If you, or someone you know, is experiencing the many challenges of living with Alzheimer’s, we hope that this booklet, titled “Maisie and Sarah” and written by Love Me Love My Mind’s very own chair Sue Bull, will offer some comfort and advice to you. It details the many different aspects that people living with Alzheimer’s have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and describes the processes that involve treating the condition. Please follow the below link to view the booklet.
We are very grateful to the new Mayor of Epsom and Ewell Borough, Councillor Humphrey Reynolds, for choosing Love Me Love My Mind as one of his three Chosen Charities for 2020.
The below links to The Best of Epsom and Ewell, where you can read more on Mayor Reynolds’ background as well as his other Chosen Charities: bit.ly/2zGJi44
Dear Friends
I hope that you and your loved ones are well at this very difficult and challenging time. If there is anything that you think I could do to make life a little better for you, please do let me know.
The drop in at home is meeting weekly, sometimes more often, via email, phone, text, mail, whatever is best for people. It is likely that it will have to continue to meet in this format for a long time. Let’s Talk Epsom has also become a virtual community.
At the beginning of this year I did not think that I would be writing to you about state-of-the-art technology, but it has been and is a very different year. As you may imagine, we have been thinking about how, if at all, the Festival could go ahead this year and if it would be possible to hold any part of it at St Barnabas. Bearing in mind the Lockdown and the likelihood of Social Isolation for many months to come, the Trustees have decided to change the format of this year’s Festival. It will still go ahead, but sadly not as a physical Festival centred on St Barnabas Church as in previous years. We have been offered (by one of my nephews!) the use of a free online streaming service for the talks and activities. This platform will also be able to host the art competition and anything else that we want to include. We would plan to set up a Youtube channel as well so that the talks and activities would be available to people who could not view them live, and a ‘Festival at home’ pack for people who have no access to any form of internet or social media. More details will hopefully soon be available but I would be delighted if you could email me any thoughts as to how the Festival can, in our usual fashion, be the best ever despite some radical changes this year. Please also let me know if you would be interested in meeting via zoom for Festival planning meetings.
Thank you so much. We are of course very much looking forward to being back at St Barnabas for the 2021 Festival.
With kindest regards.
Sue
Sue Bull
For the past 18 months Allen Price, one of our Trustees, has been unwell and he has decided now to resign as a Trustee. This is a sad day for Love Me Love My Mind. Allen has given tirelessly of himself in so many ways. He has been at the annual Epsom Mental Health Weeks morning, noon and night; he has helped enable the Monday drop in; he set up and ran Let’s Talk Epsom; he has written fund raising bids; developed our social media presence; and has been a friend to many. He will be very much missed and we hope that one day he will return. Until then – au revoir Allen, and thank you.
We are also saying au revoir to Michael Roper, another of our Trustees. Michael became involved with Love Me Love My Mind when he was appointed priest-in-charge of St Barnabas Church, Epsom. Michael has also been a friend to many at the Monday drop in, where he specialised in helping with the catering and refreshments; at the Wednesday Morning drop in; and more recently at Let’s Talk Epsom. Michael has accepted the job of Vicar at St John the Baptist Church, Old Malden, from this September. He will be much missed.
In these changing times, the preparations for the 12th Epsom Mental Health and Well-Being Festival continue. We hope to see you there, if not before. x
Sue Bull, Mike Reeves, and Allen Price trustees of Love Me Love My Mind were delighted to receive a cheque for £2095.62 from the team at M&S Epsom and thanks to all the staff who raised these funds.
Love Me Love My Mind is a small registered charity based in Epsom Surrey which aims to promote better understanding of mental health and to support the wellbeing of everyone in the community.
Huge thanks to all at Sainsburys Stoneleigh Broadway- customers and staff- for your great and ongoing support of Love Me Love My Mind.
#supportlocalcharities
The weather. How we love to speak about the weather. It’s so hot. It’s so cold. We need rain. I wish it would stop raining. Wrong type of snow. And just occasionally, it’s just right. And that is how it was on 3 June when the Monday drop in had a trip on the river. The sun was just about breaking through as we waited for the bus to Kingston. And the boat trip to Hampton Court was beautiful. Swans gliding on the river, calm water, the beauty of nature in early summer. We stayed on the boat as pre-ordered fish and chips arrived at the pier. There is something about eating with friends on a boat. A wonderful outing.
The weather was not so kind on 10 June. The day it rained, and rained, and…rained. We had hoped to go for a summer walk in beautiful sunshine. This was not to be. But we had a great evening as the conversation turned to politics. We decided who from the group should be prime minister, chancellor, home secretary, head of MI5….It was such a good natured debate. And to finish the evening, Eddie, one of our volunteer cooks, produced home made spare ribs and vegetarian quiche. We were very spoilt.
The weather can have such a big impact on us. The sunshine may give us energy, new hope, new life. The dark days of winter can have us longing for our duvets, feeling depressed or worse. It is hard to cope with the unpredictability of it. Maybe it is a metaphor for life. Times of darkness, times of light. How do we get through without being overwhelmed by the storms or droughts which can suddenly arrive, or slowly creep up on us. Maybe the drop in offers a place of safety and acceptance, especially when life is very challenging.
The weather may have an impact on the trustees of Love Me Love My Mind as they meet this afternoon. We are taking time to reflect on how far the charity has come, to look at what needs to happen to keep it thriving, and dream dreams for the future. Hopefully there will be many sunny days ahead.
‘Finding Your Way’ is a directory of local services for people who have been bereaved by suicide. It’s been co-pro
duced with people who have been bereaved by suicide, 3rd sector services & health and social care professionals.
The directory contains a range of specialist suicide bereavement services in the local area, such as:
Peer support groups
Crisis support
Specialist support for children
Counselling for the bereaved
Pastoral support from faith groups
Befriending networks
National and local charities (including the Surrey Suicide Bereavement Service)
Apps, books and websites
Information about inquest and coroners
https://www.sabp.nhs.uk/working-for-us/why-sabp/we-have-strong-qi-culture/suicide-prevention/finding-your-way?fbclid=IwAR3gNxkz3PaJrNndJTwlGpWYgUe_kIXg6kKxdKoIqn4RNJn0zeKs88FeGZo
Summer Term 2019
29th April Welcome back
6th May Bank holiday – no drop-in
13th May Origami with UCA
20th May LMLMM Annual General Meeting at 3:30pm followed by a talk from Max Pemberton at the drop-in
27th May Bank holiday – no drop-in
3rd June Leaving at 3:30pm for Hampton Court Boat Trip with Fish & Chips
10th June Summer Walk at Court Rec
17th June Leaving at 10am for trip to Winkworth and Bognor Regis
24th June Mindfulness with Darren
1st July Annual Barbeque
8th July Leaving at 10am for trip to Leeds Castle in Kent
15th July Bowling at Court Rec
22nd July Leaving at 1pm for trip to Brooklands Motor Museum
29th July Leaving at 10am for trip to Arundel and Pagham
The next planning meeting for the 2019 Festival will be held at St Barnabas Church, Temple Road, Epsom KT19 8HA on Monday 18 March from 12noon-2pm, lunch included. Everyone is very welcome to attend.
Further meetings will be held on
13 May
15 July
9 September
23 September
with the event being held from 5 -12 October,
Allen,
Trustee LMLMM