of Coventry and Warwickshire Mind to develop a recovery centre, and while the St Clair Gardens project came with challenges along the way the board of trustees worked together and was absolutely determined to see it through to completion, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of each trustee.

“St Clair Gardens is a much needed resource for the people of the area and it was a carefully considered risk, but we never lost sight of our ambition to see those of us experiencing mental health problems and in need of help to live independently supported in a ground-breaking home from home environment.

“It is a great source of pleasure to us that St Clair Gardens is enabling people to travel their recovery path in five-star but homely surroundings and we look forward to celebrating all that has been achieved so far with other charities at the forthcoming awards ceremony.”

Pat Allen, Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Mind

Michael Jarvis, who chairs the Awards for the organisers The Clothworkers’ Company, said: “Congratulations to all these successful shortlisted candidates. The Charity Governance Awards may be in their fourth year, but we continue to hear about new and exciting initiatives from our entrants each year.

“Charities exist in a challenging climate, so successful governance stories from the frontline can provide powerful examples for the whole sector to follow. Our shortlisted candidates have proved that low budgets, limited resources and other pressures need not be an obstacle to digital innovation, building diverse and vibrant boards, or turning around the most difficult of situations.”

Commenting on the judging process, panellist Tesse Akpeki, lead consultant for Onboard with Bates-Wells-Braithwaite, said: “The process was robust, constructively challenging and engaging, which uncovered the dynamic nature of governance. I was struck that these Awards continue to demonstrate that rewarding good governance is an area that continues to evolve. Models of governance are reshaped and refreshed as new movements and networks emerge: this empowers people and stimulates social change.”

The expert judging panel boasts a wealth of experience in charity governance and the voluntary sector. Judges also include Dawn Austwick (CEO, The National Lottery Community Fund), Vinay Nair (Co-founder, Lightful), Dan Corry (CEO, New Philanthropy Capital), David Gold (CEO, Prospectus) and Janet Thorne (CEO, Reach Volunteering) among many other notable names. (See www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk/judges for a full list of judges).

You can follow the awards on Twitter via @CharityGovAwards or by using the hashtag #charitygov19. Winners will be announced on the website following the ceremony in May.

Masquerade Ball at Nailcote

Fundraiser Events, Latest News
Nailcote Hall, Berkswell

Come along to Nailcote Hall in Berkswell on Friday November 8 2019 for a night of magic and mystery to raise funds to support our work here at Coventry and Warwickshire Mind.

Louise Courtney and Anna McGee are organising the masquerade ball as they recognise the world is full of people who wear a mask to hide how they truly feel and are keen help those of us who are struggling, while promoting the importance of wellbeing.

We are thrilled they have chosen Coventry and Warwickshire Mind to be the beneficiary of money raised.

The event starts at 7pm and is the perfect opportunity to get glammed up with your masquerade evening attire to help raise money for our charity.

The tickets are £40 per person with an additional £3.23 booking fee. This will pay for your entry along with:

  • Three course meal
  • Live entertainment
  • Disco
  • Raffle
  • Auction

All funds raised from the raffle along with any money raised on the night will all go to Coventry and Warwickshire Mind. Tickets are on sale now.

To purchase your tickets click this link.

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Autism Awareness Week 2019

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What is Autism Awareness Week?

Coventry and Warwickshire Mind is proud to be supporting Autism Awareness Week 2019. Autism Awareness Week is an internationally recognised event that will takes place this year from April 1st to April 7th, with the full seven days dedicated to encouraging people across the UK to take part in activities to raise money and awareness for the National Autistic Society until everyone understands.

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people and how they experience the world around them. Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be ‘cured’. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

CW Mind autism services:

We provide services to support people with autism and their families.

Autism Support Service – Our Autism support service aims to provide support to children, young people and families pre and post an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Funded through Warwickshire County Council and delivered across Coventry and Warwickshire, this new service will sit alongside CW Mind’s children and young people’s department, CAMHS Rise and Specialist CAMHS. This service is to strengthen existing ASD support within current services.

ASD Social Clubs –  Our social clubs are open to children and young people at the medium to high functioning end of the Autistic Spectrum, such as those with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism (HFA). The social clubs provide a variety of social and informal educational opportunities which encourage the young people to develop their confidence, self-esteem, social skills and understanding of their emotional health.

Autism awareness video

Take a look at our autism awareness video below. It was created by Laura who leads our Autism Support Service as a visual and handy guide to what autism is and how you can understand it more.

Further information

To find out more about autism, we recommend the following websites for information and resources:

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Miss Coventry and Warwickshire 2019

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CW Mind ambassadors (L-R) Emily Bunce, a former Miss Coventry and Warwickshire, and Dee Hodgson

The contestants for Miss Coventry and Warwickshire have raised a fantastic amount of money for Coventry and Warwickshire Mind services.

The annual Miss England Coventry & Warwickshire competition was held on Saturday 2nd March at Sports Connextion in Ryton Upon Dunmore, near Coventry, with eight contestants participating in this year’s final.

In total they raised a brilliant £586 for Coventry and Warwickshire Mind.

Dee Hodgson, a former Coventry and Warwickshire Mind client and now member of staff, gave a powerful speech at the Miss Coventry and Warwickshire crowning ceremony, during which Elise Houghton was named the winner, and expressed how grateful we are as a charity for their donations and support.

During the speech, Dee said the money will “save lives as well as change lives”. She also spoke about how our charity supports people from birth all the way to adulthood through the wide range of services we provide across the organisation.

“I personally would not be standing here today if it wasn’t for the work of our charity. I walked into the Coventry and Warwickshire Mind Hub 11 years ago and Coventry and Warwickshire Mind put me back together, but they didn’t just put me back together they put my son back together, they saved his life.

I wasn’t able to work as an adult because of my ongoing mental health. I now work full-time, I am completely off benefits and it’s because of the work the charity do.”

Dee Hodgson

Well done to Elise, the new Miss Coventry and Warwickshire, and thank you to all the wonderful ladies and their supporters who raised funds for our charity. We look forward to hearing more about your activities.

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