Our Newsletters from 2014

Please find below our newsletters. We hope you find them informative and enjoyable to read. If anyone has any articles, dates of events or any other relevant information that they would like to be published in future newsletters (due quarterly), please can you e-mail the information to: essex.mindandspirit@yahoo.com Thank you kindly for your support…

January 2014

As ever Jane Walters, one of our team, sourced a great buffet for lunch and the talk by senior geriatric consultant Dr Ambe, from St. Margaret’s Hospital, Epping, was interesting and thought provaking. His subject was holistic care for the elderly.

As well as Dr Ambe we welcomed his colleague Dr Vatos and we introduced the new Chaplain at the Derwent centre mental health unit in Harlow, Paul McNamara. Copies of the West Essex Mind Spirit information leaflet was also circulated and provided for local distribution. Around 40 were in attendance from the local area and represented health professionals, charitable organisations, interested individuals & service users. The next networking lunch is booked for Tuesday March 11th 2014, again at the Waltham Abbey Health Centre. The next local steering group meeting is Dec 3rd at St. Margaret’s Hospital.

March 2014

The Essex Mind and Spirit (EMS) AGM was held in St. Cedd’s Hall the Cathedral Chapter House on Tuesday 18th March 2014, from 12–2pm

We were delighted with the attendance; over 40 people from a range of voluntary/statutory organisations, service users, different EMS Cluster Groups & faith traditions which was far and away the best attendance yet. Ivor Moody introduced his Chair’s report and expanded on a few points, notably the very successful EMS conference on spirituality and mental health from a multi-faith perspective held in Chelmsford Cathedral in April which he felt had generated much interest in EMS and its work and which has led to EMS being able to develop further projects and work recommended by conference delegates in their feedback, with assistance and guidance from Bill Coomber from Praxis Proactive Solutions. Also the links between EMS and the Mid-Essex Inter Faith Forum which he also Chairs and the National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum which receives regular updates of our work here in Essex and which helps to promote groups like ours across the country…

July 2015

The Beauty of Thy Peace - Notice of a Healing Service at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday 12th October 2014.

This, the third in a series of healing services arranged at Chelmsford Cathedral, is offered to any in our parishes and chaplaincies across the diocese in Essex and East London who might appreciate the ministry offered on this occasion. Called ‘The Beauty of Thy Peace’, it will be a service of reflection and renewal for all those who live and work with mental illness and its consequences. Previous services have focussed on loss and bereavement as a result of the death of a child, and a celebration of the healing ministry with a particular focus on all those in the diocese who are responsible for this ministry. We …

October 2014

EMS launch ground breaking Essex-wide audit of faith/belief led mental health provision.

Essex Mind & Spirit (EMS) have secured funding to undertake an audit of all faith/belief led mental health service provision across the county of Essex. What we wish to do is identify all faith/belief projects/services that deliver mental health related services, whether as 100% dedicated provision or as an aspect of the services delivered. The definition of services/projects will be as wide as possible and include support groups, advice sessions and even one-to-one counselling. In fact, we want to hear about ‘all and any’ provision that faith/belief groups deliver on mental health and the scale of that provision. The project is being administered via a Project Management Group and organised by the area EMS Cluster Groups. And we need your active engagement to make the project a success. To facilitate this, we have produced a questionnaire that will enable you to tell us about the project/service delivery of your organisation or, for service users, the mental health project that they access on a regular basis…