CELEBRATIONS FOR WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY ACROSS SOUTH KIRKLEES

Mental health workers and service users at the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust will be celebrating World Mental Health Day across South Kirklees on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th October 2003.

Events will be taking place across a variety of settings to ensure that the positive message of mental health reaches the whole community.

Look out for displays in Tesco, Viaduct Street Huddersfield on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th October and in Morrisions, Penistone Road Huddersfield on Friday 10th October between 11am and 4pm. The displays will raise awareness about mental health and World Mental Health Day in a setting that will reach a large number of people. There will be a wealth of information about mental health issues from charities Rethink and Mind and from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It will also give members of the public the chance to talk to mental health workers and service users in an informal setting.

Lockwood Youth Club will be host to an exciting social event for the Asian community on Thursday 9th October between 6pm and 8pm. The event is aiming to raise awareness about opportunities for volunteering, services available to carers, services available to service users and information about drugs and alcohol. Food will be provided and everybody is welcome to attend.

Staff from the Early Dementia Team will be showing their support by wearing world mental health day t-shirts to work during the week leading up to World Mental Health Day. Barbara Kotowicz from the early dementia team says, ‘Our work involves a lot of travelling around Kirklees so we thought that the T-shirts would be a great way to get the message to as many people as possible.’

There will be an exhibition of artwork by service users from the Beaumont Unit and Castle Hill displayed in the foyer of St Luke’s Hospital, Huddersfield on Friday 10th October 2003. Also in the foyer of St Luke’s Hospital on the same day will be an information stand giving service users, carers the public and staff information, help and advice about leading a balanced life.

Heather Sansom, Public Involvement Officer, who is co-ordinating the events said, ‘World Mental Health Day plays an extremely important role in promoting positive images of mental health. Staff and service users enjoy going out into the community to educate the public, helping to remove the stigma associated with mental health problems. The emphasis this year is on the importance of keeping a healthy mind. Mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to being healthy, but many people forget this.’