If you have personal experience of mental distress, or provide friends/family carer support to somebody who has, then this may be for you.

The NMHDU (National Mental Health Development Unit – www.nmhdu.org.uk ) is part of the Department of Health, working to convert national policy in mental health and social care into active use. They develop methods, practices and resources that help improve health and social care services.

They need the whole of their work to involve people with experience of mental health problems, and the friends-and-family who support them, so the best possible results can be achieved for all concerned. Read more…

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers are organising an online chat on Thursday 21st Jan, from 7.00 – 8.00pm with Dr Agrawal.

Dr Agrawal is a Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Dr Agrawal has written about the lack of awareness, even among healthcare professionals, around early-onset dementia.

If you care for someone experiencing this or are just interested in the subject then click this link and meet him on 21st Jan.

Mental Health Research Network (MHRN)

Patient and Public Involvement Conference

Monday, 8th March 2010

Bloomsbury, Central London

MHRN’s first national conference will feature the work of  two involvement projects – Service Users in Research, and FACTOR – Families/Friends And Carers Together in Research. The projects involve service users and carers in research, from proposals and pilot studies to large scale studies. They will be presenting some of the hot topics in mental health, and asking:

• Are mental health issues accurately reported?
• What do you think about genetic research?
• What issues do service users and carers share?

You are invited if you use mental health services, or if you support or care for a friend or relative who has a mental health problem, or if you just want to know more about mental health research. This is an opportunity to meet up with other service users and carers, exchange ideas, and get up to date with mental health research. Service users are invited to come to the forum.

Keynote speakers

• Professor Stefan Priebe (Queen Mary, University of London)
• Dr Mike Crawford (Imperial College, University of London)
• Dr Felicity Callard (Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London)
• Professor George Szmukler (Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London)

Programme to include

• Financial incentives to take medication: ethical and practical issues
• How does the BBC report mental health research?
• Carer Themed Research
• Update on Genetics
• Mental Health Research Charity update

For more information: provisional programme; how to register your interest; submit a poster abstract see the website: www.mhrn.info

The event will be free of charge to carers, service users and members of the public. In addition standard class travel will be paid, but this must be booked through Michael Morgan (contact details at the bottom). A travel refreshment allowance of £5 is available for people travelling from outside the London area (paid on the day).

If you are interested in attending this event please contact –

By email – Michael Morgan – PPIConference@talktalk.net

By telephone – Lorrain McPherson 020 7848 0644

Caring with Confidence is a free knowledge and skills based programme which aims to help carers make a positive difference to their lives and the lives of the people they care for.

The courses are available through groups or a series of self study workbooks.

For more information please click here.

Developing fun and healthy lifestyles for older adults

With regular physical activity you will increase your chances of living a longer, healthier and more independent life. At least 30 minutes of activity, five or more days per week, can improve your overall health. This does not have to be all in one go and three slots of ten minutes throughout the day would be a great start.

Older adult’s exercise classes, what are they?

They are fun classes that include controlled exercises for the whole body, unless otherwise stated, using a chair for support. The classes are made up of exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your joint mobility, balance, coordination and overall wellbeing.

Please see the older adult’s exercise class list below to see where your nearest session is taking place.

All the classes are free of charge so come along and try them out.

Interested but never been to anything like this before?

The groups are friendly and open to new members. However if you would like some extra support in joining the classes or generally becoming more active then help is available from our Silver Active Motivator Team. We have a team of trained volunteers who can help you become more active by helping build confidence and introducing people to new activities. If you or a friend or relative would like to take advantage of this service please contact Laura Harvey, details below.

When and where

Bermondsey

Mondays, 11.30am to 12.30pm
at Age Concern, 95 Southwark Park Road SE16 3TY

Tuesdays, 1.00pm to 2.00pm
at Healthy Aging Cafe, Communal Room, Arundal Court, 82 Verney Road, SE16 3DB

Fridays 11.30am to 12.30pm
at Southwark Park Resource Centre, 345 Southwark Park Road, SE16 2JN

Borough and Bankside

Thursdays, 2pm to 3pm at Blackfriars Settlement 1-5 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB

Thursdays, 11.00am to 12pm at Queensborough Community Centre, Scovell Road, SE1 1PX
Camberwell

Tuesdays, 11am to 12pm
at Welton Court, 2A Crofton Road SE5 8NB

Wednesdays, movement and dance class from 6pm to 7pm
at Jessie Duffet Hall, Wyndham Road, SE5 0UB

Wednesdays, tennis session from 5.30pm to 6.30pm
at Burgess Park Tennis Courts
Thursdays, 10am to 11am
at Lomond House, 50 Camberwell Grove SE5 7AL

Fridays, circuits based class from 11am to 12pm
at Denmark Hill Community Centre, Blanchedowne Road, SE5 8HL

Dulwich

Mondays, some standing aerobic exercise, some chair based. 1.15pm to 2.15pm
at St Faiths Community and Youth Association, St Faiths Centre, Red Post Hill SE24 9JQ

Tuesdays, 1.30pm to 2.30pm
at Bew Court, 2A Lordship Lane Estate

Wednesday (every other), 10am to 12noon. Pioneer All Stars Group
at East Dulwich Community Centre, 46-64 Darrell Road, SE22. For more information contact Catherine at the Pioneer African Caribbean Group on 07958 371122
Nunhead and Peckham Rye

Tuesdays, 7pm to 8pm
at Cossall and Brimmington Estate, part of Well London, contact John Summers 020 7343 1757

Wednesdays, 3pm to 4pm
at Jack Jones, 12 Reedham Street SE15 4PH

Fridays, 2pm to 3pm
at Southwark Asian Centre, off Nigel Road, Peckham Rye SE15 4NU

Peckham

Tuesdays, 11.30am to 12.30pm
at Anchor Homes, Waterside House, 40 Sumner Road SE15 6LA

Rotherhithe

Tuesdays, 2.30pm to 3.30pm
at Ronald Buckingham Court, Kenning Street SE16 4LL

Tuesdays, 3.45pm to 4.30pm
at Silverlock Sheltered Housing, 23 George Walter Court, Silwood Street, SE16 2BG

Fridays, 3pm to 4pm
at Anchor Homes, Rose Court, 253 Lower Road SE8 5ND

Walworth

Wednesdays, 2pm to 3.30pm
at Darwin Court, 1 Crail Road, SE17 1AD. Argentino Tango dancing running from Feb 3 to April 21 2010, this sessions particularly welcomes people with a visual impairment

Laura Harvey
Active living officer
Tel: 020 7525 0884
Fax: 020 7525 0772
laura.harvey@southwark.gov.uk

If you’re on a low income, a Cold Weather Payment may be available to help you for each week of very cold weather in your area.

This year you will get £25 when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March.

In SE5 there has currently been 1 week of weather has been recorded at less that zero degrees.

More information can be found at:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/coldweatherpayment

Children who go online for learning at home, get on better in school. And with a computer and the internet at home, everyone in the family has the chance to learn more.

To apply for a computer please click this link

The Department of Health has invited carers and Carers’ Centres to respond to the consultation on the NHS Constitution. Here is their invitation:

The NHS Constitution brought together in one place what the NHS does, what it stands for and the commitments it should live up to.  It describes and renews our commitment to the values and enduring principles of the NHS.  It is also a living document that needs to reflect what matters and is relevant to the needs of patients, the public and staff in the 21st century.  A consultation on proposals to introduce two new patient rights into the Constitution was launched on 10 November.  The proposed rights are to:

• start treatment within a maximum of 18 weeks from a GP referral and to be seen by a cancer specialist within 2 weeks from a GP referral or, where this is not possible, for the NHS to take reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers; and
• NHS Health Checks for those aged 40 to 74 to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease

The consultation also seeks views on areas where we believe we will soon be able to offer rights, such as dentistry, evening and weekend access to GPs, personal health budgets, the ability to choose to die at home and rapid access to diagnostic tests.   Views on the proposed new role of Constitution Champion are also sought.  The consultation process is being run locally by PCTs and coordinated by SHAs..  We would like to encourage all carers to contribute to the consultation locally.  Responses to the centrally run national consultation process on behalf of national organisations are also welcome, details of which are available here:

CONSULTATION

Response can be made at the above website. The closing date for responses is 5 February 2010.

The Carers Poverty Alliance formed in 2009 when several carers groups worked together to organise protest rallies in London and Edinburgh.

The protests brought carers issues to the fore, highlighting the limitations placed on carers by the benefits system and by the lack of affordable, reliable and approriate respite.

Having secured full police permissions the next Carers Poverty Alliance Protest will take place on the 3rd March 2010 commencing at 12pm.

Meeting at Trafalgar Square the protest will march to Richmond Terrace, which is right next to Downing Street, shortly after 12pm.

The protest will continue at Richmond Terrace, with a small party of Carers and 2 MPs going to Downing Street to hand in the Petition at 1.30pm.

After the petition is handed in, the march will continue to the Houses of Parliament.

At the Houses of Parliament, Committee Room 14 has been booked by David Borrow MP for the Carers Poverty Alliance from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

Committee Room 14 can hold up to 175 Carers and will give you the chance to put your views across to your MP.

Please contact your MP to ask them to meet you there.