A post-Christmas pick-me-up webinar
from our MHFA-er network
Tuesday 12 January 2021
12.30 – 1.30 pm
This was a great antidote to the midwinter blues. Inspiring mental health campaigner Debs Carter, talking with her colleague Jonathan Stott, told us about the community interest company she founded, “Touch”, and its mission to get people talking about mental health. Her work is based on the power of storytelling and personal connections to help people overcome mental health challenges, and she told us, through her own very moving story, how and why that works and how we can all make use of it, not only to help our colleagues talk about their problems but also to tackle our own.
Having had her own battle with severe depression over many years, Debs was able to recover in the main, partly through hearing other people’s stories. The Touch Network share and celebrate everyday stories of resilience. By doing so, they prevent mental ill health beginning, or getting worse. They provide a platform to share and hear stories, cheer each other on and learn from one another. They use these stories to enable positive change in our communities and the NHS and social care environment.
Touch runs online and face-to-face events, hosts a story-sharing website myamazingstory.co.uk and offers storytelling consultancy, all with the aim of seeing real life stories of overcoming being chatted about and celebrated in everyday situations. What a vision!
This webinar would have had particular value for mental health first aiders but it could encourage and inspire any of us. It was a free event organised through IP Inclusive’s Mental Health First Aiders network, and we’re very grateful to Debs and Jonathan for making it such a success.
You can access the recording here.