September Newsletter

Dear Friends,

It's FEEL monthly meeting time again next week. Come along to celebrate the end of a Summer and the beginning of a new season on Monday the 21st of September, on Peace Day. We'll also raise a toast to the amazing Myra Garrett in occasion of her birthday, taking the chance to thank her for all the work and inspiration she has offered for many years.

F.E.E.L. is supporting and holding a stall for Open House London at Kingsley Hall, Bow this Saturday the 19th.

Guided tours of the building will run by the hour from 12pm, closing at 6pm (a BSL/SSE tour will be available at 3:15pm). Come along to see where Gandhi lived during his London stay, R.D. Laing Asylum with the Philadelphia Association which is where it was initially started 50 years ago; find out the whole history of the Lester sisters, founders of the Hall kingsley-hall.co.uk/

More events listed below. Have a good week!

FEEL meets the third Monday of each month 6.30-8.30pm
@ LARC Centre 62, Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel E1 1ES

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Mental Wealth Festival at City Lit

Beyond Words, City Lit and Cathedral Innovation Centre have teamed up to create the inaugural Mental Wealth Festival in London, 16-17 September 2015. The Mental Wealth Festival will highlight the way mental health issues impact on so many aspects of daily life, and how the arts, politics, culture, faith and the media can support our ‘mental wealth’. Speakers include the Minister of State for Community and Social Care, Rt Hon Alistair Burt MP, and award winning author Nathan Filer.

It’s well known that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. With just under 1million people in contact with mental health services within the UK, (at least a fifth of whom have learning disabilities), it is clear people are not accessing all support on offer. With this in mind the two day festival will explore the many facets of mental health, and look at the support and innovations in the field.

The festival comprises a series of free seminars, workshops and pop-up events looking at ways to support and celebrate people's mental wellbeing.

In particular, the festival will draw upon the themes of creativity, wellbeing and emotional resilience with input from individuals, professionals and the wider community. The theme of the festival is a positive one with an emphasis on championing ability, recovery and strength in solidarity.

There will be a range of informative and interactive ways to engage including film screenings, exhibitions, talks, Mindfulness, keynotes, book signings, live art, debates, learning, creativity and art workshops.
www.citylit.ac.uk/mental-wealth-festival

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Luke Fowler: All Divided Selves

Film London Jarman Award-winner Luke Fowler’s 16mm feature portrait of radical anti-psychiatrist R.D. Laing is introduced by John Foot, author of The Man Who Closed the Asylums, book about Laing’s Italian counterpart, Franco Basaglia. In association with Verso Books.

Thurs 1 October, 7pm Zilkha Auditorium Whitechapel Gallery 77-82 Whitechapel High Street London E1 7QX
www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/luke-fowler-all-divided-selves/

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Kindred Minds’ Black History Month - Mental health and wellbeing Special

Inspire, The Crypt, St Peters Church, Liverpool Grove, London SE17 2HH
Saturday 3 October 2015 from 1.30pm

An event exploring Black history, wellbeing and mental health through discussions, workshops, film and music.

Hot evening meal provided.

The event will inform the writing of a mental health manifesto which aims to change policies and practice of relevance to the needs of Black and Minority Ethnic mental health service users. This event is open to everyone and is organised by Kindred Minds, a Southwark based Black and Minority Ethnic mental health service user group.

There is no charge for this event but please pre-register by emailing Raza Griffiths on kindredmindslondon@gmail.com to receive a registration form or ring 07737 647 445 for further information

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CoolTan: Join a fun guided walk for World Mental Health Day.
Exploring South London’s vibrant musical history.
There’s nothing like music to uplift the soul!

Learn about musical landmarks, local musicians, sound art and the connection between music and mental wellbeing. Enjoy live musical performances and learn the words to our favourite London songs! Dress up as your favourite musician or song, bring instruments or simply come along to enjoy the noise.

The walk length is 4.8 miles, the route is accessible and will led us through the streets of Southwark. By taking part you will be really helping CoolTan to continue our vital work; supporting people with mental distress to build a quality of life. The registration fee is £5 unwaged, £10 waged.

Date: Saturday October 10th 2015, 11.30am-4pm
Starts: Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AZ (outside the main entrance)

Once registered you will receive an official sponsorship form. Register online now.

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Penny Lectures | Autumn series 2015

To celebrate its 125 year anniversary Morley College is reviving the Penny Lectures. The Penny Lectures began in 1882 at the Old Vic Theatre in Waterloo. Topics were chosen to encourage new thinking and ideas and provided illustrated lectures at affordable prices…a penny! The lectures were a huge success and quickly led to the establishment of ‘Morley Memorial College’ for Working Men and Women. Now celebrating the 125th anniversary, the Penny Lecture series have being revived for a new generation of adults to learn from and be inspired by.

Creativity and Mental Liberation
Sarah Wheeler, founder of Mental Fight Club. Dolly Sen, writer, film-maker and mental health consultant. Bobby Baker, artist and author. Sarah Wheeler, Dolly Sen and Bobby Baker, all with lived experience of mental illness, describe how creative practice has saved and transformed their lives. Friday 23 October. Doors at 18:00, lecture from 18:30-20:00 www.morleycollege.ac.uk/pennylectures

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Connect and Discover ( part of The Dragon Cafe)
Join us at Morley College - part of Connect and Discover We are going to be re-creating a mini-Dragon Cafe pop up at Morley College at the end of the month, and then regular Fridays until March 2016. You can check out the Connect and Discover programme here to get the full details. Join us on Friday 25th September at 2 - 5 pm for a creative and social end to the month PLUS we will be having a special Launch Event at 5 - 6 pm with special guests and entertainment to celebrate our new adventure. This is free and open to everyone. See you there! Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT T: 020 7450 1889

Discover programme here to get the full details.

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Campaigning for the Future: How can we work better to secure our rights?

Download Campaigning for the Future Final report

This report offers the views of a wide range of disabled people about present UK disability policy and how they may best work to improve it. In 2011 Jenny Morris wrote a Viewpoint report, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation called Rethinking Disability Policy. Shaping Our Lives have facilitated two meetings to enable disabled people to discuss what they think about the findings of the report and look at ways in which disabled people can lead improvements to policy and practice as experts by experience – disabled people living and working in austerity Britain from 2012 through to mid-2015. Continues HERE