NOTICE BOARD

 

 

 

18th December 2008.  We have now got the grant that i have been after, which means that we can continue to provide interesting activities that are subsidised. We can now also improve on our website, so lets see what we can do. Please contact me with any suggestions.

13th August 2008.  We have now had over 10,000 visits to our website since it was up and running 2 years ago and they could not all have been by accident ! I think it is now looking a bit out of date and i have plans to make it more interesting such as more pictures and a forum, but i have to wait for a specific grant. Any suggestions please let me know.

11th August 2008.  I was contacted by a lady who runs a residential home in Cromer for people with  learning disabilities which are often accompanied by mental health problems, via our website. She asked if one of her residents could attend our activities so i went to see them. Unfortunatly we are not really geared up for female members as we have only men at the moment and some have said that they prefer it that way. I invited them along to one of our activities and i recommended several support groups in the area that i thought could help. I will think about a seperate mixed activity group and discuss it with the other trustees.

23rd July 2008.  I went on a visit to Kelling Park a residential home for people suffering with mental health problems. One impression that i came away with is that most of them are anxious to move on but need one to one befrienders to introduce them back into the community, just by having chats and taking them out for a coffee. Idealy people that understand mental health problems, preferably existing or previous sufferers. I am a volunteer befriender myself and if you can spare a couple of hours a week please let me know and i can organise it. If you are interested have a look at Kelling Park on the following website www.ChancellorCare.co.uk

17th July 2008.  3 months ago i had a re-occurrence of anxiety attacks and had problems sleeping, keeping calm etc. after a couple of weeks i decided to see the doc and he said that he would make an appointment for the CPN to see me, well today i had a letter with an appointment, after 3 months ! Fortunately due to my past experiences i got through it on my own so now i don't need the appointment, but it goes to show how under pressure the NHS is with mental health problems.

5th June 2008.  There has been a change in the trustees, Karen has served us well but now makes way for Steve and Alec who have been members for some time. This will give us more experience and valuable input as all trustees have suffered from mental health problems.

3rd June 2008.  I am applying for a grant to upgrade our website, I want to replace the homepage picture with something a bit more interesting maybe a picture of the broads with boats moving and put some pictures on the top of pages. I am also keen to include a forum. Maybe even some intro music. Let me know any thoughts that you have using the contact page.

28th March 2008.  Insurance has become a topic this week , first a member wanted to know if we had additional cover for activities and transport and then a grant application form asked if we had liability insurance. We do not have any special insurances as it would be quite expensive and who's going to pay for it ? All the grants which are available that i have seen are only for projects not administration and overheads. I don't want to charge subscriptions, so if any members are concerned they will just have to come up with the money !

23rd March 2008.  I have added yet another new page called '  Illnesses ' i thought it would be of help if others know that they don't suffer alone and could share experiences.

21st March 2008.  We had a general meeting yesterday which went well. If you are interested in seeing the minutes of the meeting please contact us via the website.

19th March 2008.  I have just read that the national recommendation of exercise to keep fit and healthy is three sessions of 30 minutes of per week. Hmm, does lovemaking count ?

17th March 2008.  Our website has now had over 6000 hits, thats over 100 a week since we started, and we are improving and fine tuning it all the time. If you would like to see your name on it, all you have to do is donate £50 or more and you will be included in our Honours List page. We will also let you know what we spend your money on !

14th March 2008.  We have obtained a grant for subsidising activities and travel so as promised activities will not cost anyone more than £3 until the money runs out.

3rd March 2008.  I have now submitted 2 grant applications and will continue to submit others , if they are fruitful activities will be subsidised over £3. Watch this space !

3rd March 2008.  If you want to do a bit more have a look at the new page i have started headed ' Support groups '.

29th February 2008.  I have just discovered a new activity project which started in October and looks very interesting. It is called ' FIT TOGETHER ' and is run by Active Norfolk and Lloyds pharmacy. It consists of organised walks which are graded according to their difficulty and are from 1 mile. The walks are free of charge and cycle rides are planned to start in April. I will definately be trying them out and if anyone wants to join me let me know. The website with information is www.activenorfolk.org/fittogether

25th February 2008.  I looked up a group that i used to go to that meet in Stalham every Wednesday between 2-4 . This is a very good mens group which was started about 6 years ago by a couple of ordinary guys with knowledge of mental illness. They meet in a hall which is quite comfortable  with armchairs  and about 6 pool tables and has a kitchen for tea and biscuits. It is very laid back, some just sit and chat and others play pool and you are quickly made to feel welcome. There is a subscription charge of £2 but the tea and pool are free. They occasionally go out on visits. If you are interested in going for a look contact me and i will introduce you.

23rd January 2008.  We have now had 5021 visits to the website in just over a year since it started. I have made quite a few changes since it started in order to make it more interesting, and in the hope that people will also use it for reference to services available.  I have been having trouble downloading pictures but i will try to get it sorted. If you have any comments or suggestions i would love to hear them.

19th December 2007.  I have added a new page called Volunteering work. If you have any comments or experiences in this area please let me know.

13th December 2007.  We need some more members and i have decided to send some A5 sized leaflets to the doctors surgeries and libraries in our area and requested that they put them on their notice boards. I am aware that only people with access to a computer will respond due to the way it is worded but that is ok as we can only integrate new members one at a time and the people that are likely to be interested in our activities will probably have access to a computer or know someone that has. ( Computers can be used free of charge and help given in the libraries ) I am unable to reproduce the poster on the website but if you see it let me know what you think.

21st September 2007.  I have added a new page called ' Work ' under navigation, give it a look and let me know what you think.

11th September 2007.  There was a report out this week that one in nine of the population of Great Britain is suffering from mental illness, the main illness being depression. This comes on the old statistic that one in four people will suffer mental illness at some time in their life. In my opinion most cases of depression can be beaten. I suffered to the point where it threatened my life but i beat it, came off the drugs and never been happier. It's not easy,  takes a while and is largely down to determination so don't give up if it's what you suffer from.

6th August 2007.  We have now had 2819 visits to the web site.

21st July 2007.  I have booked a session around Brands Hatch in a single seater and a flight in a Tiger Moth ( not on the same day ) if anyone fancies joining me i can get them £5 off and transport them FOC. See www.buyagift.com

4th May 2007  We need some more guys to play indoor tennis on Fridays at the sports centre in North Walsham its not serious just good fun and will help to keep you fit. I guarantee that you will enjoy it, if you don't i will buy you a drink in the bar afterwards !

29th April 2007  If we succeed in getting any grants the first priority will be to subsidise activity costs so that no activity will cost more than £3. The following priorities will be : Purchase of a minibus. Overheads of premises. Equipment and furnishing. Admin.

21st March 2007  If you feel that you are being discriminated against because of a disability have a look at this website and if you still feel that you are, you can get a solicitor to take it up and it should be free of charge. www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm

18th March 2007  We really need an MPV vehicle for picking people up and outings. It needs to be diesel for good mpg. I went after one on ebay last week but i wasn't prepared to pay more than £1500 and it went for £3100 and it was 15 years old !! If you hear of one or have some money to spare let me know.

7th March 2007  I'm thinking of putting a problem page on the site like in the magazines and print questions and answers that i think might interest people, what do you think ? and if i put on a questionaire would you fill it in?

6th March 2007  For information on what activities we have got planned click on ' EVENTS ' under navigation.

20th February 2007. If you want to check up on your medication, what it is, what it does, side effects, what you must not take with it etc. try this website  www.healthline.com

20th February 2007. Are you getting a side affect from a medication ? Why not report it on the government website www.yellowcard.gov.uk  You will help them monitor the safety of prescription drugs.

 

 

 

 

                                Earlier notices

I have found suitable premises in North Walsham for the Activity / Day centre, completion of the purchase is sheduled for 31st August.There will be some major alterations to be done, some of which will be for work experience.

You can become a member without attending the support centre or other activities.You will be able to log onto our website and follow us in your own home or at the library free of charge. We can supply you with a secondhand PC for approx.£100 or a new one for approx.£300. Please contact ken if you are interested.

The new centre which will be in North Walsham has a double garage and I want to find a small sports car such as a Toyota or Mazda for rebuilding and customising as a project and for work experience. I do not have much money to spend on the car, do you have a car to donate or sell ?

The local five a side football session which is run by Goala Active has been going for almost 2 years now, starting at Stalham and now at the sports centre in North Walsham. 28 people with mental health problems have filled out application forms and attended at least one game, but we are having attendance problems. If we cannot get enough people turning up to play we will have to stop playing as the hall, insurance, etc. still have to be paid. Please make the effort to turn up and encourage others to join. E-mail me if you want info.

One of the lads came up with a good idea which was to get a boat and renovate it if necessary and use it on the broads and local rivers, we could also fish off it. If anyone knows of a boat for sale, even if it isn't in working condition please e-mail or phone me on 07919 232904.

Bought a fishing boat that will hold 4 adults for cruising or 2 fishing, needs tidying up but should be good fun.

If you are prone to depression its worth considering taking Omega 3 supplement, a blend of 3 fish oils, as well as being beneficial for a healthy heart and supple joints it also helps with mental alertness and depression. It can be bought in any supermarket and costs less than 3p a capsule. I have been taking it for 6 months and found it very good.

Keeping fit is another way of fighting depression, local sports centres normally have a small gym where you can exercise for low cost. A session at North Walsham Sports Centre only costs £2 and if you are on benefits you may be entitled to free sessions. The Victory swimming pool at North Walsham is also quite cheap.

Are their any bikers out there ? A couple of us have bikes, i have a Harley Sportster and one of the lads has a Kawasaki EX500 and we occasionly go out for a ride down some country lanes or to the seaside, it you fancy joining us or just having a chat, get in touch.

If you have been following the diary you may have got the impression that there is nothing wrong with the guys, which is good but not the case. All the guys are registered as suffering with a mental health problem and are unable to work due to their problem and are on medication. Most have been suffering for a long period, some as long as fifteen years and are on serious medication and still have bad days ,even weeks. However they are over the worst and have the determination to enjoy themselves and be optomistic about the future. One of the guys does work part time and another recently worked part time for a year. If you are suffering from a mental illness, no matter how low you get don't give up, we have all been there and you will come through it.

I hope to be able to list the illnesses than the guys suffer from as i think it will help others watching to know that there are other people coping with problems as large or larger than theirs.

24th August.2006. Goala Active badly need volunteers to help not just with running the football games but with paperwork I believe that they will pay travelling expenses. If you can spare a couple of hours a week and can get to Norwich please give Chris a call. His e-mail address is     angliamanuk@ntlworld.com    

7th September.2006. ISU ( Involving Service Users ) need volunteers, this is a very worthwhile organisation, give their website a look. www.isu-norfolk.org

24th September.2006. I have now completed the paperwork to apply for registration as a charity. There were 95 sheets to send off and i have managed to do it without a solicitor. It remains to be seen whether it will be accepted and they give a timescale of 3 months. I will let you know the outcome. I have decided not to apply for funding until i am registered.

13 th November 2006. I have had a letter from The Charities Commision regarding my application to become a registered charity and they have come up with several points that they want further information on, i think i have got it covered and have sent off my replies. If you are interested in the details please e-mail me.

24 th November 2006. One of the lads is looking for a flatmate to share his 2 bedroom flat in North Walsham. The flatmate will need to be female aged between 18-30 and be tidy. If you are interested or want more details please contact me.

3rd January 2007. Back on Track has now become a registered charity. ( No.1117442 ) This means that we are recognised as being properly run and our aims are approved by the Charities Commision and can go after funding with their backing.

25th January 2007. Is anyone up for an Ebay challenge ? The rules haven't been drawn up yet, i am open to suggestions, but the idea is challengers purchase one item or set from one of the charity shops in North Walsham for under £5 and then sells it  ( if he can ) on ebay. The winner is the person who gets the most money.

20th February 2007. There is now a new layout, please go to the top of the page.