Question Time - -28th October/ 25th November

Welcome to ‘Question Time’ again – it only seems like yesterday
that we had the last event. Taking on board all the previous
events and the issues raised I would welcome all parties involved
to post their comments on the issues raised at the meeting on the
28th October and the 25th November. Alternatively if you cant make
it down to the African Caribbean Project in Leamington Spa on the
28/10/09 or 25/11/09 between 6.30 – 9pm then please feel welcome
to post your concerns on what local services need to be put in place
regarding the well being of Black men.

These comments will all be fed into the next meeting with the local
commissionaires on the 13th November. I will be feeding back shortly
after this date.

Question Time – 30th September.

Question time is back - the community voice for Black
African Caribbean men. We would really welcome all
black men from the community to come forward as they
have done in previous meetings to talk openly about
what the hard hitting issues in the community are
that are not being addressed. Previous topics have
been around accessing Healthcare, Education, Fathering,
Youths and lack of things to do and well being.

Please come again and leave your vital comments that are now being
fed into the next strategic meeting on October 9th.
I will be feeding back thereafter.

Please leave ideas and concerns as these issues then can
be taken forward!

'RUGBY EVENT'

With respect to the event shortly to be held in Rugby

the team would like to offer an opportunity for people

to express their concerns, ideas and views online so

please feel encouraged to do so.

We would like to understand more about your experience

of using a service, which supports people who have

mental ill health.

How good are the services you receive? Are you able

to get involved in different things? Are the right things

on offer to you? Whether these services have helped

you with your recovery? Whether you have been able

to influence how a service has developed?

We will spend half a day with you and write up everything

you say to us on large sheets of paper. We will then

take this information away and write up report that

we will give to Ranjit Senghera from the West Midlands

Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care

Programme. Ranjit will use this information to make

sure that local services continue to improve.

Once the report has been analysed, we shall be feeding

back online.

Exhibition -‘Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head’

A fantastic photography exhibition will be taking place
next Wednesday 5th August at The old library -
‘The Gallery’ in Leamington Spa. The exhibition entitled
‘Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head’ is a recent project
completed in partnership with The Early Intervention
Psychosis Team of South Warwickshire and the ever
reliable ground breaking Community Arts Workshop
in Leamington.

The project boasts a real success in using Direct Payments
in a contemporary and innovative way to work with diverse
communities and ages in relation to well being, identity
issues, culture, urban spaces and personal creativity and
expression. Food and much laughter will be provided on
the evening accompanied by a very thought provoking
exhibition.

Please feel welcome to leave any comments with regards
to the exhibition and the integral importance to working
with communities and individuals creatively.

Guideposts service available!

We would like to introduce a service that we hope all ethnic
minority carer’s will be accessing especially in the north of
the county… If you have had a great service from Guideposts
then please share this with us so others can see the benefits...

I am BME Support Worker for Guideposts, and I cover Rugby
Bedworth, and Nuneaton, we support carers with any issues
they might face, we signpost them if need be.

We provide information on services and practical help available
to carers, we provide drop-in surgeries for carers to get information
and be able to get emotional support at difficult times, we promote
carers rights, ensure that carers voice is heard and their views
taken into account by decision makers.

Guideposts provide a wide range of information and services to help
carers; we also have social network groups that carers can attend.

If you would like to contact Guideposts for any information please
call the office number: 02476385888.

Age Concern Event!

The BME team of South Warwickshire would like to announce
an exciting event in partnership with ‘Age Concern’ of
Leamington Spa – the event is simply for all BME communities
to use their nimble fingers to get online and simply tell us what
is needed as a service from Age Concern? And so the age
concern blog reads…


"Speak out about Mental Health Services for older people
in your Community….
This is an ideal opportunity for ethnic minority groups
to voice any experiences, concerns and opinions with regards
to what mental health provisions they would like Age Concern
Warwickshire to provide their communities.

The blog is now open for postings until 31st March 2009.
Please get your thoughts to us quickly and we will have
a post event review shortly after the closing date.
We look forward to hearing from you."