Helen Ivory is a poet and assemblage artist. Her fourth Bloodaxe Books collection is the semi-autobiographical Waiting for Bluebeard (May 2013).
She has co-edited with George Szirtes In Their Own Words:Contemporary Poets on their Poetry Salt 2012.
She teaches for the Arvon Foundation, The Poetry School and mentors for the Poetry Society.
She edits the webzine Ink Sweat and Tears and is tutor and Course Director for the new UEA/Writers Centre Norwich online creative writing programme which launches in 2015.
She is married to the poet Martin Figura and they live in Norwich where they run the live-literature organization Café Writers.
Moniza Alvi was born in Pakistan and grew up in Hertfordshire.
After working for many years as a secondary school teacher in London, she is now a freelance writer and tutor, and lives in Wymondham, Norfolk with her husband and daughter.
Her first two collections were published by Oxford University Press: The Country at My Shoulder (1993), shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot and Whitbread poetry prizes and selected for the New Generation poetry promotion, and A Bowl of Warm Air (1996).
Her later poetry titles have all been published by Bloodaxe and include Split World: Poems 1990-2005 (2008) and Europa (2008) and At the Time of Partition (2013). Both these last two books were Poetry Book Society Choices shortlisted for T.S. Eliot Prize.
In 2002-04 she was a trainee at the Westminster Pastoral Foundation studying counselling and group analysis.
For the last decade, Russell Thompson has worked for Apples and Snakes, England’s leading organisation devoted specifically to the advancement of live poetry.
As such, he has devised tours, theatre shows and artist-development initiatives. He is now the organisation’s archivist.
Russell is a seasoned performing artist himself, appearing both as Rachel Pantechnicon and as one half of the pop-and-poetry duo Project Adorno.
In these guises, he has featured on BBC Radios 1, 3 and 4, and has appeared on the bill of events as diverse as WOMAD and the StAnza Poetry Festival.
Georgina delivers presentations to a wide variety of audiences. Her work has led to her being awarded honorary lecturer status within the Institute’s Section of Mental Health Nursing. She also works for various Universities and NHS Trusts.
Georgina has said: “For many years I felt afraid to say ‘my son suffers from Schizophrenia’ due to the negative perception all too often portrayed by the media. We will continue to campaign for all those who have been unlucky enough to develop a mental illness something that is no more than a tragic life event.”
Georgina is an accomplished public speaker and has spoken at many conferences nationally. She is an Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry where she has delivered “The Carers Perspective” through three short courses for the past 10 years.
FREE DVD
To the left is the front cover of the DVD “Schizophrenia The Whole Picture”. This DVD is now available as a free resource (only the postage and packaging is payable) to mental health carers and professionals in fact anyone who would like to learn more about Schizophrenia. To obtain a copy send a SAE padded envelope with 2 first class stamps to:
Advance is a national support provider and registered Housing Association, providing services to more than 4000 people across many parts of England, including more than 2000 people with mental health problems.
We provide places to live for people with learning disabilities or mental health problems.
We also provide support for people so they can live their lives the way they want.
We give employment advice for people with disabilities who want to get into work.
We have been closely involved with SISO since 2009 when Advance staff and customers brought it into being, have provided funding and guidance ever since, and are delighted that this exciting project has come so far.
We continue to be linked with SISO as a Community Interest Company, with several staff representing Advance at Board level; and we promote its activities on our website and at local and national events.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
We are an NHS foundation trust, providing a range of community, mental health and learning disability services in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.
We also provide some specialist medium secure services to the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
We put people who need to use our services, and their carers, at the very centre of everything we do.
We want to enable people to enjoy productive, full and independent lives in the heart of their communities.
To encourage the use of creative approaches in healthcare, which can increase self-esteem, provide a sense of purpose, develop social skills and improve quality of life, the Trust has developed an initiative called Creative Minds.
Our Creative Minds work is altering the perceptions of how we deliver our services and not only underlines our commitment to creative approaches but also provides more opportunities for individuals and groups to develop and grow creatively.
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is the largest provider of mental health, and substance misuse services in Derbyshire, primarily serving the people of Derbyshire and Derby City which has a combined population of approximately one million.
Our Trust focuses on services for those with severe and enduring mental health problems.
These services supplement others (such as those provided in primary care) and are themselves complemented by more specialist services such as secure inpatient services provided from dedicated premises.
We provide a wide range of services which reflect the spectrum of care needs of people with mental health problems. This includes services for individuals who need support from community staff, through to inpatient, crisis resolution and more specialised services.
In addition we provide specialist substance misuse services, and community based learning disability services.
In April 2011 Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust became the provider of Children’s Universal and Specialist Services for Derby City following a successful tender process.
In addition as part of the Transforming Community Services (TCS) programme, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust transferred into the organisation community paediatric services and substance misuse services from NHS Derby City.
MindFull is a national charity helping young people to improve and sustain positive mental health, emotional resilience and wellbeing.
We provide 11-17 year olds with tailored online support to improve their wellbeing and mental health.
Young people can access professional counselling support, expert information, advice and resources provided by mental health professionals, self help tools and peer mentoring support, in real-time, via www.mindfull.org.
We train MindFull Mentors, developing their emotional resilience, while also equipping them with tools and advice they can share with young people to improve their wellbeing.
We campaign to raise the importance of wellbeing and mental health amongst young people, parents, government and professionals.
In today’s Britain no one should ever feel under threat of verbal abuse or physical violence just because of their disability, transgender (gender identity), race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
The risk of being attacked or abused on the street, at work or in their own home just because of who they are remains an everyday reality for many people.
If hate incidents go unreported this fear will increase and affects people’s ability to live open and happy lives.
Stamp It Out! is a community led partnership bringing together different groups and organisations all committed to challenging, tackling and stamping out hate within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Leicester based Citizens Eye’s community news agency has a mental health news agency called How Are You Today?
The meetings take place the first Sunday of every month at the Phoenix Square Film 7 Digital Media Centre in Leicester.
The informal meetings begin at 2.00 pm and last for about an hour in the relaxing cafe surroundings.
For those who are interested in attending, the purpose of the group is really to discuss mental health and its plethora of issues, provide what personal support we can and try to address some of the discrimination and stigma that accompanies this whole area.
The meeting is open to anyone with an interest in mental health. There is no compulsion or pressure to talk and people can be as open or ‘closed’ as they wish. It is very informal.
You can find out more on our facebook page ‘How Are You Today?’ or on the Citizens Eye site
