Hear Us Xmas Party and Wellbeing Event

On Tuesday 6^th December, Hear Us – Croydon’s Mental Health Service User Group – held our Xmas Party and Wellbeing Event at the CVA in West Croydon.  The event was funded by SLaM Special Trustees.

Hear Us is Croydon’s Mental Health Service User Group.  The majority of our Staff, Volunteers, Members and Trustees are current or ex users of Croydon’s Mental Health Services.  Many of us have been inpatients at the Bethlem Psychiatric Hospital and we represent the ‘voice of service users’ i.e. we use our unique insight and experience of mental illness to offer support to people currently experiencing mental distress.  Hear Us is commissioned to monitor and feedback on Croydon’s mental health services and aims to improve the experiences of people in Croydon who access these services. Hear Us is also a ‘signposting’ organisation. We link up with other organisations and services in Croydon who offer support, advice, Drop-in’s, Welfare Benefits and Advocacy support as well as Employment Support to mental health service users and carers in the Borough.

Sadly, people with mental illness still suffer stigma and discrimination in today’s society. It was Hear Us’ hope that by hosting a big community event like this in Croydon, we would bring together those directly affected by mental illness, carers, staff, and importantly, members of the public to help address this issue.

Over 25 organisations in Croydon gave up their time and expertise to make this a really special day.

Hear Us set up an ‘Information Room’ for people to access advice and support on all aspects of mental and physical wellbeing – organisations included Mind in Croydon, Croydon’s Carers Information Service, Croydon Diabetes, Croydon Samaritans, Status and Mind Employment Services, Croydon Healthy Living Hub and Stop Smoking services, Croydon Safer Transport Police, Croydon Autistic Society and many more.

We were also privileged to be entertained on the day in our ‘Party Room’ by an amazing Service User band called ‘The Irregulars’ as well as the talented duo, ‘Jules and Remi’ part of the Imagine user-led group in Croydon’ on vocals and guitar and Michael Harrington, a football coach for Crystal Palace.

Hear Us organised a ‘Relaxation’ Room which gave people the chance to enjoy taster sessions of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Massage, Manicures and Zen Acupuncture.  Croydon’s Body Shop joined us and treated people to free makeovers.

Several stores and companies in Croydon also donated some fabulous raffle prizes, and Croydon’s big supermarket chains, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer donated food for the event.

Over 300 people from Croydon’s Mental Health Services, day services, resource centres and care homes, as well as inpatients from Bethlem psychiatric hospital, Carers and staff enjoyed an amazing afternoon.

To find out more about Hear Us – Croydon’s Mental Health Service User Group, visit our website www.hear-us.org or telephone 020 8681 6888 or Email: info@hear-us.org

Hear Us would like to extend a special Thank you to the SLaM Special Trustees as well as all the volunteers from Hear Us and Mind in Croydon, who enabled us to make this event completely FREE to anyone in Croydon with an interest in mental health and wellbeing.

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“I’m delighted I was able to attend and to experience first-hand what a marvellous event it was. I think the balance between entertainment, information and alternative therapy was excellent and it was fantastic that so many people were able to attend and participate” (Steve Hill from Croydon Council).

“The 2011 Hear Us Christmas Party and Wellbeing Event was a huge success. It was attended by service users, carers, mental health staff and service providers of various kinds. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am pleased I went. As a service user, I got a lot of very useful information, including opportunities to volunteer on projects which I never knew existed. Hear Us is an amazing organisation, and this event will have brought pleasure, support and information to many people in the Croydon area.”

(Service User)

The Hear-us Christmas and Wellbeing party was a great afternoon, lots of people took a great interest in coming along and taking part in the relaxation therapies and information stands from various organisations in Croydon.
It brought together people with mental health problems in Croydon to socialise
in a very cheerful environment with great music, food and entertainment.
The Hear-us team worked very hard to make the event successful and successful it was!
I hope that next year’s event will be as special! ( Sarah Longhurst – service user)

“The Hear Us Christmas Party was a great success with its emphases on well-being, socialising, networking and having a good time.  It touched me greatly to see so many people, who often have difficulties in life as a result of mental ill health, being relaxed and comfortable with others whom they have come to know through being a member of Hear Us.”

“A fun, vibrant, busy and meaningful event.  Some of the service users I met on the day have since contacted me to join up!” – Jim Ellis from SUITE

Loved the Christmas do, so much energy in the room. It was so nice to be able to see people from all aspects of the mental health community in Croydon meeting each other and enjoying themselves in a social setting, being somewhere that people could have fun and relax together is such a rare thing. The Relaxation room was a brilliant idea, a valuable place for people to treat themselves away from the hustle of the main hall. All the therapists in the room were fully booked!

Hear Us worked so hard and it really paid off!

Dora Crook

Social Inclusion Coordinator

Active Minds (part of Mind in Croydon)

“Just wanted to say how amazing I thought the event was yesterday and what a huge, incredible achievement it was for Hear Us to have so many people in the community represented… There were so many people there but also so many organisations represented in the information room, plus all the treatments etc”

“I thought it was a really good event and the patients that went from here certainly spoke highly of it” – Barry Jones Psychiatrist from Touchstone, Croydon’s Personality Disorder Service.

“Great, what a brilliant turn out ey, I’ve never been to a Hear Us party but I wasn’t expecting that many!”

Charlotte Ross
Vocational Specialist – South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
CCOS – Croydon Community Opportunities Service.

“We managed to make contact with several carers and have added them to our mailing list. It was also good to network with other organisations.Lovely to see the event so well attended and everybody enjoying themselves. 

Ruth Laws
Volunteer & Training Coordinator
Carers Information Service