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BME Mental Health Community Development Work
Signposts has been commissioned by NLPCT to undertake Community Development Work with the BME community in Lancaster. Sharon Calverley is the worker responsible for this work and has been involved with Signposts for almost 14 years, delivering and managing a variety of projects including Family Support, Young carers and Advice and Information.
Signposts is an organisation that "works to empower the community" by developing and delivering a range of targeted services that are accessible and affordable to everyone. The services we develop aim to address the needs of the most disadvantaged and hard to reach people within their communities. The projects we deliver are diverse and creative.
The aim of the BME Mental Health Community Development Work is to identify, meet and establish the mental health needs and gaps of BME and LGB&T communities in Lancaster and Morecambe, based on the three building blocks identified in the Department of Health delivering race equality in mental health action plan.
- More appropriate and responsive services - achieved through action to develop organisations and the workforce, to improve clinical services and to improve services for specific groups, such as older people, asylum seekers and refugees, and children;
- Community engagement - delivered through healthier communities and by action to engage communities in planning services, supported by 500 new Community Development Workers;
- Better information - from improved monitoring of ethnicity, better dissemination of information and good practice, and improved knowledge about effective services. This will include a new regular census of mental health patients.
The development of this work will be enhanced by service users and carer's involvement in the process. We are encouraging people locally to get involved in the North Lancashire Health Affiliate Scheme to ensure that their opinions and recommendations are recorded centrally.
The work will focus on minority group mental health services, encouraging service users and carers to become involved in feeding back to existing services and professionals; we are therefore looking for volunteers from service users and organisations that can promote the needs of these groups.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day was started by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992.
It is a unified effort to promote greater public awareness and understanding of mental health and mental illness. Every year, thousands of people across the world raise awareness and funds for mental health causes.
Each year, on 10 October, the Mental Health Foundation celebrates the day by raising awareness about mental health and wellbeing.
In 2010 a partnership was developed locally by the BME CDW, including workers from Help Direct, Together and Signposts, we registered with “Time to Change” and delivered a range of events culminating in an awareness raising concert raising support and funding to deliver our message next year.
Link to World Mental Health Day website:
http://www.wfmh.org/00WorldMentalHealthDay.htm
Out In The Bay
The LGBT steering group has developed and become “Out In The Bay” we have recruited a cross section of members including representatives from Lancaster University , there have been a number of events and activities planned..
The steering group meet monthly and have developed a face book page to encourage individuals within the district to raise questions and concerns and develop a wider voice. The Steering Group are developing a calendar of events for 2011 to continue to raise the profile of LGBT issues within the district.
Link to facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=104688999589887
International Womens Day
International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China , Russia , Vietnam and Bulgaria , IWD is a national holiday. The first IWD was run in 1911. Next year is IWD Global Centenary 1911-2011
Each year we try to deliver an event within this district:
LINK To International Womens Day website:
http://internationalwomensday.com/
The Big Lunch
The Big Lunch is a one-day get together with your neighbours - wherever you live? It can be anything from a simple lunch to a full-blown street party with DJs and a home cooked feast.
We held our first Big Lunch Event on Sunday 17 th July 2010 this year the Big Lunch is on Sunday 5th June 2011
SPICE Network
Information to be added
Following is an information pack and other useful information; if you or someone you know would like to get involved please don't hesitate to get in touch with Sharon by email sharon@signposts.org.uk or by mobile 07825 207023.
Information Pack
Mental Health Questionaire Polish
Useful Documents
Delivery Race Equality action plan
Mental Health Needs Profile of North LancashireSummary
Muslim Mental Health - Stephen Maynard
Useful Contacts and Resources BME
Nguzo Saba Centre Research Report
To read pdf documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat.
You can download it free of charge here
