About Wellbeing Week 2009

What is Wellbeing Week 2009?

Wellbeing Week takes place from 9-15 March 2009 and is a national awareness raising week organised by mental health charity Together: Working for Wellbeing. We are asking mental health service users, service user led groups and the people who care about them to plan and lead events throughout the week that will help change misconceptions of mental health and inspire others to look after their own mental wellbeing.

Why are Together holding this awareness raising week?

Together understands that people who have experience of mental health issues are experts and this experience is valuable when harnessed and used to educate and inform others. In 2004 Together established its unique Service User Involvement Directorate, which is led by Anne Beales MBE, who has used mental health services herself. The Directorate works to provide better opportunities for people with experience of mental ill-health to share their expert knowledge and make a real difference to the lives of others. Wellbeing Week 2009 is based on the principles of this department. We hope that by encouraging groups of people with experience of mental health issues to hold events it will focus attention on the many voices of experience, which when listened to, can help change things for the better.

Welbeing Week's Themes for 2009

Financial Wellbeing

Laughter

Music

Food (healthy eating for your mind, body and soul)

Types of Events Hosted

A few examples:

Laughter workshops

Regional Football Tournaments for mental health Service Users

Financial expertise events for Service Users looking to manage their money better, beating the credit crunch and getting back to work

Walking for Wellbeing (events being hosted with and without dogs)

Comedy Nights

Food and Mood Workshops

Service User Poetry Evenings

Bowles Tournaments

Conferences with service users, mental health providers and partners looking to explore wellbeing communities

Acoustic wellbeing workshops