Trans Day of Visibility – Finn Dobson

Trans Day of Visibility – Finn Dobson

My name is Finn, my pronouns are they/them, and I’m a Peer Support Worker with Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service (LMWS) and the Community Pain Service. I also happen to be transgender and non-binary (meaning my gender identity doesn’t fit within the binary categories of man and woman). When I came into this role in 2019 I had decided that – despite my fear of what it might entail – I

2021-03-31T11:56:57+01:0031st March 2021|Blog, Trans Day of Visibility|

Mental Health and Well Being Coach – Russ Giles now in post

Partners from across the Armley Local Care Partnership came together during wave 2 of the Population Health Management programme to understand where the greatest opportunities were to improve health and wellbeing for defined groups of local people. By using data and a population health management approach, the aim is to prioritise local need, by focusing resources on preventative and pro-active care.   The focus of this new way of working is

2021-03-18T12:30:29+00:0018th March 2021|News|

Wellbeing @ Work 2021

Leeds Mindful Employer Network is hosting a FREE week-long series of digital events around wellbeing at work. The event is for everyone – business owners, managers,  staff, volunteers across Leeds and West Yorkshire. They have a fantastic range of speakers on board to explore: how to manage the impact of COVID-19 on workplace mental health how to maintain mentally healthy workplaces in an increasingly uncertain environment how to use learning

2021-02-19T12:30:34+00:0019th February 2021|News|

This is me – LGBT+ History Month Poem

The tears run down my cheek. Another night I cry myself to sleep. Who am I? Why me? Here I go again. The wetness on my cheek. What is wrong with me? Am I male? Am I female? I really don’t know what to make of me. Wow she is petty. No that’s not right. I shouldn’t think that way. The big book, the man in the sky. They say

2021-02-05T13:51:21+00:005th February 2021|Blog, LGBT History Month, LGBT*|

The Power of Small by Alison Lowe

As a child I experienced trauma which affects my mental health today. I did not acknowledge the impact this trauma had had on my life and I tried to ignore the feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and occasional panic attacks I sometimes experienced.  As I got older, the anxiety and panic attacks increased and eventually, I had to face my demons and deal with the things that were affecting my mental

2021-02-02T12:59:37+00:004th February 2021|Blog, Time to Talk|

It’s Ok Not To Be OK

In November 2020, Barclays gave Touchstone Loves Food £100k so that we could keep feeding people and supporting their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.  As part of our partnership, Barclays are helping us to get out the message that It’s Ok Not To Be OK and that Mental Heath is everyone’s business. If you – or someone you know – are struggling this year, please ask for help. 

2024-06-21T15:13:44+01:0028th January 2021|News, Partnership, Time to Talk|

Time to Talk Coffee Morning with Anti-Stigma Leeds

Anti-Stigma Leeds is bringing together our city's mental health advocates to celebrate Time to Talk Day with this virtual coffee morning. Time to Talk Day is an initiative from Time to Change, a social movement led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness that aims to end mental health stigma and discrimination. It is a day to get the nation talking about mental health. The theme for Time to Talk Day

2021-01-27T13:56:41+00:0027th January 2021|News, Time to Talk|

Coronavirus vaccine Q&A in five South Asian languages

Research suggests that ethnic minorities in the UK are more reluctant to take the new coronavirus vaccine. The UK was the first country to approve the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The first batch of 800,000 doses began to be administered on Tuesday 8 December. The mass Covid-19 vaccination programme began with the elderly, health workers, and carers. Up to four million more doses are expected by the end of

2021-01-25T11:42:25+00:0025th January 2021|News|

Goodbye from Jess Parker

When I started working at Touchstone in August 2008 I was basically a failed support worker.  I had tried really hard to have the patience and resilience needed to support people, but had never managed to pull it off.   Having the role of Business Development Director enabled me to carry out my ambitions to combat injustice, always have hope and counter the brutal structures that pervade society, but do it

2021-01-19T18:35:55+00:0019th January 2021|News|