LEST Friday ah wis invitit tae be poet in residence fir the day at a mental health warkshoap an discussion day, Safe To Be Involved, held at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine.
This wis a great day, organised unner the auspices o the North Ayrshire Health an Social Care Partnership (NAHSCP). The guid fowk o AIMS advocacy hud goat me tae play a pairt in the day’s ongauns an o coorse ah ended up bein a kindae glorified MC, warkshoap co-ordinator an roving poet, setten doun ma impressions o the day’s events.
AIMS Advocacy is a braw initiative rin bi their manager Morag McClurg an her dedicated team o staff an volunteers. They hae a purpose-built hoose in Stevenston, North Ayrshire, an provide advocacy needs fir more than 150 fowk in the extended community wha hae mental health or lairnin deeficulty issues. The centre is a safe, invitin an canty bield that caters fir a wide range o therapies gien fowk wha wid itherwise be richt isolated a structure an rael purpose tae their day.
Mind, this place (lik sae mony ithers these days) is unner rael threat due tae dwaiblie finances an fundin issues! Mair o that anon! The day attracted a braid group o fowk wi mental health/lairnin deeficulty related problems an we hud a lively crood o abune 70 there, plus a wheen o NHS/health professionals, attendant community groups, an specialties, aa o wham play their pairt in giein much-needit support tae this vulnerable section o oor society.
Mind you, mental health, tho still haein some social stigma attached tae it, is somethin – lik the LGBT community – that is much mair confident these days tae heize its heid up in public an no be sweir tae tell the warld aboot their problems – an their needs.
Eftir a verra warm introduction, gien bi Thelma Bowers, heid mental health honcho wi the NAHSCP, that made aabody feel richt walcum, ah gien a “settin the scene” owerview tae the days ongauns – an it wis a jam-packed programme!
Tae apen the day we hud a live poetry performance/PowerPoint discussion frae Jo McFarlane an Sally Fox, a devoted LGBT couple frae Lothians, wha gien an aefauld owerview o their journey throu the mental health care system. Bi this, an the gleg discussion that follaed, it wis geyan obvious that some o the deeficult times they’d hud in the haunds o psychiatry wir common tae a wheen o fowk in the room.
Individuals wir keen tae air their views, an thair ain experiences – some o which wir gey harrowin; thochts o suicide, depression, loneliness, isolation, severe anxiety, etc. But it wis appairent that aa these fowk hud foun byordnar straingth bi jynin thegaither tae form a self-supportin group that hud gien rael practical help tae ane anither an that hud seen thaim throu some richt daurk times.
Mind, the emotions that wis maist prevalent throu the day wir joy, happiness an a positivity o speerit!
There wis displays o sindry groups airt-wark, creative writin an poetry. Creative writin haes bin pruiven tae impruive fowks mental health – tho the raisons fir that are aye-an-oan scientifically unclear yet. Thair wis loats ae information available re aa kinds o support groups that exist in wir communities tae help fowk wi ongaun mental health issues. E’en tho ah hud some knowledge o some o these groups ah wisnae awaur that sae mony organisations existed nou; Penumbra; Dementia Helpline; Bipolar Support Group; SAMH; Health in Mind; Scottish Women’s Aid; The Ethnic Survivors; Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence; The Princess Royal Trust for Carers; Touched by Suicide Scotland; Samaritans; Scottish Recovery Network; an a wheen mair ower lang tae leet here!
Maist o these organisation rely oan an airmy o volunteers – an they’re daein vital wark helpin thaim in oor communities maist in need o help.
In the efternuin we hud a wheen o “breakout” warkshoap sessions. These includit jewellery makin; Write to Recovery; Inukshuk, an Inuit holistic therapy); relaxation and mindfulness; pilates; an Chi Gong. Ah taen pairt in the Write to Recovery warkshoap, rin bi John McCormack an AIMS’ Emma Monaghan.
The writin cless wis a hoot! Jist playin wi wirds an poetry, service uisers an service providers, aa sittin cheek bi jowl, an sharing lauchs, jokes an stories that reflectit in a licht-hairtit wey the serious issues that wir in the room.
Later, some o the writers stuid up in the main hall an read oot their poems tae the audience. A brave thing tae dae – an the applause they received spake volumes anent the battles an problems these fowk hud owercam tae get their lives back oan track!
The day feenisht wi a communal singsong frae the RAMH (Recovery Across Mental Health) choir.
The songs they sung aa hud a positive message tae thaim – an aabody jyned in!
AIMS Advocacy faces a crisis in its future fundin. Ah wis telt bi Morag McClurg (a wumman wha hus gien a lifetime o selfless service tae advocacy, giein a voice tae thaim wi nae voice!) that her funding is tae be stoapt suin an that they wull be pitten oot tae tender. Ye wunner whitna kind o warld it is when we hae Trident missiles in Scotland, yet vital organisations lik AIMS Advocacy hae tae gae cap in haund beggin tae be kept gaun. When wull they pit Trident oot tae tender, ah wunner?
They reckon wan in three fowk wull suffer frae mental health issues at ae time or tither. Be’t mild anxiety, panic attacks, neuralgia, depression, suicidal thochts – or waur!
Ony o the organisations ah hae mentiont in the column the day are aye luikin fir volunteers an helpers – gin ye hae a bit spare time oan yer haunds ye cuid dae waur yersel than oaffir tae gie a bit haund tae these fowk. They wid be the first tae oaffir a haund tae you.
Scots Proverb o the Week
‘A fou man’s a true man’
Version in Scots of the Latin ‘in vino veritas’. People with a drink in them speak the truth. The Spanish version of this states ‘Wine wears no breeches’ – with a drink in them people will be apt to say things they wouldn’t say if they were sober!
Rab Wilson is a Scots poet and health campaigner
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