Pamela Kennedy is Raising Money for SAMH

2nd Year Mental Health Nursing student is raising money for Samh by taking part in the Great Scottish run on 6th October 2013.

Pam's motivation for this challenge is the memory of her uncle Gordon who completed suicide in 2012. Pam says 'Everyday Gordon felt it was a challenge to live with the psychotic disorder schizophrenia which he was diagnoised with in his early 20's. Most importantly, Gordon had a heart of gold and touched the lives of those he came in contact with. He was a true inspiration and I am proud to call him my uncle.'

To donate go to  Pam's Just Giving page 

http://www.justgiving.com/pamela-kennedy1

3rd Year GCU Mental Health Nursing Student Tom enters the Dragons’ Den and wins!

Tom Lyon wins social business competition

Coach House Trust 2

Hello. So far in class we've done some work on goal setting and how important it is in recovery.  The services provided by the coach house trust (sessions in art, IT, woodwork, gardening) are structured in blocks of 14 weeks. In the first block goals will be identified- these vary between every member of the group and can lie anywhere between applying for college or art school, getting onto an employment pathway, or being able to regularly attend a class for its full 3 hour duration.
Before working at the art group, successful goal setting in my mind would have centered on a 'big' long term goal like finding a job, and I would have easily overlooked what for some people living with mental health problems are really significant achievements. The team who run the group talk a lot about setting 'soft' goals, and how they can be a really effective tool in the daily life of someone with mental ill health. Being able to recognise ways to facilitate softer outcomes is a skill that I hope I can learn more about, because the feedback from the group members is that it really makes a positive difference for them.

 For example, there was a lot of excitement from the art tutors when a mobile phone was provided for the group. In the building there is a staffed reception, so I didn't really get it. Some group members suffer from mood disorders- even although we've had lectures on mood disorders and I've read about them and taken notes on the symptoms, when I had them in front of me in real life, I didn't really know how to work with them..Some members of the group experience high anxiety levels and have sleep problems- being able to send a text outwith office hours could potentially save them a sleepless night and hours of unnecessary worry. The tutors explained that through feedback from group members experiencing low mood and being unable to attend class, it had become clear that the last thing they were likely to do was to pick up the phone and let anyone know. Similarly those who had paranoid thoughts were also unlikely to pick up the phone. Providing something as simple as a facility to be able to text can make a massive difference- I hope I can can keep an eye out for things like this in the future.

Coach House Trust 1

Hi, I’m Alison, 1^st year BN Mental Health, and I’m going to be posting some updates from my work as a volunteer art mentor at The Coach House Trust in Glasgow. 

When you turn off the busy main road and head down the cobbled lane to find the old stone coach house where The Trust is based, I’m trying not to sound corny here, but the first thing that you notice is the peacefulness around you. The feeling of calm created by the trees and plants and well kept garden makes you smile, and it carries on when you get inside. There is a tangible feeling of comfort and security, and at first it’s hard to believe that the people around me have been referred to the program by their GP or CPN, and are living with a range of mental health problems.

Although I’m aware that I’m working with people who have mental health issues, so far I haven’t been informed of the diagnosis or specific condition(s) of any member of the group, and I haven’t asked. It doesn’t really seem appropriate and it actually feels good to be able to work with people without getting bogged down with labels and everything that goes along with them. Each member of the group is working independently on a theme of their choosing with advice and input from the head art tutor, her assistant and a volunteer; everyone works with their own chosen medium and all in really different ways e.g. from computer animation to painting to photography, collage and cartoons. Like we’re being taught in our nursing lectures, the focus on recovery has to be person centered. There is a good age and gender mix within the group, and working around one large table means all the members can interact and offer each other support and encouragement. 

The mission statement of The Trust is to help people reconnect with their communities and support them to maximize their full potential. I feel really privileged to be able to help out with this in a small way. The group is working on a 14 week time-frame, currently in week 7, and I hope to update this as they progress.

Class of 2012 Graduation Ball

A fun night was had by all at the recent Graduation Ball in Oran Mor in Glasgow.  

Glasgow Simon Community & Christmas

Last year the Glasgow Simon Community had their yearly Christmas dinner for the homeless at the Winter Palace in Glasgow Green. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, they are unable to provide the meal this year.


However, the good news is that the homeless charity Emmaus have kindly stepped in with an offer to do a smaller version at St Peter’s Hall in Partick.

If anyone would like to donate a small gift (socks, hats, gloves etc, no perfume or aftershave) or a selection box, I’m sure that would be very much appreciated! GCU MH Students kindly helped out last year and supported on the day.

Donations can be handed in to A419 or A416 and we will pass them to Emmaus on your behalf.

P.S. If anyone knows someone who could help with the entertainment that would be great (bagpipes, brass bands, ceilidh bands etc)

GCUSA Mental Health Nursing Society

The fundraising group have begun the process of registering with GCUSA as a society. Simply called the Mental Health Nursing Society, registering with GCUSA provides a number of benefits and also enables the society to widen its remit at any time in the future if it wishes.

Lorna Gillies, Kimberley Currie, Katie Davis, from Year 3 have been joined by Jennifer Love Year 2 and Amanda Allison Year 1.

This group are looking for more representatives from Years 1 and 2. If you are interested in hearing how you can get involved contact one of the members or Andy alow@gcu.ac.uk