Great Minds have set our dates for 2021 in partnership with State of Mind Sport and we will be inviting you are others to join our latest sessions in 2021
The sessions for 2021 will begin on 18/01/21 6.30pm every Monday & Wednesday through till March 2021.
Great Minds have had some amazing feedback from Men attending the sessions; they have reported that they have either connected to services or are in the process of thinking about this; this is great news for us and makes us proud to know anyone that joined will be able to access the support they need.
Great Minds is a new collaborative project launched in September 2020 that is part of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s broader suicide prevention work. It is being carried out in partnership with State of Mind Sport.
Our project is a set of workshops aimed at men, helping them work through various mental health issues that challenge their equilibrium. It will link into the national and local public health initiatives that are directly concerned with suicide prevention specifically for men. The project aims to work alongside public health leads to help them provide an alternative support in the six places of the ICS, reaching out to the most vulnerable via social media and direct contact with sporting groups, clubs and communities.
The sessions will be delivered by former rugby league professionals and mental health first aid trainers Danny Sculthorpe, Jimmy Gittins, Phil Veivers and Ian Smith pictured below
Great Minds will deliver initial sessions online covering basic mental fitness, stress management, building resilience, exploring emotional intelligence, problem solving and anger management. Former professional and successful, recognisable sportspeople will share their stories and the coping strategies that they have used when faced with life changing events such as mental health challenges, bereavement through suicide, mental fitness challenges and other mental health conditions that have affected their wellbeing.
“In England, nearly 100 people die each week as a result of suicide and the latest national figures show that Yorkshire and the Humber region had the highest suicide rate in England over a three-year period between 2017 and 2019. The main aim of our Suicide Prevention Strategy is to develop working relationships with partner agencies and Great Minds is an innovative project for us that will bring State of Mind Sport’s established programme to support and complement the work taking place in the six local places that the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership covers.
“Our Pathfinder Development workers Nicola and Paula will organise and facilitate the sessions with the presenters, taking the men who join us through the process with up to eight weekly sessions, which will give them new skills to manage their mental health. Those interested can choose to join for just one session or all eight sessions, whatever suits their circumstances best”.
For more information about Great Minds email swy-tr.greatminds@nhs.net and watch our video. vimeo.com/449412758