M.A.D.S

We are always on the go at M.A.D.S (Mental health, Anxiety and Depression Support).
We have welcomed some new members to our group lately and it’s amazing to see people coming to us for that support. Sometimes we all need somewhere we can go for that support for Mental Health or even Loneliness.
We never stop at the group. We are forever coming up with new ideas or even bringing back old ones to get everyone’s brains and imaginations working. One of our sessions in September was all about being creative. We encouraged everyone to use their imaginations and work with Air Dry Clay to create anything they wanted. I even gave it a go myself and got involved. It was pretty messy but it was great to get your mind ticking, so of course my first thought was to make a little turtle (pictured right) for my partner who loves turtles.
We had a variety of designs. One member made a Trinket Tray, I believe I also saw another member make a cute little dinosaur as well. The creativity coming from the members was amazing to see.
After this we then used the following week to then paint them all once they had the week to fully dry and harden. We used Paint Pens which prevented too much mess and they do the job just as well as normal paint. I was very proud of how my little turtle came out (pictured below) so this gave me a great feeling of pride especially since I have never got creative with clay before so this was a win for everyone at the group.
We received a lovely donation from a member which will help towards our regular refreshments which Tracey from Syston’s Tesco also helps us with regularly.
As we are now in November we are trying to come up with more ideas for the group and we are continuously working hard to find some form of funding and donations to help with our group.
We are also looking for people who can come to visit the group and give them a talk or to even get them doing something different.
In the past we have had the Police, Fire Service, Animal Therapy, Pete Lewin’s Newfoundlands, Carl Holyland with a short Self Defence lesson and a Hypnotherapist to name just a few. If you or you know someone who can come along and talk to our group or provide and activity for them to do, please contact us via the details below.
We want to do more for our community and we want to help more people in the battle with Mental Health or even Loneliness.
We have more coming up for the remainder of this year so keep those eyes peeled for the next update!
If you think you can help us in any way then please get in touch with us at: madsgroup@yahoo.com or call us between Monday and Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0777 469 5160 (You can find us in the Green Pages Directory)
Please be aware that we are not healthcare professionals. We have our own experiences on many levels with various forms of Mental Health and we do what we can to signpost people to the right professionals that we are in touch with so that we can help nudge them in the correct direction to getting back on their feet.
By Deanna Johnson