Tag Archive for: mental health

Wimbledon’s First Breathe Café Joins Lu-Ma

Local café Lu-Ma have collaborated with mental health charity, Shawmind, to open the first ‘Breathe Café’ in Wimbledon Town Centre.

The concept of a Breathe Café, was created by mental health charity Shawmind, and is a safe space where the public can go and read books in the wellbeing library, connect with a volunteer and find resources to help support them.

Mayor of Merton, Councillor Michael Brunt, attended the launch party stating:

“It is such a great idea to provide this type of help in this way and I am delighted to add my support”.

Breathe Cafés are not clinics or therapy sessions, and volunteers provide signposting and active listening support only – nothing offered by the Breathe Café replaces the advice of a mental health professional. Shawmind strongly believe that early intervention in this way, can help head off more serious mental health challenges in individuals in the future. It aims to partner with coffee shops and restaurants around the country to roll out Breathe Cafés in every community. Lu-Ma represents the first such partnership.

“When I met Maria I realised that we have an ideal partner to set up our first Breathe Café in Wimbledon. Her passion for better mental health and better physical wellbeing, through healthy eating, seemed like a natural fit with Shawmind and we are delighted to be launching the first Breathe Café at Lu-Ma.”

– James Espey, President of Shawmind

Maria Jessiman, co-owner of the family-run café added:

“We look forward to opening a space where people can feel seen, heard and valued without judgement.”

The plant-based healthy food café Lu-Ma, was born out of a desire to provide a hub in the heart of Wimbledon to help support the community’s physical and mental well-being. Mental health has always been something close to Maria and her families’ heart. This new initiative adds another dimension to the café which has previously held well-being events, meditations and courses, and looks to continue to do more in the future.

Employees in Wimbledon can access helpful mental health resources in Lu-Ma café, which is located at 43 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4JZ. Simply scan the QR code which is visible throughout the venue. To find out more click here.

 

 

Online Training:
Mental Health Awareness Course

This course, held by Merton Chamber of Commerce will provide practical advice on supporting those with mental health conditions.

What is the difference between mental health and mental illness? This course covers the symptoms of a number of the most common mental illnesses so you will know what to look out for or what to expect if you are working with someone with one of these conditions.

As well as providing some practical advice on how you can work effectively with those affected by these conditions.

This course can be taken at any time and any place.

 

Merton Chamber of Commerce launched a suite of affordable online training to support employers in meeting their legal duties.

  • All courses are certified and are completed online.
  • Certificates will be issued upon completion.
  • Additional courses available upon request.
  • Course price: £25

Click here to book or contact info@mertonchamber.co.uk if you want more information.

stem4 wins Digital Innovation of the Year

 

Mental health charity, stem4 has won the Digital Innovation of the Year award at the prestigious Third Sector Awards for Calm Harm, a free app to help teenagers manage or resist the urge to self-harm. 

The Third Sector Awards champion innovative and impactful campaigns and the Digital Innovation Award recognises a charity or social enterprise that is pushing the boundaries of digital technology to reach supporters, donors, or beneficiaries.

According to NHS Digital, 12 per cent of children between the ages of five and 19 present with self-harm. Dr Nihara Krause, a consultant clinical psychologist and expert in self-harm, created the Calm Harm app using ideas from evidence-based therapy Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. The app uses a range of targeted five or 15-minute activities to help alter thoughts, emotions and behaviours, supporting young people to “ride the wave” of emotion they experience. The activities come under four headings: Distract, Comfort, Express Yourself and Release, while a breathing technique helps to reduce symptoms of anxiety. The app also helps users start to understand the underlying trigger factors, allows them to track their progress and signposts them to further help.

The app has been downloaded more than 927,000 times in about 171 countries, with 590,499 people using it more than once. 93% of users have reported a reduction in the urge to self-harm after completing an activity.

On receiving the Award Dr Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, CEO and founder of stem4 said:

This award recognises the important work stem4 do in providing evidence based mental health apps which are clinician led but developed co-collaboratively with young people and data driven for effectiveness.  We are pleased to be able to offer young people an effective form of symptoms management and signpost them to help. We are very appreciative, especially as a small charity, that the work we do is recognised and celebrated by the Third Sector Awards.

stem4 is a Wimbledon based, award winning charity that supports teenage mental health through mental health promotion, provides evidence based mental health education, builds resilience, enhances motivation to change and signposts to early  intervention. stem4focuses on commonly occurring mental health issues in teenagers including eating disorders, anxiety, depression, self-harm and addiction.

stem4works with students, parents and teachers in secondary schools as well as health professionals including GPs and school nurses through their conferences programme and their digitally delivered workshops suitable for PHSE in schools and is included in the Royal College of GP toolkit.

For more details please visit stem4.