Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival opens today

Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival launches today – World Mental Health Day

A national Ats and Film Festival tackling the stigma of mental health opens in Edinburgh this weekend, celebrating its ninth year.

Over 60 events are scheduled to take place across Lothian as part of the 2015 Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, making it one of the largest social justice festivals in the world, (SMHAFF) with performing arts, literature, photography, comedy and dance all set to feature.

The Festival officially opens today – World Mental Health Day – and this year explores the theme of ‘passion’

Linda Irvine Strategic Programme Manager, Mental Health and Wellbeing, NHS Lothian, said: “One in four people in Scotland will experience mental health problems at some point in their life but it is still something which attracts significant stigma.

“Through the many powerful, inspiring and provocative events taking place this year, the Festival aims to open up conversations about mental health and go some way towards challenging discrimination.”

Gail Aldam, Festival Manager, Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival, said “We are delighted with the scale and scope of the events taking place in Edinburgh and Lothian this year and are struck by the passion that the planning team have for using art to give a voice to marginalised groups, challenging social injustice and instigating change.

“There really is something for everyone in the programme, offering an inspiring range of arts activities from spoken word to visual arts to music, across the region.”

Highlights of this year’s Festival include:

Out of Sight, Out of Mind A series of powerful and compelling exhibitions taking place at venues and galleries across Edinburgh featuring work from artists with experience of mental health issues. Returning to the Festival for a third year, these events aim to get us thinking and talking about mental health and challenge preconceptions.

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Decent, a play by Linda Duncan McLaughlin has a special five day run at the Traverse (Tues 20^th-Sat 24^th Oct)
To celebrate Arthur Miller’s centenary, Rapture Theatre present a new production of The Last Yankee, one of the legendary writer’s final great plays which is touring throughout Lothian.
Rally & Broad An eclectic mix of spoken word, authors and music, the line-up features LOKI, one of Scotland’s most powerful and political performers (Fri 23^rd Oct, Bongo Club, Edinburgh)
In the Shadow of the Castle an evening of spoken word reflecting on the Gretna train disaster in the spectacular setting of Edinburgh Castle’s Great Hall (Thurs 22^nd Oct)
The Wellbeing Mela A free, fun, family day to celebrate diversity and promote positive mental health and wellbeing amongst Edinburgh’s varied minority ethnic communities. Music, dance, complementary therapies, relaxation workshops and lots more (Sunday 11th Oct, Out of the Blue)
Push Me Pull Me Join the Writing Mums, poet Jenny Lindsay and singer-songwriter Polly Phillips, for an evening of prose and poetry (Wed 28^th Oct, Dunbar Library)

There is also a wide ranging film programme curated from the more than 400 entries submitted to the Festival by filmmakers from across the globe. The winners will be recognised at a special awards ceremony hosted at the Filmhouse on 29 October.

Highlights of the film programme include the Scottish premiere of documentary Dancing With Maria, telling the story of Argentinian dancer Maria Fux who welcomes dancers from all backgrounds, including men and women with physical and mental impairments, to her Buenos Aires studio and Ida’s Diary – a powerful film that has been used by many mental health organisations for training and awareness raising purposes.

Details of all events taking place as part of this year’s Festival can be found at: www.mhfestival.com

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)

World Mental Health Day 2015

Thousands of people with mental health conditions around the world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only discriminated against, stigmatised and marginalised but are also subject to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations.

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October, is “Dignity in mental health”. This year, WHO will be raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity, through human rights oriented policy and law, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes, and public information campaigns.

Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn comments on World Mental Health Day:

“On World Mental Health day, I am proud to be the first Scottish minister with mental health in my job title. While this is a sign of how seriously we take this issue – I want us to be judged on the actions, not words.

“Demand for services is increasing significantly. The number of people seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services has risen by 30 per cent in the last year – more than 1,000 extra patients in the quarter ending June 2015. To respond to this we are investing heavily in the workforce. For example, we’ve seen a 70 per cent increase in the number of CAMHS psychologists working in Scotland’s health service since 2009/10.

“Yes, there are challenges, but we have also made great progress. Waiting times have decreased significantly, we have better data to drive improvement, and the number of deaths by suicide are their lowest level since 1977. This doesn’t mean we’re complacent. More progress is needed and we continue to work with health boards to attract more staff and bring waiting times down further. That’s one of the reasons why we’ve committed to invest an extra £100 million in mental health over the next five years. This funding will also be used to promote wellbeing, improve patient rights and develop better responses to mental illness in primary care.

“We’re moving towards the end of our current mental health strategy and are assessing what the strategy has achieved. Once we have a clear picture of our progress against the 36 commitments we set, we will then decide the best focus for the next strategy.

“The 2015 Mental Health Act will strengthen the framework for mental health legislation making the system more effective and efficient, and promoting patient involvement in their care, through strengthening the position of advocacy and advance statements.

“Mental health has deservedly moved up the agenda and that’s something we can all welcome. As treatment improves and the stigma of mental illness decreases, we will see more people coming forward to ask for help. I’m determined that we are able to meet that challenge.”

Mums on the run at Ainslie Park!

New group for mums starts at Ainslie Park next week

MONDAYS FROM 5th OCTOBER

WANT TO GET FIT AND SPEND TIME WITH YOUR BABY?

NO CHILDMINDER REQUIRED

COME MEET OTHER MUMS AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS

AINSLIE PARK LEISURE CENTRE 9.30 AM COFFEE AFTER

(possibly cake!! )

WALK/JOG GROUP ALL LEVELS WELCOME !!

PHONE TRACY 0791 987 2128 FOR MORE DETAILS

First Eleven: legacy cash to get communities active

Eleven projects that encourage some of Scotland’s least active people to become more active have been awarded grants as part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Games. Edinburgh Leisure is among the recipients and the organisation will use it’s share to support older people living in poorer areas to get more active.

The projects, spread throughout Scotland, work with groups who are most at risk of inactivity, and use physical activity to improve health, wellbeing and social cohesion.

The Legacy 2014 Physical Activity Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Spirit of 2012. Spirit was a partner of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and was chosen by the Scottish Government to create a sustainable physical activity programme to support the objectives of getting the least active people in Scotland more active.

Physical activity improves physical fitness and mental wellbeing, and can help to empower disabled people, connect generations, bring communities together and reduce isolation.

The eleven project, who each received grants up to £70,000, are as follows:

• Dumfries & Galloway Council: training programme for staff and volunteers to help older and/or vulnerable adults get active in all the area’s care homes as well as day care settings.
• North Ayrshire Leisure: supporting people with mental health issues to become more active through condition specific classes such as yoga and tai chi
• NHS Highland: using dance and walking to increase activity levels among the least active in the Highlands, including young people, women, older people, disabled people and those with long-term conditions
• Midlothian Council: bringing together two projects that use intergenerational volunteering to promote wellbeing; younger people coming into care homes to help older people become more active.
• Fife Sports and Leisure Trust: walking and GP referral programme for people with mental health issues and those with dementia
• Leisure & Culture Dundee: bringing ante natal women and their families in Dundee together through swimming to be active, have fun and improve their wellbeing and resilience
• Stirling Council: offering an extended buggy walks programme for parents, as well as, strength and balance classes and jogging for older people. The focus of all these activities is the most disadvantaged communities
• Cairngorms National Park: This project offers health walks in Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray, and targets people with long term conditions, women and older people
• Changes Community Health Project: walking, cycling and other healthy recreational activities will benefit people with mental health conditions
• Drumchapel Sport: the new funding will extend their existing highly respected programme of sport used to unite the community and improve wellbeing, working with children and young people, women and girls
• Edinburgh Leisure: support people over the age of 45 living in areas of multiple deprivation to become more active.

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “I’d like to congratulate all of these projects on their successful applications to the Legacy 2014 Physical Activity Fund. They are all working to promote physical activity in their communities, concentrating on some of the groups that are most at risk of inactivity, and giving them the confidence to change their lifestyles.

“This fund is one of the ways we are securing the legacy of the Commonwealth Games, encouraging people to live more active lives. Physical inactivity leads to 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year. It’s linked to a host of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, dementia and depression. If we can encourage people to make even small changes to their lives we can make a big difference to Scotland’s health.”

Dugald Mackie, Chairman of Spirit of 2012 said: “Our aim is see personal and community wellbeing increase and to see a positive change in the perception of disability. I’m delighted that we’ll be supporting so many projects that work with disabled people (including those suffering from mental ill health). In the current climate it’s vital that public investment delivers results, and so we are committed to collaborating closely with the Scottish Government and the 11 local partners to discover what works and what we could do better.”

Debbie Lye, Chief Executive of Spirit said: “Our ultimate ambition is to use the learning from this pioneering Scottish initiative to inform the way we and others tackle the UK wide imperative of increasing levels of physical activity.

“Spirit will host a conference in January 2017 where all partners will bring together research and findings from the projects. This will be a key step in making Scottish physical opportunities more effective, engaging and efficient.”

Health in Mind project comes to Royston Mains

MAPS: My Assets & Personal Strengths

Wellbeing and Self-Management Project

Health in Mind is excited to be going into the second year of its MAPS service supporting people in groups to self manage their mental health and wellbeing and have two new groups starting in the coming weeks.

MAPS_leaflet_September_2015

The Afternoon Group will be held at The Elizabeth Maginnis Court Complex in Granton beginning late September will be held every Tuesday, and the Evening Group will be held at Health in Mind, Shandwick Place beginning early October on a Thursday. For more information please see our leaflet or get in touch with Katie or Cindy on 0131 225 8508. You can also email

katie.rowland@health-in-mind.org.uk or cindy.sanders@health-in-mind.org.uk

Community invite to strategy consultation

Craighall Centre Health & Social Care event

The three month public consultation on the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s draft Strategic Plan and Joint Strategic Needs Assessment ends on 31 October and the Strategic Planning Group, which is overseeing the consultation, is keen to hear from citizens, communities and stakeholders.

The city council is inviting local community groups, organisations and individuals to participate in and give their views on the integration of health and social care services and has organised a number of events across the city to enable you to find out what’s been proposed and have your say.

The local event takes place at Craighall Centre, 210 Ferry Road on Monday 28 September from 1 – 2.30pm (note change of time).

There is a web link included in the flier so people can access to view the plan:

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/

Free exercise classes for over 65s

People aged 65 years and over in Edinburgh and East Lothian are being offered free exercise classes as part of a new research project being undertaken by Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University (QMU).

Scientists at QMU are studying how lifestyle changes can improve quality of life in people aged 65 and over, including how exercise and nutrition plans can help people increase their lean mass and strength.

The exercise classes will take place between September 2015 and April 2016 at QMU’s Sports Centre and will include balance, aerobic and resistance exercises provided by trained physical instructors.

The study is being conducted by QMU’s department for Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences, so some participants will also receive free nutritional plans.

The research-active unit offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the fields of diet, human biology and health. Their staff have particular expertise in public health, clinical nutrition and metabolism, as well as complementary medicine.

Nutritionist and fitness trainer, Christos Theodorakopoulos, who is leading the research at QMU, said: ‘It is never too late to start exercising and enjoy the benefits of healthy living, so this is a great chance for over 65s living in Edinburgh and East Lothian to get fit with our experts for free.”

People interested in taking part in the study can contact Christos Theodorakopoulos at QMU to find out if they are eligible to participate: email: CTheodorakopoulos@qmu.ac.uk

Free walking and cycling festival at Inverleith Park

Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership presents:

Inverleith On Foot and By Bike

Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun, try new things, get out and about in fresh air, win some great prizes and get fitter!

Sunday 13 September in Inverleith Park, 2.30-5.30.

Finalé of the event is the live screening of the Tour De Britain. Come watch it on large screen in our bike powered cinema!

More info here.

Get fit at The Prentice Centre

Fit Camp every Monday at The Prentice Centre, 7 – 8pm

Explorer of the Year heads women’s events at Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

Shannon Galpin will talk about her experiences cycling in Afghanistan while Festival puts focus on women in cycling

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and women’s rights activist Shannon Galpin (above), the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan, will be sharing her story in the talk ‘Pedaling a Revolution’ at the third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, held across various venues from 11 – 21 June.

An avid mountain biker, who has spent seven years working on various projects to empower women and girls, most recently supporting the first generation of women riding bikes as part of the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team, Galpin will be leading a strong bill of events for women as part of the Festival. She will be speaking at the Royal College of Physicians on 17 June at 7pm.

It is not just in Afghanistan that women are changing the narrative, and not just in cycling. After last year’s successful launch, the Women’s Cycle Forum is back for an evening of discussion, inspiration and networking open to all. This year we’ll be hearing from women from successful campaigns about how they ‘changed the record’ and make a difference to their worlds – and then consider together how we can build a better one of our own. Whether you ride a bike for transport, fun or sport, or work in cycling in any way, come ready to learn and to talk about what we can all do to make a difference across the cycling world. Come away inspired, informed – and challenged – to ‘build a better world‘. The Women’s Cycle Forum will be held at Teviot Row House on 13th June at 7pm.

Another woman trying to bring a new perspective to the cycling safety debate is Tamara von Werthern, writer the of the new powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’. The White Bike addresses the issue of road safety by looking at the personal cost of road death and is inspired by the case of Eilidh Cairns who was killed by a lorry as she cycled to work. It uses witness statements, personal recollections of family members and years of cycling experience on the streets of London to create a deeply personal portrait of a life cut short too soon. A dramatic reading of the play will be given at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 11 June at 6.30pm.

Other inspiring woman appearing at the Festival include Juliana Buhring and Emily Chappell. World record holder Juliana Buhring was the fastest women to cycle around the world in 2012 and female winner of the Trans-Am Race 2014. Juliana will be giving a Q&A after the Scottish première of the film ‘Inspired to Ride’ about first TransAmerica race.

‘Inspired to Ride’ gives the audience an incredibly immersive experience of 45 cyclists  from around the world who set out to cover 4,233 miles in  one enormous stage race, traversing through ten US states in a transcontinental adventure of epic proportions. ‘Inspired to Ride’ will be screened at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 12 June 7pm.

Emily Chappell will be sharing her stories about cycling through some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable regions in a talk on 11 June at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar at 8pm. A bike messenger by trade, she has recently cycled from Anchorage to Seattle on a fatbike, through the snow and ice of the Alaska Highway.

The Edinburgh Festival also has a wide range of participatory events which are likely to appeal to women, these include: the original Edinburgh Night Ride (starts 19 June) which over the last two years has had over 40% participation. This ride give cyclists the chance to experience of cycling through the night on quiet roads in East Lothian.

A ride which is specifically aimed at female riders is the 15:15 ride led by the Edinburgh Belles on Bikes women’s cycling group. The route for this ride forms a figure of eight which allows riders ride for the whole 30 miles, or decide to stop after the first 15 miles.

There is also the ‘Women, Read and Ride on Tour’ a literary tour of Edinburgh by bike, celebrating cycling writing by women. This ride will include readings by Kate Rawles from her book The Carbon Cycle – Crossing the Great Divide (21 June).

For those who want to learn to ride or increase their confidence, there are courses for beginners (21 June) and an adult commuter course (13 June). In addition to this there are a range of family friendly events, these include the Bike Curious Family Workshop. This event, on 13 June at Sciennes Primary School, is to show families how the bike can be used as everyday family transport.

Tickets and more information on all events are available at www.edfoc.co.uk. The Festival can also be followed on Twitter at @edfoc, on Facebook at EdinburghFestivalofCycling, on Instagram at @edfoc and on Flickr at edincyclefest. The hashtag for the event is #edfoc2015

Sheds: improving older men’s health

‘like a youth club for us older guys!’

A project by Age Scotland to improve the health and wellbeing of older men is set to receive a boost of £50,000 to roll out across Scotland.

The funding will provide support and resources to new and existing Men’s Sheds across the country, and was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights Alex Neil whilst visiting the MacMerry Men’s Shed in East Lothian, which also celebrates its second birthday today.

The Men’s Shed movement follows a blueprint from an Australian project and is a place for men to come together and work on either individual projects or work together on community projects. The men who attend can share skills , learn new ones, share stories and experiences and relax. The project delivers proven benefits in improving health and wellbeing and reducing social isolation which is often experienced by older men.

Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil said: “The MacMerry Men’s Shed project is a wonderful example of community empowerment in action – where men can come along, meet other like-minded individuals contribute to their local community and take control of a community asset for the community’s benefit.

“They can work on projects together, planning and developing ideas while also getting out of the house and meet new people. What’s most important in this project is the network of relationships and support that the men build with each other so they can feel involved and connected. It can reduce social isolation, give them a sense of purpose and contribute to them living well in later life.

“Older people are an asset to Scotland, and we want them to flourish in our communities and continue to make a contribution. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Age Scotland to help the network of Men’s Sheds develop across Scotland.”

Between 20 and 25 men attend the MacMerry Men’s Shed each Tuesday and Thursday undertaking a diverse range of activities which includes building garden planters for the local community council to brighten up the village hall, creating storage units for tools, creating bug hotels, candle holders and key racks for selling on at local market, and restoring old furniture and sharpening tools.

Although the Sheds project mostly attract older men, men of all ages, women and young people are encouraged to get involved in their local projects.

Age Scotland Chief Executive Brian Sloan said: “It is really exciting to be part of the growing Men’s Sheds movement, a movement that Age Scotland has been supporting for a number of years. These community ventures are a great way to bring people together to love later life and we want to thank all the Shedders across Scotland and the groups who support them.”