On Thursday 6th June, as part of Volunteer's Week, we held a wee party to celebrate the enormous rays of sunshine our volunteers bring to our organisation, our staff and, most important of all, our participants!

Healthy Minds staff were delighted to deliver and share a wonderful evening with so many of our volunteers, filled with laughter, celebration, quizzing, scrumptious pies and beautiful cake!  Those that couldn't make it were truly missed.

To all of our volunteers, we can't thank you enough for choosing to share your experience, wisdom, humour and warmth with us - we are so lucky to have you!

If you've been thinking about volunteering with Healthy Minds, please check out our current vacancies. We're always looking for more rays of sunshine to join our team!

For Mental Health Awareness Week this year, we explored the vital connection between movement and mental wellbeing with the theme, #MomentsforMovement. For us, this was all about recognising the importance of incorporating regular physical activity into our daily lives to support our physical and mental health.

The Power of Movement
Research shows that regular movement can have profound effects on mental health. It reduces stress, anxiety, and depression while boosting mood, energy levels, and overall cognitive function. Despite these benefits, many of us struggle to stay active due to various barriers such as busy schedules, lack of motivation, or limited access to suitable activities.

Meet Lee, a former IT and payroll consultant who traded the rat race for a fulfilling life centered around his passion for vinyl records. 

​Despite his busy schedule, Lee finds time to volunteer with Healthy Minds, drawing from his own experiences with depression to support others. After attending the Allotment group for several years, we invited him to become a formal volunteer. He was already doing many of the things we expect of our volunteers - welcoming others into the space and taking care of practical duties. Lee is a thoughtful and kind presence at the allotment, and we're lucky to have him!

Read on to learn more about Lee and his experience at Healthy Minds!

Meg has been volunteering for Healthy Minds for about 6 – 7 years now and along with others facilitates a volunteer led drop-in in Todmorden each Wednesday. She leads a meditation each week at the drop-in, in which there is a core group of about 8 people who attend regularly, but it is open to anyone who wishes to participate.

She first became involved with Healthy Minds by joining a course for people with chronic pain and health conditions as a participant, as she suffers from Spinal Stenosis which causes chronic back and leg pain, and neuropathy. She has also participated in several workshops and mental health peer support groups. As her interest grew, she wanted to share with others in the community the benefits and support she had gained from Health Minds.

Click to read more about Meg, and how she became involved with leading meditation at the drop-in!

​Our recent Women's Walk and Talk in People's Park transformed into a powerful forum for discussing resilience, resulting in an unfolding narrative of personal triumphs and lived experiences. 

Our conversation centred around resilience, a poignant topic as we were preparing for upcoming workshops in the community. Here's a glimpse into the inspiring thoughts and tips our incredible women shared during our meaningful discussion:

This year has seen the successful re-launch of our Healthy Minds Forum: a dedicated space for the voices of those with lived experience of distress to be heard by our organisation, as well as developing understanding of structural causes of poor mental health, and more importantly - what we can do about it as a community!

​We've been reflecting on the past year and what an impact the Forum has had so far. 

As the weather gets chilly, our allotment community remains in full bloom, proving that even the coldest months can't dampen our gardening spirits!

We wanted to take time out to share a few of our highlights this winter season...

A snapshot of this winter wonderland was captured by one of our dedicated allotment volunteers, revealing the Pye Nest allotment adorned with a delicate sprinkle of snow. It truly is a beautiful sight!

Our Volunteer of the Year!  

We are thrilled to announce that Ameen Yousaf, a volunteer with Healthy Minds for seven fabulous years, was the joint-winner of the Volunteer of the Year at this year’s CFFC Community Spirit Awards, held on Nov 23rd. You can watch the highlights from the ceremony here.

Ameen has been an incredible volunteer for Healthy Minds. He joined us following mental health issues related to worsening issues with his eyesight because of meningitis. Ameen now co-facilitates our Self-Management Group, our Elland Anxiety and Depression Group, as well as telephone befriending, while in the past he has also been involved with a men’s group with our Roshani project.