If working on your mental wellbeing is a goal and wish of yours in 2021, then a podcast might be best means for you.

Podcasts have become a fantastic tool for mental health in the last few years. From shows that make you laugh out loud (literally) to informative pieces, and even those that focus on meditation and mental health. There are a whole host of podcasts to choose from.

As 2021 gets going, we have listed our top 5 podcasts to help get your mind, health and wellbeing in check:

1. Sleep With Me: If you struggle to get to sleep, or stay asleep during the night, then Sleep With Me podcast is for you. Sit back, relax, and listen to the weird yet oh, so, wonderful bedtime stories narrated by the podcast team. Our rating: 5/5

2. The Happiness Lab: Take a journey with Dr. Laurie Santos and explore the science of Happiness. It’s a little more academic than the other podcasts on our list, but it is equally as fascinating. It’s especially fantastic for those who want to dig deeper into mental health and their own happiness. Our rating: 5/5

3. Radio Headspace: Inject a small dose of mindfulness to your morning with Radio Headspace. These short and sweet episodes are just what you need on your commute to work or school, allowing you to take that quick breather. Our rating: 3/5

4. NHS Coach to 5K: It may not get you fit quick, but this podcast will guide and coach you through the stages required to reach that goal of 5k. Plenty of motivation, excitement and hype, this podcast is a must for those wanting to push themselves physically and mentally in the new year. Our rating: 5/5

5. Fearn Cotton’s Happy Place: Fearn Cotton interviews a different person every episode, exploring mental health and wellbeing in a variety of ways. The beauty of her podcast is just how many different points of view and techniques people offer in terms of keeping your mental health as a priority in your life. Our rating: 4/5

Whether you listen to all of our suggestions or just one of them, we would love to hear your thoughts on social media. Follow Midland Mencap on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Hello To all my readers as you know due to the current situation we have found ourselves in I did not think the marathon was going ahead then I found out that a virtual London marathon was going ahead!

To be honest I knew it would be hard but for everyone who knows me after the struggles I have been through and it’s been tough! I had enough grit and determined inside of me with the amount of training I did and preparing for it. I was not going to walk away from this and giving up.

I was nervous having everyone in my Midland Mencap’s family and friends and other people I have to meet through hockey all believing in me was proof I had it inside of me with what has been a very tough year it would be an amazing achievement. To remember it would be the hardest and toughest challenge with help from my coach Jonathan and my guide runner Mark who was meant to be doing London together they were both committed to helping me run.

Also, Dan Floyd from Mencap gave his advice and leading up to it my run Adam Bone just by his phone calls really helped prepared me mentally and even if it rained it wouldn’t stop me my route was from roheath pavilion Pershore road then round cannon hill. Which is a beautiful park as my scenery.

So the day itself full of butterflies and excited so once I set off a nice slow pace it was going really well but there would be a technical problem with my phone which meant I had to break. But in doing so I was able to have a flapjack for energy sadly at that point I did lose my coach Jon. I was so greatful for his help on my first part of my journey! So it was up to me and Mark to finish it yes I was scared but through sheer grit I pushed through yes it took me eight hours before I finished me and my Guide runner Mark had meet not knowing each other wanted to finish.

This is as were a team and yes to my mum I’ll always be her legend those last few moments where I felt pain in my legs I wasn’t going to finish until the app said complete. Me, my mum and Mark all looked at each other and when it said complete we all jumped in the air!!

My journey had come this I had done my part as a Midland Mencap ambassador and shown what those with a disability can do I will continue to help those who need help and I am going to keep running and take on London and other marathons because there is nothing I can’t achieve so watch this space thank you for reading and with losing Honey that was really hard but I ran for her and I am never going to a dark place because she would want me to be happy.

Recently we ran a poetry competition on our social media, asking people to write about their experiences on ‘Coping with Covid-19’
We had a fantastic response and put up a shortlist of entries on Facebook for people to vote for their favourite poem.

And the winner is?………………………………………….. Kath Hyslop!

Kaths poem really touched people, and she managed to capture the thoughts and feelings of everyone being affected by the virus in the current climate.

She said that lockdown has been really difficult for her so she started to think about what has happened and how she looks forward to when it ends. She had lots of ideas, and with the help from Mum she got them down on paper and had fun making it rhyme! Kath had never entered a poem competition before so was really happy when she won, as she didn’t even think she would make the top 5! – Well done Kath!

Coping with COVID-19 – by Katharine Hyslop

Covid-19 where have you been?
Where did you come from?
We know you’re new on the scene so,
Just where have you been?
I wish you’d go back there.

You’ve come into my life like a thief in the night,
Taking everything from me that I enjoy!
Like sport and meeting with friends.
You really do annoy!

I hear on the news that you’ve taken lives
That really is so shocking
My heart is breaking for the folk who have lost their loved ones.
When lockdown is over it’ll be you that we’ll be blocking.

Because Covid-19, a vaccine is on its way
And when it arrives, you’ll be the thing that we’ll be mocking.
We’ll be chasing you back to the place you came from,
Wherever it was, on that dreadful day.

Midland Mencap are offering free packed lunches For children who need them through October Half Term in the Weoley Castle (Birmingham) Area.

Drop in at ‘Weoley Castle Community Centre Bottetourt Rd, Birmingham, B29 5TE! (Sat nav: B29 5RX)

Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm!

If you would like further information call us on 0121 427 6404, or message Midland Mencap on Facebook or Twitter

All we ask is that you only use this support if you truly need it and respect social distancing measures

Our residential respite services are open and accepting referrals. Our facilities are covid secure and offer a high quality, bespoke home from home experience for your loved one. Our two homes are in Acocks Green and Erdington but we accept referrals from across the West Midlands.

We know how important to you having a trusted respite provider is, especially now, and our respite offer has clear benefits for both family carers and the person being cared for.

For family carers our respite will provide you with the opportunity to:

Take the time you need for work, hobbies or relationships
Take a holiday or a break to relax and recharge
Look after your own mental and physical health
Attend medical or personal appointments

FEES:

£164.29 per night
£1150 per week
£16.00 per hour for short break respite

We can also provide home based respite care by bringing our support service to your home

Both facilities are registered with the Care Quality Commission and rated Good, and all staff are fully trained and have enhanced DBS checks

For more information or to make a reservation please contact Emma Cavanagh on 0121 442 2944

Birmingham Multi-Care is a subsidiary of Midland Mencap

Dear colleagues, though everyone is working incredibly hard, and I thank you for everything that you are doing, this email is going out particularly to our frontline colleagues. I ask all of you to think of them, your colleagues are now working in unprecedented times and we must all hold them in our thoughts.

So to our frontline colleagues, I say this. These are the most demanding of times and you are working in the most difficult of circumstance providing care and support to our most vulnerable citizens. I want you to know that you are very much in mine and the rest of the SMT’s thoughts. Though the management team are remote working we are doing everything we can to support you and keep you supplied with the protective resources you need. The SMT are meeting twice daily by video conference to ensure we are responding to circumstances and Government directives.

I fully understand how difficult and worrying the pandemic is for everyone working on the frontline. You have already demonstrated remarkable resilience and fortitude and I want you to know that you have our full support and everything you are doing is appreciated beyond measure. I know that you are taking the best care of yourselves and following all directives and instructions. On behalf of everyone else at Midland Mencap and our Trustee Board and all of the citizens and families keep doing what you are doing, you really are the nations heroes. I’m immensely proud of you all and once we are through this we will find a way to thank you all properly!!

I will keep in touch with you as we go forward. Stay safe, stay strong and stay well……you are not forgotten

Bless you all

Dave Rogers, Midland Mencap CEO

Midland Mencap have some really exciting news to share. We are launching a brand new short breaks service for children with additional needs in North Warwickshire on the 1st of April.

Who is this short service for?

So this service is for anyone aged 0 and 18 with additional needs this could include learning disability, a physical disability, a mental health condition or difficulties, or somebody who’s on the autistic spectrum.

What types of short breaks could be available?

So the ranges of activities that we could offer are really fun day trips, evenings social clubs, sports groups and wellbeing activities. It will be available on weekends, so trips out whether it’s Harry Potter, Lego land, Warwick castle you name it, it could be absolutely anything. As well as weekdays and weekend short breaks we’re also going to be offering overnight stays to support the child but also to support parent carers. And we also run sessions catered for those young people who have more specialised needs so we run 1 to 1 support to provide those opportunities within the community for the child.

Upcoming Events and Activities in North Warwickshire:

Coffee morning for Family and Parent Carers

Come and learn from Midland Mencap’s team about the new short breaks service in North Warwickshire. This is your chance to help us shape the opportunities for children and young people and your family. (Free Tea, coffee and snacks will be available)

When: Monday 23rd March, 10am-12pm
Where? The Chess Centre, Nuneaton, CV10 9DN

Working Lunch for Professionals and key decision makers in Warwickshire

We are committed to delivering an innovative and inclusive service for children & families in Nuneaton & Bedworth and to create a meaningful dialogue with professionals and key decision makers in Warwickshire. With this in mind we will be holding a working lunch meeting and we would like to invite you to join us. This will enable us to showcase our plans for the service and introduce you to some of the operational staff. Lunch will be provided if you are thinking of attending and have any dietary needs please contact dave.pickard@midlandmencap.org.uk.

When? 12pm-1pm
Where? The Chess Centre, Nuneaton, CV10 9DN

Coffee morning for family and parent carers

Come and learn from Midland Mencap’s team about the new short breaks service in North Warwickshire. This is your chance to help us shape the opportunities for children and young people and your family. (Free Tea, coffee and snacks will be available)

When: Monday 23rd March, 10am-12pm
Where? The Chess Centre, Nuneaton, CV10 9DN

Short Break Family taster Sessions:

Bowling
When? Friday 17th April 2020, 10am-12pm
Where? TBC,Nuneaton

Anker Wood Farm:
When? Friday 19th April 2020, 10am-12pm
Where? TBC, Bedworth

Get in touch!

We’d really like your help to shape this service for the young people of North Warwickshire. Tell us what you would like from this short breaks service. We want to work together to provide an opportunity and a short break that works for you, your child and your family.

Call: 0121 442 2944

Email: cypenquiries@midlandmencap.org.uk

Message us on Facebook here

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Listen to yesterday’s Sunny and Shay’s BBC WM show where Dave Rogers (Midland Mencap CEO), Paul Jones (Operations Manager for Family Carers Information Service) and Chris Proctor (Town Hall Symphony Hall) talk about the real impact Sunday’s event has for family Carers in Birmingham.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Book your tickets for Sunday’s Families together at Christmas Concert here or call 0121 442 2944 for further details[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

As a voice for learning disability as we approach the 2019 General Election we are asking politicians, irrelevant of their political beliefs, to prioritise and address the following ten issues during the lifetime of the next Parliament:

• To urgently publish a comprehensive, progressive and sustainable set of proposals to deliver a world class social care offer to all citizens, irrelevant of age, who require its support

• To commit to funding this offer and enter into a conversation with all of us as to how this will be paid for, even if this requires additional, fairly applied taxation

• To broaden the public conversation about what social care is so that it’s not simply polarised around supporting an ageing population

• That the next parliament will commit to ending, once and for all, the national shame of the incarceration and detention of vulnerable citizens simply because they have a learning disability or autism

• That the next parliament will commit to addressing the discriminatory health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability, that leads to shortened lives and unnecessary deaths

• That the next parliament will work to ensure that disability hate crime is given the same credence and scrutiny as other forms of discrimination and hate as defined by the Equality Act 2010

• That the next parliament will work with people with a learning disability and devise a fully funded national pathway to employment that also ensures all employers are reporting on the recruitment and retention of disabled employees

• That the next parliament recognises family carers as the nations key strategic workforce and delivers a framework of fully funded support that recognises and rewards the commitment of caring

• That the next parliament commits to funding and reforming a regulatory body that retains public confidence and ensures that all housing, care and support provision available is safe, delivered to promote a lifestyle of choice, and that the citizen’s voice is central to its delivery

• That the next Government commits that the post holders to the portfolios of Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health is the same person for the lifetime of parliament

This Halloween at Midland Mencap we had a great day full of inclusive family fun! We started the day with a relaxed arts and crafts session where families could create their own marvellous Halloween decorations including tote bags, hanging cobwebs, and spooky mini bats. It was wonderful to see children cutting, glueing, and colouring their own paper ghosts to take home.

Those that wanted to explore the Sutton park’s Pumpkin trail then headed out together. Some used the adapted bikes provided by parkride, some brought their own bikes from home, and some chose to walk. While it was quite a chilly afternoon the interactive games and the company kept everyone is good spirits. It was lovely to see the kids come out of their shell and have a go at activities like hopscotch. Once we’d done a loop around the park, we all came back to the centre to warm up and enjoy some pumpkin cupcakes together.

Events like this are valuable to our community for lots of reasons. Tess, a member of staff and our resident face painter for the day, pointed out that Halloween can be a scary time for many people which is why we provide a safe environment where families can celebrate the occasion together. Oliver, who created ‘Hippo the Friendly Ghost’ out of plastic cups and paper, came out in order to practice his bike riding skills as he has dyspraxia. And Evan and Dade joined us to socialise with their friends. Therefore, we always work hard to make sure that there is something for everyone at all of our events.

To learn more about the events we offer throughout the year, click here

– Anjali, Volunteer Reporter –