About a year ago, a group of people drawn from Leeds University, Leeds Partnerships Foundation Trust, South West Yorkshire Foundation Trust and others (including Touchstone, Altogether Better and User Voice ) came together to think about how Health Services in Leeds could be thought about, designed and delivered co-productively. We wanted to find ways of working more collaboratively - where people who use health services and people who provide
We are delighted to announce that the Action Research project “Understanding refugees’ and asylum seekers’ (RAS) experiences of accessing and receiving Mental Health support in Leeds” has started on 26th September 2011. The objective of this project is to explore and develop understanding on what successful MH work looks like with RAS clients inside and outside mental health services inLeeds. We hope to support the improvement of MH services by
This Autumn sees the first Love Arts Leeds festival , organised by Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust celebrating mental health in all its forms. Touchstone’s Guerilla Badge Makers will be popping up all over the city, encouraging people to think about the labels we wear – the ones we choose for ourselves and the ones that sometimes others choose for us. By encouraging people attending the vast array of events
Touchstone’s Community Development Team were named “Best Partner” by Leeds Adult Social Care, in their Excellence Awards 2011. Nafisa Miraf and Samantha Powell and Jon Beech were nominated for the award in recognition of their development of the Migrant Community Organiser Programme alongside Zobi Barok from Feel Good Factor and Pria Bhabra of Adult Social Care. The Migrant Community Organiser Programme has so far trained more than 23 community activists
Burmantofts Health Improvement Group Presents Health and Money Awareness Day When and where? Thursday 25th August, 11am - 2pm ELHFA, 6 Boston Towers opp LINCOLN Green shops Leeds LS9 7PB
Touchstone was highly commended in the Mental Health and Wellbeing category at this year's Health Stars Awards for our work on the "Talking Our Language" training pack. Staff from the Community Development Service supported Chinese and Pakistani community activists to train peers about mental health. Download and use the training manual.
The Department of Health came to Touchstone and asked how they might publicise delivering race equality amongst the Black Caribbean communities of Leeds. Touchstone said that the best people to ask were members of the communities themselves. So this musical collaboration took place. Saga and Rap Conscious Productions wrote and produced a track called “Sectioned” - a hard-hitting story of what can happen when help comes too late. It
A short film, made by the BME Community Development Team, to celebrate World Mental Health Day, shown on The Big Screen in Millennium Square.
WYLDA (West Yorkshire Learning and Development Agency) worked with partners, including Touchstone to produce this Equality Resource Pack (December 2010). Download the report...
Touchstone has been working with the NHS as part of the Pacesetters programme to make sure that all women in Leeds understand the existence and importance of screening. (Nov 2010) Download the leaflet...