WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY CELEBRATIONS

The South West Yorkshire NHS Trust will be celebrating World Mental Health Day in the Asian community on 9th October 2003.

Lockwood Youth Club, Huddersfield will play host to an event which is being held to raise awareness amongst the Asian community about the services available to people with mental health problems, services available to carers, opportunities that exist for volunteering amongst the community and to provide information about issues such as alcohol and drugs targeted specifically at an Asian audience.

Representatives from Kirklees Carers Gateway, Kirklees volunteer bureau, the Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Worklink, a charity which helps people with mental health problems or learning disabilities seek employment, and alcohol and drugs charity, Making Things Equal will be on hand to provide help, advice and information.

Kay Singh community psychiatric nurse, said, ‘The South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust covers a broad area and serves a diverse range of people. World Mental Health Day is about celebrating mental health and raising awareness amongst a wider audience. It is important to target information amongst all groups in society to show that there are services and care available to everyone.

The role of transcultural mental services is to provide a service to Asian clients with mental health problems whose first language is not English and when complex cultural issues exist. This event is a great way of getting information out into the community, food will be provided and it will be a really enjoyable evening for everyone who attends.’