Welcome to the June 2011 edition of Self Help News Liberating the NHS: Time for Patience The start of the new financial year on 1 April saw changes in names and management of some local health organisations, with some services starting to be run by different providers. With the financial year also seeing cuts in voluntary sector funding and council services coming into effect, this is a confusing and worrying time. Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT) Patient Experience Group had a special meeting in April about health service changes. While there may be changes to the proposals after the current 'pause for thought' about the NHS White Paper 'Equity and Excellence': Liberating the NHS, the timetable is so tight that organisations feel they need to keep planning in the meantime. Proposed health service changes concentrate on services being commissioned by consortiums of GPs. PCTS will still exist until the end of March 2013, and have legal responsibility. In Nottingham, the city's 64 GP practices have worked in four cluster groups for Practice Based Commissioning over the last few years. These groupings will stay in the new structure, and a GP Commissioning Consortium will bring the clusters together to co-operate for commissioning, budget pooling and reducing overheads. The PCT will gradually delegate oversight and commissioning roles to the consortium, and support the consortium in its new role while the PCT keeps the legal responsibility during the transition period. Members of the Patient Experience Group were on the whole supportive of how the PCT was approaching this, but concerned about some of the national changes that the PCT is having to apply locally. There are patient and public involvement groups in individual GP practices, and patient representatives in the clusters. The PCT is developing an engagement toolkit for commissioners, and the Patient Experience Group will carry on during the transition period. The PCT will work with the Group on how to take patient and public involvement across into the new arrangements, and how to link up with HealthWatch, which is replacing LINks. GPs have an information system which managers think will keep up well with changes to health services commissioned locally, so that GPs should know where to refer people. There may be changes in names of organisations and sometimes in staff, but people currently using services or involved with the organisation should be kept informed. Unfortunately the information system will struggle to keep up with changes in local authority and voluntary sector services and like any information system it relies on good quality information coming in. The next Patient Experience group meeting will be in June, for more information contact Tracie Baker on 0115 883 9320 or email PEG@nottinghamcity.nhs.uk. NHS Listening Exercise Concerns raised at the PCT meeting about some of the NHS white paper changes included worry about whether the NHS is gradually being privatised, doctors' time being used for commissioning instead of seeing patients, and that the GP commissioning system was still based on the idea of 'doctor knows best'. The current 'NHS Listening Exercise' includes meetings at Mansfield and Nottingham, and feedback by post or online, finishing on 31st May before this newsletter comes out. "I'm sorry - what's your name again?" After getting used to changes in primary cares trusts over recent years, patients and service users had to then get used to the further changes after Lord Darzi's Next Stage Review report in 2008. This recommended that all NHS organisations should change their names to 'NHS Local/Anyshire' (e.g. Nottingham City PCT became NHS Nottingham City). This was meant to prevent confusion and help with clarity across the NHS but was followed by commissioner (buyers of services) and provider (deliverers of services) splits across England and Wales. The splits meant local primary care trusts became two entities, with two names (e.g. NHS Nottingham City as the commissioning body and Citihealth NHS Nottingham as the provider arm, delivery local community health services). Because of recent government papers to create radical change in the NHS, there are now several new organisations, with new names, in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Some of these organisations will take over responsibility for the buying in of services and some of them will take over responsibility for delivering local health services. Many people will see no changes to how they receive health services or from whom they get them from but we thought it might be useful to tell you what the new organisations' names are and what they will be doing. Changes to How Local NHS Services are Bought in All PCTs will close at the end of March 2013 when their commissioning (buying in of local NHS services) roles will be taken over by groups of GPs, called Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) clusters. 1. NHS Nottingham City, (www.nottinghamcity.nhs.uk) is working closely with the four GP consortia/clusters (representing 64 GP practices) which form together Nottingham City General Practice Consortium (GPC). 2. NHS Nottinghamshire, (www.nottspct.nhs.uk) is working with a range of GP clusters including Nottingham North and East Consortium, (www.nnecpbc.nhs.uk), Nottingham West PBC Consortium, (www.nottinghamwestpbc.nhs.uk), Principia in Rushcliffe (www.principia.nhs.uk), Highpoint Health in Ashfield and Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood GP Cluster. 3. Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust (www.bassetlaw-pct.nhs.uk) is working to hand over commissioning of services in Bassetlaw to the GP consortium called Bassetlaw Commissioning Organisation (BCO) (www.bcopbc.nhs.uk). Changes to Who Delivers Local Primary Care and Community Services In Nottingham city a new partnership of NHS staff has been developed to deliver primary care and community services; in Nottinghamshire county the services were grouped together into eight sets or 'bundles' and offered out to tender, which was then taken up by a range of providers; in Bassetlaw three bundles were offered out to tender, taken up by two providers. 1. Citihealth NHS Nottingham has now handed over services to Nottingham CityCare CIC Partnership, (www.nottinghamcitycare.nhs.uk) a staff-led social enterprise (launched on 1 April 2011) working in partnership with Nottingham Emergency Medical Services Community Benefit Company (NEMS CBS). 2. Nottinghamshire Community Health, (www.nottscommunityhealth.nhs.uk) has now handed over most of its services to a new consortium of providers called County Care Parnterships (made up of Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Central Nottinghamshire Clinical Services in Mansfield and Principia in Rushcliffe). Some services will also be provided by Nottingham University Hospitals and Sherwood Forest Hospitals. 3. Bassetlaw Community Health has now handed its services over to Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, (www.rotherhamhospital.nhs.uk) and to Larwood Village Services (www.larwoodsurgery.co.uk). New commissioning organisations are working closely with current primary care trusts and will continue to do so until the PCTs close in March 2013. In the meantime the changes to commissioning and delivering services are in a process and so there may be further changes to report as decisions get made. Self Help Nottingham will try to keep you and your group members informed about changes in health and social care systems though this newsletter and by email. Keeping You and Your Group Members Informed Self Help Nottingham has recently set up email distribution systems for group members to help them to stay informed about our newsletter, training and other areas that may be of interest. Anyone in a group can subscribe and whilst we want to assure you that we will not share this information with anyone else we also make it really easy to unsubscribe by including a link in each e-mail we send out. The current email lists we have that you and your group members can subscribe to are: groupstraining@selfhelp.org.uk, to receive occasional information about forthcoming training events for group members groupsnewsletter@selfhelp.org.uk, to receive quarterly reminders with links to our website as soon as we have produced online versions (in a range of accessible formats) news@selfhelp.org.uk, to receive information and news from time to time, between the quarterly editions of the groups' newsletter If you have any queries or want to know more about how our e-mail distribution lists work, please make contact with David Thornton, Information Services Officer on 0115 911 1662, Monday-Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm and Fridays, 9.00am to 1.00pm or email david.thornton@selfhelp.org.uk. Sad goodbye One of the recent changes has been that the Red Cross Partnership Development Team service was not re-commissioned, and closed at the end of March. For thirteen years the team helped people have a voice and planning services in the areas of HIV and AIDS, learning disability, mental health, older people, physical and sensory impairment, and substance misuse. The team's final newsletter and report is available from their website at www.pdteam.org.uk/newsletter/ed24/ed24new.htm. From 1 April 2011, patients/service users and groups can now feed in their views about services to: NHS Nottingham City For comments from individuals: PALS, Patient Advice and Liaison Service, phone 0800 456 0183, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm or email: pals@nottinghamcity.nhs.uk. For comments from groups: Tracie Baker, Engagement Manager: tracie.baker@nottinghamcity.nhs.uk NHS Nottinghamshire County PALS, Patient Advice and Liaison Service: 0800 028 3693, Monday-Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm or email: pals@nottspct.nhs.uk East Midlands Recovery Conference On Monday 28 March Self Help Nottingham, along with the support of local groups, put on a conference at The Gateway Hotel in Nottingham for over 70 workers, managers and commissioners from drug and alcohol treatment providers and services across the East Midlands. Self Help Nottingham was asked to arrange to event as a response to the growing focus in government legislation and treatment policies for alcohol and drug problems on the benefits of self help groups in supporting people experiencing these problems. Self Help Nottingham is currently leading on projects to increase the numbers and support for alcohol and drugs groups across Nottinghamshire, and soon to be in Derby and Chesterfield. The focus of this event was to help introduce those in attendance to some of the concepts that underpin self help, and in particular provide an insight into some of the approaches that exist and how they operate to help those affected by problems with alcohol and drugs. Sarah Collis, Director, welcomed everyone to the day and thanked the East Midlands Crime and Drugs Partnerships for asking Self Help Nottingham to host this, and explained how groups can operate alongside treatment. Ed Taylor, Deputy Regional Manager for the National Treatment Agency in the East Midlands explained how the new drugs strategy and models of care, indicated a movement towards a more recovery orientated approach. Tim Siggs, Development Worker, gave an overview of the 'Recovery Network' project in Nottinghamshire aimed at increasing the range and provision of self help for those affected by alcohol and drugs. Delegates then attended a choice of workshops. The workshops included a session delivered by members of Al-Anon and Narcotics Anonymous who shared their experiences and identified how the 12 steps approach has been so beneficial to them and many others worldwide. SMART Recovery, an emerging approach following a science based model was also introduced to attendees to a good reception. Independent based groups were also given a platform to share their experiences. Local group Next Generation shared their experiences of developing a group for women with children to support them to rebuild their lives and move on from drug and alcohol addiction. Self Help Nottingham staff, exploring how professionals can work effectively with self help groups, facilitated a final workshop. Everyone at Self Help Nottingham would like to extend their gratitude to the members of self help groups who attended and facilitated on the day. Without doubt, the personal stories shared by these individuals were both moving and inspirational, giving those in attendance a huge insight into just how useful these groups can be. For more information on the alcohol and drug groups, please contact Tim Siggs on 0115 911 1656, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm or email tim.siggs@selfhelp.org.uk. Self Help Nottingham Involvement Network, Wednesday 22 June, 1.45pm to 3.45pm, at Self Help Nottingham An informal meeting for self help group members involved with health and social care organisations - such as LINks, PCTs, Trusts, GP Patient Groups, mental health, healthcare education, and partnerships for HIV/Aids, disability, age, substance abuse and other issues. We will share information about how group members are involved now, and how changes and cuts are affecting this. We'll try to identify common issues, and discuss how Self Help Nottingham could best represent groups' views, alongside supporting groups to continue getting their own messages across in the future. What social media does for our group by Nottingham Support Group for Carers of Children with Eczema About four years ago our support group (Nottingham Support Group for Carers of Children with Eczema - NSGCCE) finally gave up on our regular bi-monthly meetings. We realised that we were no longer reaching those who needed support. Carers of children with chronic health problems can be isolated and are often not free to attend a conventional support group. Our aims of providing support and information for carers of children with eczema had not changed. We knew there was a need for this support and we decided to use the power of the internet to reach out. We had already started to develop our website (www.nottinghameczema.org.uk), with help from a grant obtained through Self Help Nottingham. Now: there are around thirty patient information leaflets freely available on our website, which are also online streamed audio as well as downloadable documents and mp3 format; though unable to give specific advice, we can get very detailed answers to questions raised on the "Ask the Experts" service; we disseminate information via our Blog, Email Alert Service and RSS Newsfeed as well as the website. Our blog also carries real life stories submitted by ordinary people about what they did to control their eczema and documenting their struggles with the disease; on our website are links to publications that report on eczema related issues and where possible the site delivers video and audio podcasts made by the team and others if they relate directly to our cause; we have a thriving Twitter community hosted at @eczemasupport which currently has nearly 2500 followers, interacts with 100 people a week and makes around 400 tweets during those seven days; there are comprehensive links on our website, one for professionals and one for lay people; the site is well visited. (Visits for 118 different nations with an average of 103 visits per day during 2010). We have found electronic media an effective way to connect with the carers, patients themselves and health care professionals. It helps us share information both ways. We are able to share in struggles to cope with the disease and we are also inspired to continue our work. Notts PACT (Parents and Carers Together) for Special Needs Children Notts PACT brings together 13 parent support groups of families with children with disabilities on a regular basis to share information about the services accessed by their children, to involve them in steering groups and consult them about changes to services.˙ The group was set up with support from Together for Disabled Children Parent Participation grant and is facilitated by Helene Torr and Bev Denby.˙ It has been able to provide training sessions for parents, a newsletter, administrative support and leisure events for the families to get together.˙ Throughout Nottinghamshire we are lucky to have some well established and well respected parent support groups who are totally run by parents of children with special needs.˙ ˙ For further details contact Helene Torr by mobile on 0790 435 6280 or email: helenetorr@btconnect.com. Health and Wellbeing News St Anns Allotments Nottingham. Now that the warm weather has arrived, how about coming down to St Anns Allotments to enjoy the sunshine? If you fancy a walk, or a rest in our historical gardens, our 70 acre site, on the St Anns/Mapperley border in Nottingham, is great to visit and spend time in nature. There are regular heritage walks, activity days and volunteering opportunities. The following free events are planned over the next few months: Community Orchard Activity Days, Sundays: 19 June, 17 July and 21 August, 11.00am to 4.00pm. Heritage walk leaves at 11.15am Heritage tours, learn about the history of the site, Wednesdays: 25 May, 29 June, 27 July and 31 August, 1.30pm (Booking essential) Heritage Open Day 2011, Sunday 11 September, 11.00am to 4.00pm. Site open to the public, tours activities, refreshments or a tour can be arranged for your group. Note: The site is a working allotment site; it's hilly with uneven surfaces which can make it difficult for elderly or disabled visitors. Please contact us on details below for access information. For more information on access please e-mail mo_heritage@staa-allotments.org.uk, telephone 0115 911 0207 or visit the website at: www.staa-allotments.org.uk. Follow us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/staa.allotments. Extra time: Football in the Community Notts County FC's Football in the Community (FITC) newest scheme is called Extra Time. It is funded by the Football Foundation, Age UK and Nottingham City Council and targeted at over-55 year old men. Coaches use football as the main hook to attract participants and keep them motivated. The project has been a massive success and is hugely popular among participants, so FITC plan to roll the project out to other areas of Nottingham. In the mean time, FITC are still recruiting participants to their current project at Harvey Hadden in a bid to help them become more active and fitter. Tim Hatton, Business Development Manager at FITC said: "there's clearly a need for this project. Older men are hard to engage and there are not many sports activities like this in Nottingham. We have participants from 55 to 76 years old who actively take part in a wide range of sports. We're delighted so many men are involved so often, because many of them haven't played sport for a long time and are benefitting enormously from taking part." Ali Allen from Age UK believes that this project has been able to engage men, which is usually difficult: "It's been a real struggle to try and get older men more active, but using the power of football, this project is really working. It has been a fantastic success and to see so many men becoming more active and really enjoying themselves is very rewarding and satisfying. We hope to roll these sessions out across the City to engage older men into activity." Shammy Mohammed, Extra Time's Lead Coach said: "Our Extra Time sessions have been even more popular than I expected. I have been really surprised at how energetic. For more details and to register, contact: Tim Hatton on50115 955 7215 or e-mail: th@nottscountyfitc.org.uk. Men in Sheds This is an exciting and innovative new project. The project is based on the hugely successful Australian Men's sheds scheme. The project will bring local older men together in a workshop setting to undertake a variety of woodworking and DIY activities. The men will have the opportunity to put their skills to good use, share their knowledge, learn new skills and generally put the world to rights over a cup of tea. Initial activities will include making bird tables and restoring furniture which will then be sold through our Mansfield shop to support the work of Age Concern locally. In this way the men will also be supporting their local community. The project is aimed at men aged 60 plus in Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood and will be based in a purpose built workshop in Blidworth. For more information please contact Mick Connelly by mobile phone on 0787 283 9570 or e-mail: mick.connelly@ageuknotts.org.uk. Stroke Exercise classes across Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire County Council and NHS Nottinghamshire County are encouraging people to exercise after they have had a stroke. In some areas they are running or planning to run 'Strokeability' groups which is a 12 week gentle exercise programme, specifically designed for people living with stroke. The course includes guidance on relaxation techniques and advice and information about local support services. The courses are led by qualified and experienced leisure instructors. There is a small charge of œ2 per person. To be eligible for Strokeability courses or stroke exercise groups you must have had a diagnosis of a stroke. You must also have completed, or be near to the end of, your rehabilitation programme. You will need to provide some brief medical information to help ensure exercises are suitable for you. You will also be asked about any particular communication and/or mobility issues, to help ensure your needs are met. You will need to be able to travel independently to the course venue as transport is not provided. If you need help with moving from a vehicle into the building and/or help getting around the building you will need to bring a carer/friend/family member with you. If you live in the Newark and Sherwood area please contact Stuart Green, Newark and Sherwood District Council, on 01636 655707 or email: stuart.green@nsdc.info. If you live in the Ashfield area please contact Dianne Holmes, Ashfield District Council, on 01623 457233 or email: d.c.holmes@ashfield-dc.gov.uk. If you live in the Gedling are please contact Sue Prochnicki, Carlton Forum Leisure Centre, by telephone on 0115 987 2333 or e-mail: scprap@dsl.pipex.com. If you live in the Mansfield, Rushcliffe and Broxtowe area please contact Kate Whittaker, Adult Social Care and Public Protection, by mobile telephone on 0798 085 0701 or email: kate.whittaker@nottscc.gov.uk New Mind as œ25,000 rescues local mental health charity A mental health charity in Newark has been relaunched after a œ25,000 cash boost. Newark Mind lost Notts County Council contracts for drop-in services, home support and carers' breaks schemes from April 1. A hundred people used these services. But the charity, which helps people with mental health problems and their families and carers, has won a œ25,000 grant from the county council so that it can continue to provide services for people in Newark and Sherwood. It held an open day to showcase its work. Volunteer Chris Barker said: "It has been a very worrying time for service users. Mind offers so much support, both with social aspects and practical things. I am now looking forward to a very different service with the emphasis on moving on and recovery." He said he felt that a once-a-week drop-in service that the charity would be running would be well supported. Business manager Nic Roberts said: "We feel extremely lucky that in these difficult times, Notts County Council and the people of Newark and Sherwood recognise the value of our organisation and the services we provide". "It has been an exceptionally difficult time and it has taken energy and creativity to ensure that we can survive as an organisation". "The future will be different and a new Newark Mind will emerge to meet the current needs of the community and respond to changes." Putting pen to paper - writing for wellbeing The use of writing as a therapeutic tool is becoming increasingly widespread. In order to support and sustain ourselves through difficult times, it makes good sense to extend our repertoire of coping mechanisms and writing, for many people, can be a wonderful ally on their quest for health and wellness. Writing therapeutically isn't about perfect spellings and grammar, nor is it the exclusive domain of the highly educated. Writing, in its many different forms, can be a powerful and accessible means of self-discovery and personal growth. Journaling or diary writing, for example, may be an excellent vehicle with which to explore and express our feelings. It can give us a sense of clarity, helping us to organise our thoughts and to make sense of the events in our lives. This type of expressive writing can be very cathartic, as well as providing huge potential for personal growth and understanding. Creative writing can also be highly therapeutic, offering us a secure means of escape and release from our own problems and concerns. Writing creatively can also give us a great sense of achievement - producing a story or poem can be a wonderful confidence boost - and, as the saying goes, we've all got a story to tell! If you think therapeutic writing may be of benefit to your group, I would love to hear from you. Please contact Samantha by mobile telephone on 0787 793 1462 or e-mail: sam-gray@ntlworld.com. Eating well and cooking well in Broxtowe There are some new free, fun nutrition talks and workshops, open to all age groups in Broxtowe. Eat well (healthy eating) talks - informal fun session, talking about ways to achieve a balanced healthy diet. This can include reducing salt intake to reduce blood pressure, general healthy eating tips with a realistic approach, importance of regular meals etc; Cookery courses, 4 weeks of cookery fun sessions to promote cooking skills; Taster - talk and a taster, 1 hour. If you or your group would like to benefit from any of these free services please contact Mia Johnson, Public Health Nutritionist, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Stapleford Care Centre, Church Street, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 8DB by telephone on 0115 883 5049/0771 786 6898, email: mia.johnson@nottshc-chp.nhs.uk or visit the website at: www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk. Nottinghamshire Deaf Society The Nottinghamshire Deaf Society is providing new services to people who are hard of hearing, deafened or deaf, and who prefer to communicate in English. One to One Support: A project worker will visit you at home to discuss any difficulties you may be having and offer support to access services that may be beneficial to you. Lipreading and Communication Tactics: Taster classes in lipreading and identifying ways to improve communication. Social Groups: Specifically for people with hearing impairment but who prefer to use English to communicate. Meet new people, share experiences, gain new ideas for coping and have fun. Friends and family can come too. For further information please contact Rachael Ravenlock, Acquired Deafness Project, Nottinghamshire Deaf Society, 22 Forest Road West, Nottingham, NG7 4EQ by telephone on 0115 988 7576, by minicom on: 0115 970 0516, by email at: rachael.ravenlock@nottsdeaf.org.uk (visit the website at: www.nottsdeaf.org.uk). Dementia Support in Nottinghamshire The Alzheimer's Society is hoping that Dementia Awareness Week 2011 will help to raise awareness and a greater understanding of the condition. This year's theme - 'Remember The Person' - highlights that with the right support, people can live well with the condition. Dementia Awareness Week runs from 3 to 9 July 2011 and will feature a number of events across the East Midlands, including events in Nottinghamshire. The Alzheimer's Society offers support in Nottinghamshire through a number of services: Memories Social Club, offers people opportunities for people with dementia to meet socially, enjoy a range of activities and share experiences with others, in Costhorpe, Newark and Retford (Bassetlaw office). Befriending service, available across Nottinghamshire to provide direct support to people with dementia in their own homes or to access the wider community (Nottingham office) 'Dementia Caf‚s', offer an informal support and information group, in Costhorpe and Newark, on a regular basis for carers and people affected by dementia (Bassetlaw office). Advocacy, representation and support for people with dementia and their carers across Nottinghamshire to have their say (Nottingham office). Dementia Advice and Support, provides information, guidance and emotional support to people with dementia and their carers. Telephone 01909 540030, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. For more information on local support services visit the website at www.alzheimers.org.uk, contact the Alzheimer's Society in Nottingham on 0115 934 3800, or in Bassetlaw on 01909 730886, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. 'Red tape' threat to rights legislation As part of the 'red tape challenge', the Government Cabinet Office is asking about the Equality Act 2010. The Act brought together laws and regulations against discrimination and harassment, and in favour of fair employment and services, covering disability, race, culture and religion, sex, gender and sexuality, and age. Worryingly, these important issues might not easily be noticed in amongst lots of other 'red tape' items - which also include health and safety. The consultation asks whether regulations should be scrapped altogether, merged with other regulations, simplified, or left as they are. It is being done with the assumption that 'burdensome regulations will go', and 'if Ministers want to keep them, they have to make a very good case for them to stay'. People are invited to add comments to the website - and can also see what others have said - at www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/equalities/ Council for Equality and Human Rights Closes The Council for Equality and Human Rights, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (CEHRNN) has closed due to funding cuts. The local charity (previously called the Racial Equality Council) provided information, guidance and assistance for all victims of discrimination and hate crimes. There is now a new national helpline for hate crimes in the UK, called Stop Hate UK, offering a freephone helpline on 0800 138 1625, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and information resources on their website can also be found at: www.stophateuk.org. Funding 300 charities sign up to the Post's œ35,000 giveaway The Nottingham Self Help Group for People Who Stammer is one of the local self help groups that has made a bid for their share of œ35,000 which the Nottingham Evening Post and Nottingham Building Society are giving away. The amount was originally set at œ25,000 for the first 200 groups that apply but was increased when more groups than expected made early applications. The group, set up to provide support for the frustration and isolation that stammering causes, plans to use the money to help fund an open day to raise awareness of the condition on 22 October. Other groups that have also been successful in making an application inclde Allsorts (a social group for young adults with physical / sensory and mild learning disability) and Cutting Back (for women who self harm). Funding Event at Ashfield Voluntary Action A funding event is being held for self help groups on Thursday 16 June, 10.00am to 12.30pm at Mansfield Hosiery Mills Sports & Social Club, Huthwaite Road, Sutton in Ashfield NG17 2TF. The following organisations will be there with advice on funding: The Coalfields Regeneration Trust; The Big Lottery Fund; Heritage Lottery Fund; Notts Community Foundation To book a place contact Steve Shaw by telephone on 01623 555 551 or email s.shaw@ashfieldvoluntaryaction.org.uk. Health Event Calendar June to August 2011 Events in June 1 to 30 Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month, www.everyman-campaign.org/; 1 to 30 National Osteoporosis Month, www.nos.org.uk/; 1 to 30 SANDS (Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society) Awareness Month, www.uk-sands.org/; 6 to 12 National Glaucoma Awareness Week, www.glaucoma-association.com/, 6 to 12 Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. Public knowledge and understanding of issues such as cervical screening, the causes of cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer and treatment is generally low. The week aims to help raise awareness of cervical screening across the UK. www.jotrust.co.uk/; 6 to 12 Arrhythmia Awareness Week. AAAW is a national event which gives anyone with an interest in heart rhythm disorders the opportunity to raise awareness and promote better understanding of arrhythmic conditions.˙ For free, Department of Health endorsed information, contact joanna@heartrhythmcharity.org.uk, www.aaaw.org.uk; 11 to 19 Green Transport Week www.eta.co.uk/green_transport_week; 13 to19 Diabetes Week. Diabetes Week aims at dispelling some of the myths around diabetes and raising awareness of healthy lifestyle. www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetesweek; 13 to 18 Huntington's Disease Awareness Week. www.hda.org.uk/news/2011/2011-03-07.php; 13 to 19 National Men's Health Week www.menshealthforum.org.uk/; 13-19 Breathe Easy Week, www.lunguk.org/; 13 to 19 Carers Week. Organised by 10 national charities: Carers UK, Counsel & Care, Crossroads Caring for Carers, Help the Hospices, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson's Disease Society, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Vitalise and WRVS, www.carersweek.org/; 18 to 26 Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Week, www.mndassociation.org/; 20 to 26 Learning Disability Week, www.mencap.org.uk/; 21 to 28 National Falls Awareness Week. Falls Awareness Week runs every year to promote the services and interventions that can help reduce the risk of a fall, and encourage older people to get active in later life, www.ageuk.org.uk/fallsday; 26 to 28 Metabolic Disease Awareness Week, www.climb.org.uk/ Events in July 1 to 31 Sickle Cell Awareness Month, www.sicklecellsociety.org/; 1 to 31 International Group B Strep Awareness Month, www.groupbstrepinternational.org/; 3 to 9 Dementia Awareness Week. Local contact is Marie Holt, Day Support Manager, Memories, Alzheimer's Society, Nottinghamshire Locality, tel: 01909 730 886 or 0754 091 9352, www.alzheimers.org.uk/; 4 to 10 Twins, Triplets & More Week, www.tamba.org.uk; 24, 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day, www.samaritans.org/ Events in August 22 to 28 Gut Week, www.loveyourgut.com/; Rushcliffe CVS is on the Move Their new address from 23 May is: Rushcliffe CVS, Level 3a, Bridgford House, Pavilion Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5GJ. New telephone number is: 0115 969 9060. What News Do You Have? Has your group got any news or information you want to share with other groups? Perhaps you're organising or involved in a health or community event? Each edition of Self Help News we have leading themes as well as information on developments in health and social care services, funding, training and other key areas of interest. The leading themes for the September Self Help News are: mental health awareness; health promotion and wellbeing; Black History Month If you've got some information or news you think might be of interest to local groups, please get in touch with us. To request an article submission form and for any newsletter enquiries contact the editor, David Thornton by email at editor@selfhelp.org.uk or by telephone on 0115 911 1662, Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm and Fridays, 9.00am to 1.00pm. Deadline for articles for the September edition is: 12.00noon on 9 August 2011 Self Help Nottingham supports and promotes self help groups and offers a range of services for groups, members of the public and for professionals. Information Services, 0115 911 1661, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm, email info@selfhelp.org.uk Practical services for groups, 0115 911 1662, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm email admin@selfhelp.org.uk Groups training and development, 0115 911 1662, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm email training@selfhelp.org.uk Get this Newsletter in other Formats Self Help News is available in a range of accessible versions, including standard, large print, text and audio. For this and other editions of the groups newsletter please visit: www.selfhelp.org.uk/pub_news or e-mail: editor@selfhelp.org.uk. The information contained in this newsletter is given in good faith and Self Help Nottingham accepts no liability for any act, omission, loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies or incompleteness in such information. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Self Help Nottingham. Self Help Nottingham, Ormiston House, 32 to 36 Pelham Street, Nottingham NG1 2EG www.selfhelp.org.uk Published June 2011