Post by michele cryer on Oct 8, 2005 2:29:53 GMT
I attended a board of managers meeting today, for the above organisation, which is a branch of National Mind, a charity which works with, and on behalf of people with Mental Health Issues.
The N.E. Lancs branch is in need of funding in order to sustain itself once the funding period for its Befriending Scheme finishes in 2006.
The meeting today was in order that suggestions could be made as to the future of the local group, what direction it should move in, and how to make itself appear a good enough candidate for longer term funding to be issued to it.
The following proposals were made, suggestions coming both from Mind's Staff, Carers, Volunteers (Befrienders) and Service Users and their families.
1. Mind should aim to provide a 'listening ear' service for all...this should be a joint venture with Burnley College, where students in Counselling are invited to do some of their placement work within Mind 'practising' their counselling skills.
2. Mind should aim to adopt some of the 'distraction therapy' measures previously used by Resource Centres and currently used in Industrial Therapy Units...Students studying to become Industrial Therapists would be invited to spend some of their placement time within Mind, offering such skills as arts/crafts/music/dance etc.
3. A longer term vision would be for Mind to purchase, or have made available from Burnley Borough Council, a town centre property in which it can house the offices for the Resource Centre, Listening Ear service and also offer a Cyber Cafe, (PC's to be donated, possibly, from the college's stock which is being replaced), a Cafe and some sort of Book exchange/shop.
4. Bring in an Asian worker in order to aid expansion of the membership into the Asian community.
5. In order to obtain funding of any kind, for any of the above it was noted that it was essential that these proposals be introduced to health workers...psychiatrists, GP's, Nurses etc. who ought to be recommending that service users approach organisations such as Mind for extra support. Also, that these proposals should be written up in a document to be circulated at Public Meetings, and placed in local GP Surgeries/Hospitals/Supermarkets etc. so that the general public is made more aware of Mind's existence and what it wants to offer...
It was also noted that the media portrayal of people with Mental Health Issues was often negatively focused, and therefore we should be aiming to present to the media the positive aspects of the service users, and the groups working with them.
Additionally, it was proposed that a 'registration' of members be written up so that regular attendees, who suddenly stop attending, can be contacted to ensure that they are in good health, and that there is no cause for concern over their non-attendance over a period of time.
The next Management meeting is planned for the beginning of December, following the A.G.M. in November where it is hoped that volunteers' applications to join the Management Committee will be accepted.
The N.E. Lancs branch is in need of funding in order to sustain itself once the funding period for its Befriending Scheme finishes in 2006.
The meeting today was in order that suggestions could be made as to the future of the local group, what direction it should move in, and how to make itself appear a good enough candidate for longer term funding to be issued to it.
The following proposals were made, suggestions coming both from Mind's Staff, Carers, Volunteers (Befrienders) and Service Users and their families.
1. Mind should aim to provide a 'listening ear' service for all...this should be a joint venture with Burnley College, where students in Counselling are invited to do some of their placement work within Mind 'practising' their counselling skills.
2. Mind should aim to adopt some of the 'distraction therapy' measures previously used by Resource Centres and currently used in Industrial Therapy Units...Students studying to become Industrial Therapists would be invited to spend some of their placement time within Mind, offering such skills as arts/crafts/music/dance etc.
3. A longer term vision would be for Mind to purchase, or have made available from Burnley Borough Council, a town centre property in which it can house the offices for the Resource Centre, Listening Ear service and also offer a Cyber Cafe, (PC's to be donated, possibly, from the college's stock which is being replaced), a Cafe and some sort of Book exchange/shop.
4. Bring in an Asian worker in order to aid expansion of the membership into the Asian community.
5. In order to obtain funding of any kind, for any of the above it was noted that it was essential that these proposals be introduced to health workers...psychiatrists, GP's, Nurses etc. who ought to be recommending that service users approach organisations such as Mind for extra support. Also, that these proposals should be written up in a document to be circulated at Public Meetings, and placed in local GP Surgeries/Hospitals/Supermarkets etc. so that the general public is made more aware of Mind's existence and what it wants to offer...
It was also noted that the media portrayal of people with Mental Health Issues was often negatively focused, and therefore we should be aiming to present to the media the positive aspects of the service users, and the groups working with them.
Additionally, it was proposed that a 'registration' of members be written up so that regular attendees, who suddenly stop attending, can be contacted to ensure that they are in good health, and that there is no cause for concern over their non-attendance over a period of time.
The next Management meeting is planned for the beginning of December, following the A.G.M. in November where it is hoped that volunteers' applications to join the Management Committee will be accepted.