Well-come
Well-come update 2011
Well-come is our Wellspring Family Centre outreach to those suffering from mental health issues living in the community.
Back in 2004 we conducted a community profile to determine the key social issues in the area andit soon became clear that there was a gap in provision for people with mental health problems. So we looked at providing a facility that could address this point of need, and so Well-come came into being. This service offers a complimentary programme of activities aimed at assisting people who have had treatment in the NHS, which has now ended, and are often left alone in the community as this can sometimes lead to relapse. We provide a safe, non-threatening and friendly environment where they can socialise and re-learn life skills.
We are now in our 6th year and have built up a team of 9 volunteers and have 14 members on our register. We only take people who have been referred to us by the local mental health team, as this ensures safety for members and staff alike.
We provide a varied range of activities, some of which are designed to help with life in the community. An example of this could be learning to cope with the stress of doing the weekly shopping, and getting back into cooking meals. We encourage participation in our craft activities such as ceramics, IT, digital photography, art, quizzes and games, music appreciation and much more. We also have outings and walks, usually involving a meal together. We also encourage them to go out together on trips as this boosts confidence but provides security as they can understand that each other may be feeling tense or anxious.
We try to keep to a ratio of 2 members to 1 volunteer, as this enables us to spend quality time together, and this involves one-to-one coaching and befriending.
The Bible tells us that ‘laughter does good like a medicine’, and its encouraging to hear plenty of it in the course of our mornings together.
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