The Great Winter Get Together – helping each other tackle loneliness

The Great Winter Get Together is a month long series of activities run by the Jo Cox Foundation, lasting from 14th December 2020 to 18th January 2021. Taking forward Jo Cox’s vision of a “less lonely, more connected world”, the series of five themes are all about tackling loneliness one connection at a time.

The Great Winter Get Together

 


Say Thanks – 14th December to 20th December

Say Thanks is about shining a light on local heroes who have helped people throughout the coronavirus pandemic. There are postcards you can download, print and send to let those people know just how much they are appreciated, and images for sharing on social media.

Say Thanks


Reach Out – 21st December to 27th December

More than ever before we need to support one another. This week is about encouraging people to connect with someone they’ve lost touch with, whether it’s an old friend or ex-colleague. If you’re not sure where to start, there’s a toolkit to help you with ideas.

Reach Out

Reaching Out Toolkit (PDF)


Show you care – 28th December to 3rd January

Acts of kindness go a long way to showing someone you care. This is about bringing a smile to someone’s face, which can also make us feel good about ourselves. There’s a downloadable Kindness Calendar for each day of the week, with suggestions on things you can do to give someone a lift or contribute to making a kinder, more giving society.

Show you care

Kindness Calendar (PDF)


Understand Loneliness – 4th January to 10th January

The changes many of us have experienced during the last year have been difficult, resulting in increased loneliness for many people in our communities. Loneliness has had an impact on our mental health and wellbeing. In partnership with the Marmalade Trust, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about loneliness, the foundation have produced a toolkit to help improve our understanding.

Understand Loneliness

Understanding Loneliness Toolkit (PDF)


Help Out – 11th January to 17th January

Volunteering is a great way to help support the most vulnerable in our community. Help Out is about finding out what you can give, whether that’s an hour, an evening or more, it all helps. Help Out is supported by the Royal Voluntary Service and there’s a toolkit to help you figure out how you can help this winter.

Help Out

Helping Others Toolkit (PDF)

 

The Great Winter Get Together


24 hour mental health helpline and free training

A new 24 hour mental health helpline has been launched, offering confidential help and advice to anyone registered with a GP in Kirklees or in neighbouring councils.

We know that many of you are concerned about the wellbeing of your neighbours, friends and those who are more vulnerable in our communities. We’re also aware that you’re doing an awful lot to support each other. This helpline could be a great way to get support for those who need it.

Mental Health Helpline – 0800 183 0558


 

Mental Health training

There is also some free training available to support you with talking about mental health, delivered by the Zero Suicide Alliance and Future Learn.

Zero Suicide Alliance offer a session called ‘Stepping up’ – this covers the impact of isolation on wellbeing, dealing with our ever-changing circumstances, the impact of social connectivity, signs of poor wellbeing, how to communicate and how to look after yourself.

Future Learn offer training on Psychological First Aid and it covers:

  • What is psychological first aid?
  • How do emergencies impact mental health?
  • The psychological first aid stages: Prepare, Look, Listen, Link
  • Supporting yourself and your colleagues
  • Example scenarios

Anyone can use this approach. The following is what you will need to use Psychological First Aid:

  • Be a good listener. An important part of Psychological First Aid is identifying what help and support each person requires.
  • Be well informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, so you can give people accurate information. It is important that people can trust you.
  • Have the ability to encourage active coping by, for instance, helping people make decisions about the next steps they will take.
  • Encourage and help people to connect with their loved ones, or community and spiritual supports. Be aware of people’s cultural preferences and needs, and adopt a non-judgemental approach.
  • Know how to look after your own wellbeing and access support through friends, family, supervision or managers.

Mental Health Awareness – training from S2R

S2R are offering a basic Mental Health Awareness training session free of charge via Zoom on Friday 27th November 2020 from 9am to 11am. This is for anyone who is a Mutual Aid Group volunteer in Kirklees.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

  • Understand the difference between mental health and mental illness
  • Know the main signs and symptoms of the most common mental illnesses
  • Define wellbeing
  • Understand the relationship between wellbeing and emotional resilience
  • Be aware of sources of help and support

If you would like to book a place on this session please email contact@s2r.org.uk

S2R have also created 12 Wellbeing packs – these are all available for volunteers to use and share with people who may be self-isolating or who are lonely and might be struggling with depression and anxiety.


Being a carer in lockdown – what you can and can’t do

Image show a man holding Kirklees Think Carers sign

This guide is a reminder of some of the important things that carers are still allowed to do during the national lockdown.

Unpaid carers have always performed a vital role and that network of support around a person is more important now than ever. But, with a changing situation it can be difficult for carers to feel confident about what they are (and are not) allowed to do.

If you’re a carer or know someone who is, this guide could be very useful. Key things to know are:

  • You can be a carer and provide support to a vulnerable person, even if they live in a different household or you are not in a support bubble together. You can still go to the home of the person you provide care for, to support them.
  • Where you can, maintain social distancing.
  • Often, it isn’t possible to maintain social distancing when providing care support. You should still do what you can to limit close contact as much as possible and take other precautions such as washing hands and opening windows for ventilation.

The guide explains everything that carers need to know:

Being a carer in lockdown (PDF)

 


Further information and support

If you’re not able to connect with people due to social isolation, or are feeling lonely or worried about yourself, the person you care for, your work, or anything else, please do contact Carers Count.

Telephone: 0300 012 0231

Carers Count

 

Wellness Service – helping people live healthier, happier lives

The Wellness Service at Kirklees Council helps people to live healthier, happier lives and supports people to feel more able to look after themselves. They have a range of support services, all free of charge.

Get support with:

  • Improving mental wellbeing
  • Improving physical wellbeing
  • Steps for life and active for life
  • Stop smoking
  • Support for carers
  • Healthy weight
  • Connect to local groups

If you or someone you know might benefit from one of these services, now is the time to act.

As with many services the Wellness Service is currently restricted from providing the usual support sessions, but they are still open and ready to support adults 18 years+.

They are holding one to one consultations by phone appointment and these can be arranged by telephone or by completing the referral form.

To make an appointment:

Telephone – 01484 234 095

Online: Refer yourself (or someone else) to the Wellness Service

Find out more about the Wellness Service

 


Your Health and Wellbeing – find support for you or someone you know

Our health and wellbeing is important during our everyday life, but during times of stress and upheaval it is even more important we take care of ourselves and look out for one another.

In the Your Health & Wellbeing leaflet there are contact details for a range of services offering support to keep us safe. The services are free to access, providing you meet the criteria.

If you need support or know someone who does, then there could be something here that helps get you through. Contact details for these services and a whole lot more can be found in the leaflet:

  • Kirklees Wellness Service – Supports local people (18+ years) who have or are at risk of long-term conditions to live healthier, happier lives.
  • NHS Better Health – An online range of tools and support to help kick-start a healthier lifestyle.
  • Kirklees Social Prescribing Service – Work in our communities to support people who are, for example, lonely or isolated, who would benefit from support with their mental health.
  • Peer Support Service – Is a confidential mental health support service delivered by people with lived experience of mental health issues for anyone living in Kirklees.
  • CHART Kirklees drug and alcohol service – Provide a range of treatment, recovery and related support for local people who are 18+ years.
  • Grief and Loss Support Service – Practical and emotional support and advice for anyone in West Yorkshire and Harrogate suffering from any form of grief and loss, or those worried about losing someone.
  • Kooth.com online counselling and support service – Confidential and anonymous service for local 10-19 year olds to gain advice, support and guidance from qualified counsellors through their mobile, tablet and desktop.
  • Relationship Matters – For parents (in the Yorkshire and Humber region) who are together or separated and share responsibility for a child or children who are having relationship difficulties.

Health and Wellbeing Support leaflet (PDF)

 

If you would like to order printed versions of the leaflet, you can email Luc Bride – luc.bride@kirklees.gov.uk. Please include the following the details in your email:

Email title: ‘Your Health and Wellbeing Leaflets’

Tell us which group you are part of, contact details, delivery address and how many leaflets you would like. Resources are limited so please only order as many as you will be able to use.

 


Art-based Wellbeing sessions online

PJ Arts Hub logo

Like many organisations delivering learning during the coronavirus lockdown, PJ Arts Hub have taken to delivering their weekly arts based wellbeing sessions online.

In between Motivational Monday and Feel Good Friday sessions, PJ Arts Hub have guest speakers to motivate you on such things as gaining employment and skill development, to skills swap sessions to either learn new skills or share your own skills to help others.

Everyone needs a bit of encouragement and mental stimulation sometimes, and everyone is welcome to join the sessions.

For more details you can visit:

Proper Job Theatre Co website

 

If you think this is for you, or might benefit someone you know, all you need to do is get in touch with Cheryl for more information.

You can email: cheryl@properjob.org.uk or telephone 01484 514687.

 

Grief and Loss Support Service

Grief and loss support service

The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Grief and Loss Support Service is for anyone suffering any form of grief and loss, or those worried about losing someone, whether this relates to a family member, friend or member of their community.

Practical and emotional support and advice is available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week via a freephone number 0808 1963833, or online chat facility. The team can offer support and help connect you with organisations local to you, who can offer additional help where needed.

Find out more

Grief and Loss Support Service

(includes posters in community languages and a British Sign Language video)

 

Creative Minds – great projects to engage with during lockdown and beyond

sunflower with smiling faceAs challenging a time as it continues to be at the moment, keeping our minds healthy is perhaps one of the most important things we can do. It can also be one of the most difficult challenges we face. Creative activity can often play a role in meeting this challenge. Creative Minds, part of the NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership, help fund a number of creative projects.

The latest edition of the Creative Kirklees newsletter is testament to just how much creative activity continues to happen in spite of the challenges we’re all facing. Here are just three examples of projects happening in Kirklees.


‘Budding Up Together’ from Growing Works focuses on mental wellbeing and physical health. The project involves activities such as gardening tips, advice and nature interests. While access and connections happen virtually through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and their website, there is also the physical maintenance of community gardens to be enjoyed, in line with social distancing guidelines. The project is available to anyone using NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership services. The project is run by the Growing Works charity and they can be contacted by email info@growingworks.org.uk or by phoning Rachel on 07845 415289 or through their website:

Growing Works


Wellbeing packs from Support To Recovery (S2R) are full of creative activities, instructions and useful information to reduce isolation during Covid-19 lockdown. There are physical packs available, but the resources can also be accessed online. To find out more about this and other projects you can email contact@s2r.org.uk or see our blog post:

Wellbeing resources from S2R


‘It’s Okay to Wave’ from Satellite Arts is all about movement, songs and drama sessions using enjoyable joining in material from Xylosound. The sessions will be available on YouTube and DVD. The focus of these sessions is to help adults with learning needs to keep themselves mentally and physically active during lockdown. The project is run by Satellite Arts and they can be contacted by emailing andy@satellitearts.org.uk or phoning Andy on 01484 848072 or through their website:

Satellite Arts


There are lots of other projects happening in Kirklees as part of Creative Minds. Have a look at their latest newsletter to see them all, find out who can access the projects and who to contact for more detail.

Creative Minds newsletter, May 2020 (PDF)

 

Reading collections to support wellbeing

Mental Health Awareness Week

Kirklees Libraries have curated some reading collections in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week (18th to 24th May). Check out this collection of specially selected fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Whether you want to find a book to help you or others through these difficult times, an uplifting story or a poem that resonates, you may just find what you’re looking for…

Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 reading collection

Kirklees Libraries also have an extensive “Shelf Help” collection specifically for teens covering a wide range of mental health issues

Shelf Help titles co-selected by young people