Mental Health and Wellbeing
TCT is partnering with Allchurches Trust and the Diocese of Lichfield to equip church leadership and congregations to better understand good mental health and wellbeing and support people in their parishes living with mental health conditions
Published 28th April 2021 | Updated May 10th 2022
Lead image by Rachel Moore
Mental Health Awreness Week 2022: 9th-15th May
The Mental Health Foundation started Mental Health Awareness Week 21 years ago and they continue to set the theme, organise and host the week. It has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally; rasing awreness and highlighting Mental Health across our society.
This year's theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is Loneliness.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, Rachel Moore has been chatting with some members of the team and partners about how to tackel loneliness and address the stigma that can surround Mental Health in our communities. Watch these inspiring videos as they go live each day at TCT's YouTube channel
Increasing demand for mental health services
The World Health Organisation states that "the pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services. Bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety. Meanwhile, COVID-19 itself can lead to neurological and mental complications, such as delirium, agitation, and stroke."
At TCT, we want everyone in our communities to thrive and flourish, so we're partnering with Allchurches Trust and the Lichfield Diocese to empower churches and congregations to better understand and support people's mental health and wellbeing.
Talking about Mental Health and Wellbeing
The gradual easing of lockdown brings both opportunities and challenges for our mental health and wellbeing. In this series of videos, Rachel Moore, our new Mental Health Development Worker (funded by Allchurches Trust and Lichfield Diocese) discusses with our Mental Health Adviser Rev Charlotte Gompertz on what this means for people, what it feels like to be nervous about leaving the house and why this is normal. They also offer some top tips to help you readapt.
Talking About Advent Waiting
To mark this Fourth Sunday of Advent Rachel Moore (Mental Health Development Worker for Transforming Communities Together) met up with Rev Dr Jeanette Hartwell), to talk a bit about Advent and how we can enter more fully into this season of waiting.
#advent #winterwellbeing
Looking after yourself this advent
In this short video, Rachel Moore (Mental Health Development Worker for Transforming Communities Together) met up with Rev Zoe Heming, (TCT's Lichfield Diocese Enabling Church Adviser), to talk about Advent and the 12 Days of Christmas, leading up to the Epiphany season and how we might reflect on this time to bring light and hope into our lives during the darkness of winter.
Be Kind to yourself
In this short video, Rachel Moore (Mental Health Development Worker for Transforming Communities Together) met up with Rev Zoe Heming, (Lichfield Diocese Enabling Church Adviser), to chat about being kind to ourselves, with some tips for caring for body, mind and soul over the wintertime. #winterwellbeing
Getting back outside and keeping in touch
In this short video, Rachel Moore (Mental Health Development Worker for Transforming Communities Together) met up with Rev Zoe Heming, (Lichfield Diocese Enabling Church Adviser), to chat about being kind to ourselves, keeping in touch with others, with some tips for caring for body, mind and soul over the wintertime. #winterwellbeing
World Mental Health Day 2021
Mental Health & Wellbeing - Autumn Equinox
#summerwellbeing
Coming out of Lockdown
Webinars
Rachel has been partnering with a number of organisations including Black Country NHS Foundation Trust, Support Staffordshire and TLG to run a series of webinars to raise awareness of Mental Health and Wellbeing and empower people in how to make a difference.
Emotional Rollercoaster Training
Rachel wrote a reflection on exploring emotional health and big emotions, being especially relevant for supporting children who have been impacted by lockdown and COVID-19 after The Emotional Rollercoaster training in partnership with TLG.
Promoting awareness of mental health and wellbeing on the radio!
In June 2021, TCT’s Mental Health Development Worker Rachel Moore chats on WCR FM radio with Chris Allen.
Promoting Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Rachel and Shaz from our Near Neighbours team have been supporting Mental Health Foundation‘s Mental Health Awareness Week, with its focus on nature. Nature is all around us. It might be a garden, a local park, a nearby beach or open countryside. Even in cities where nature can be harder to find, there’s things community gardens or courtyards to discover and explore. Look out for the unexpected – an urban fox on your way out for the early shift, changes in the weather or birdsong outside your window. Try to notice nature wherever you are, in whatever way is meaningful for you.
Mental Health First Aid
Rev Charlotte Gompertz, a former psychiatric nurse and a vicar in Shropshire, led the Mental Health First Aid training in the Diocese, which started in 2018.
She says:
"We need to get to grips with the idea that mental health is just as real and as important as physical health, she says. The church has got a huge part to play. We talk so much in mental health first aid about hope and recovery and incorporating people into communities and how that helps their recovery so I just think church is the best place to start doing that."
Empowering training and events
We have a number of events coming up to empower people to know more about mental health and wellbeing. See our events page for more details.
Lifting The Lid Course
This course was piloted in the Diocese of Lichfield, and produced by Livability, is a great way for churches to start to engage with importnat mental helath topics through Bible studies.
The free six-session study series for small groups in churches, chaplaincies, schools and elsewhere looking at some of the issues in mental health through the eyes of six Bible passages can be found here.
I've come across a few people both while I was doing my training and personally who have been affected by mental health conditions and I wanted to know better ways to be able to help them and understand where theyre coming from. I think the church needs to have a better understanding and be more open to the conversations. There is a lot of fear in being able to talk about mental health and what people might be going through.