Join us at the Mind in Bradford office on Thursday 19 December, 3.30pm to 7.30pm, for a free and festive get together.

There there will be food, festive games and a Christmas quiz to take part in.

Clients interested in helping out at the event can contact Philip Woodward on 01274 730815.

Author: Lucy Clews
Posted on: 10th December 2019

Our latest fundraising appeal is designed to boost your creativity and winter wellbeing.

Crafternoon invites people to hold arts and crafts sessions at their home, community group or place of work and collect donations to support our mental health services.

We already hold free weekly arts and crafts sessions at our city centre HQ and know that benefits include reducing stress, boosting self-esteem through learning new skills and enhancing brain productivity by strengthening the relationship between different sides of the brain. They can help reduce psychiatric symptoms, increase enjoyment and tolerance, and bring people together to create new friendships.

Holding a Crafternoon session is also a chance to meet up with old friends, reduce isolation and create Christmas items such as decorations, wreaths and cards.

Our Fundraising Manager Aanika says: “By hosting a Crafternoon for Mind in Bradford this winter, you’ll not only be raising vital funds to help make sure no one faces a mental health struggle alone, you’ll also be helping to boost your own mood through the winter months and encourage others to do the same.

“Arts and crafts have a surprisingly positive effect on your health and wellbeing, so by taking part in Crafternoon you’ll also be helping to promote the positive ways you and others can look after their wellbeing.”

Crafternoon will run throughout November and December. For a free fundraising pack, which includes templates, invitations, posters, balloons, banners and thank you cards, e-mail [email protected] or call 01274 730815.

Author: Suzy Poole
Posted on: 8th November 2019

We are holding our second Great Bradford Bake Off this Saturday with special guest Sandy Docherty as the judge.

The pay-as-you-feel event will be held at out city centre HQ as part of an afternoon of craft and creative activities. All money raised will go towards our local mental health services and Bradford charity Scar Cover Up Freedom Fund (SCUFF).

Sandy was a contestant in the 2015 Great British Bake Off series and is also a safeguarding and wellbeing officer at a Bradford school. She said: “Baking is the most accessible therapy, be it a complicated cake or a few simple scones.

“The therapy that is baking allows the individual to be in the ‘here and now’, truly mindful of all the senses being in harmony if only for a short space of time resulting in a very delicious achievement.”

The event will run on Saturday, November 3 from 11am to 3pm at Mind in Bradford’s office at Kenburgh House, 28 Manor Row, Bradford (the same building as the blood donor centre).

All are welcome and entry is pay as you feel, with a donation of £3 to enter your bake into the competition. Funds raised will be split between Mind in Bradford and SCUFF.

SCUFF was set up last year by Jess King and funds tattoos to cover self-harm scars. She started to fundraise for others after seeing her confidence increase after having beautiful tattoos on her inner arms to cover scars.

Jess said: “The event’s going to be bigger and better this year as well as fun for all of the family including cookie icing, mask decorating, rocket making and face painting. And there will be a collection of local handmade products for sale from small businesses, and light bites from The Willow Tree Cafe.

“Get yourself in the kitchen and create your showstopper bake for a chance to win the Star Baker Trophy for a year and as it’s all for charity, we welcome bakes of all standards – but they must be handmade!”

Mind in Bradford is also running a Crafternoon appeal throughout autumn, which encourages people to get together with friends over coffee and make their own seasonal crafts in return for a donation to Mind in Bradford.

For more information about Crafternoon see our fundraising pages. 

Author: Suzy Poole
Posted on: 28th October 2019

Thanks to BCB Radio for inviting us on to its weekly Top Ten programme. We had a whole hour to talk about our services and play tunes picked by our staff, volunteers and clients. Tracks included Happy by Pharrell Williams and Lucy Spraggan’s Stick the Kettle On. To hear the full programme, go to BCB Radio’s website or you can hear the tunes on the Spotify playlist called MiB Top Ten.

Author: Suzy Poole
Posted on: 24th October 2019

To mark World Mental Health Day 2019, staff and clients have put together a special edition of Write Mind.

Dip inside to see details about our new wellbeing timetable, 1:1 support for high-school age children, where to go if you are in distress and a review of our visit to two of Yorkshire’s best art galleries. To read and download a copy, click here.

All contributions to this client-led newsletter are welcome. E-mail [email protected] for more details.

Author: Suzy Poole
Posted on: 10th October 2019

This week sees the start of our new Autumn/Winter wellbeing timetable offering a mix of old and new groups to help build resilience, boost self-esteem and make new friends. 

Additions to the timetable include Mood Matters to help manage feelings of depression, Work on your Worries to combat anxiety, an Independent Life Skills group and Trauma Group. For the first time, we also have a Men’s Peer Support Group and an open group to help friends, family and carers called Supporting Others. 

Long-running groups such as Tribal Drumming, Arts & Crafts and SocialZones are still in the timetable but times may have changed. More recovery programmes such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) are also on offer. 

Most of the groups are held at our city centre HQ at Kenburgh House on Manor Row. They are friendly, relaxed and non-judgemental, often led by skilled and trained staff who have lived with mental health problems themselves. 

All groups are free and no referral or diagnosis is required. To register, please book onto a Welcome Group by calling 01274 730815 or e-mail [email protected]. 

See our What’s On page for the full timetable.

Author: Suzy Poole
Posted on: 9th October 2019

Issue 2 of our client-led newsletter Write Mind is now available. This edition has details of upcoming events for World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 and messages for people in crisis from a range of supporters, including MPs, councillors, clients and staff.

To download a copy click here: Write Mind September 2019.

Copies can also be requested by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 01274 730815.

Author: Nattie Haden
Posted on: 2nd September 2019

We’re excited to announce we will be part of Mind’s exclusive partnership with RED January for 2020!

At Mind in Bradford, we know the benefits that physical activity can have for mental wellbeing and wanted to offer you, our local community, something that would inspire you to support yourself and others. The idea behind RED January is to challenge yourself to get active every day, your way.

Whether you run, swim, cycle or choose your favourite fitness activity, set your goal and enjoy support from the RED community every step, splash and pedal of the way! We’ll be sharing more details about how you can sign up for your Mind in Bradford RED January fundraising kit, so keep your eyes peeled on our website and social media pages over the next few months. 

Author: Nattie Haden
Posted on: 21st August 2019

We are delighted to announce that our award-winning safe space area, The Sanctuary, is now open to young people aged 16 and over.

Until recently, this service was only available to adults. But now, all our staff have the appropriate safeguarding training and skills to talk to younger people experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Sanctuary is a calm, safe space for those experiencing emotional or mental distress and is often an alternative to A&E. It is open between 6pm and 1am every day of the year and referral is through First Response by calling 01274 221181. It is based at our HQ in Kenburgh House on Manor Row in Bradford.

Sanctuary Manager April-Joy Serrant said it was another step towards meeting the increasing demand for mental health support from younger people.

“We know that young people are struggling more and more with their mental health and often experience anxiety, panic attacks and depression,” she said. “We can offer a calm, kind and caring environment in which they can talk openly about their feelings and emotions to someone who empathises and understands.

“We are looking forward to welcoming younger people and offering them support.”

We also offer 1:1 support sessions for young people aged 14+ who are worried about their mental health but not in crisis. These are held at Shipley Medical Centre, The Ridge Medical Practice and Picton Medical Centre. To book an appointment, call your own GP receptionist and ask to see a Mind Recovery Worker in Extended Access.

Author: Nattie Haden
Posted on: 23rd July 2019

Do you hear voices? If so, we can help you. 

We are a Maastricht interview centre, offering this innovative questionnaire which can help you understand your voice hearing experiences better. It’s designed by people who hear voices and mental health professionals, and explores your personal experiences to come up with individual coping strategies.

Diagnosis is not important. We just want to help you manage your voice hearing experiences better. Call 01274 730815 to arrange a meeting at our Bradford office.

Author: Nattie Haden
Posted on: 18th July 2019