March Peer Community Newsletter

Welcome to our March Newsletter. In this month's update you can sign up to join us at our upcoming Gathering Peer Voices; there's a new video on What Makes Peer Support Unique; read our updates on peer spaces; there are opportunities to get involved in the refresh of Scotland's Mental Health Strategy; plus the Peer Forum and lots more!

What Makes Peer Support Unique?
Scottish Recovery Network asked people from across Scotland what makes peer support unique. This short animation captures some of this research.

The Listening Space, Health in Mind
In Person - Fortnightly on Thursdays
Online - Weekly on Wednesdays
1:1 Listening Sessions - 12-12.30pm (book in advance)
Support Groups - 12.30- 2pm

This peer space for positive mental health and wellbeing is back in person as well as continuing online. You can speak individually with a peer volunteer and/or participate in their peer support group.
Contact the team to book a place or to find out more. Please email edinburgh@health-in-mind.org.uk or call 0131 225 8508.

Gathering Peer Voices
Online - Wednesday 16 March 10am-1pm

This event is open to Edinburgh's Peer Workers, Peer Volunteers and all people interested in mental health, recovery and lived experience, who would like to learn about and contribute their views on how we can strengthen peer practice in Edinburgh. It will take place over Zoom. Please email peer@health-in-mind.org.uk if you have any questions

Book a Space Here

Help to Refresh Scotland's Mental Health Strategy

Scottish Recovery Network are enabling the voices of people with lived experience to be at the heart of the Scottish Government's refreshed mental health strategy. They are facilitating six online conversation cafés at the end of March to ensure your thoughts and ideas are heard during the early stages of this refresh. Book yourself onto a conversation here.

Peer Forum

OUr Peer Forum currently meets over Zoom. The peer forum is a protected space for people working or volunteering in a role that uses their lived experience, to come together, share their experiences and work to address issues that are important to them, in their peer roles. If you would like to attend or find out more please contact madhu@capsadvocacy.org.

Change to Edinburgh Carers Council Peer Support Group

Edinburgh Carers Council's peer support group for carers (family, friends) of someone with mental health difficulties, is now the last Thursday of the month. The venue is now Great Michael House, 14 Links Place, Edinburgh EH6 7EZ. Contact rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk if you would like to book a space or find out more.

To see all our upcoming workshops, courses, meetings and events all in one place, please visit our iThrive page. This includes our Steering Group meetings and the Peer Forum.

Courses, workshops, meetings

Podcast - Peer Chat

Scottish Recovery Network's new Peer Chat podcast brings you insights and inspiration from people using their lived experience to support others and develop peer approaches.

In conversation with Scottish Recovery Network’s Lesley Smith, the first ever guest on the series is Rai Waddingham and the theme is peer support groups. Click here to listen.

You can keep up to date with Peer Community on our page on iThrive Edinburgh.

iThrive is your online space for mental health and wellbeing information in Edinburgh and the site uses the accessibility software ReciteMe. Each month, we will highlight one of ReciteMe's features

Translation

Recite Me quickly and easily translates iThrive into over 100 languages, including 35 text to speech voices. This includes Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Punjabi and Hungarian.

Try out this feature by clicking the 'Accessibility and Languages' button located in the website's top right-hand corner.

Edinburgh Community Voices

Edinburgh Community Voices meets online and in person and is a group for anyone with lived experience to discuss mental health and services in Edinburgh. For more information on upcoming meetings or to book a space, please email Becky - becky@advocard.org.uk.

Drop-in Peer Spaces
The groups below are open to both current and new group members.
The groups below are a combination of online and in person.

If you look after a peer space in Edinburgh and would like your group to be added below, please contact peer@health-in-mind.org.uk.

When	Description	Contact
Monday Weekly 7-9pm	ANDYSMANCLUB Peer to peer support for any man over 18.	info@andysmanclub.co.uk
Monday Tuesday 7-8.30pm	Anxiety and Depression Peer Support Group Health in Mind Online and In Person For people experiencing anxiety, depression or low mood.	Click here to see dates and venues of online and in person groups - edinburghselfhelp@health-in-mind.org.uk
Tuesday Monthly (1^st) 10.30am	CARA (Carers and Relatives Alliance) Support in Mind Online (in person from October) Peer Support group for carers and families of those experiencing mental illness	Lorraine Keith sccs@supportinmindscotland.org.uk 07951066234
Wednesday Weekly 1-4	The Listening Space Health in Mind Online For people who would like to speak 1:1 to a peer volunteer. 1:1 space is followed by an optional group peer space.	edinburgh@health-in-mind.org.uk
Thursday 18-30 Monthly All ages Monthly	Lothian Bipolar Self Help Group Bipolar Scotland/Lothian Bipolar Group Online and In Person A group of people who want to provide information, peer support and self-management guidance to individuals affected by bipolar.	info@lothianbipolargroup.org.uk or Facebook.
Thursday Monthly 2.30	Peer Support Group for Carers Edinburgh Carers Council In Person This group is open for family members, friends and relatives of people with mental health difficulties.	rachael@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk 0131 322 8480

The Peer Community is a part of Thrive Edinburgh and organised by The Peer Partnership, a partnership between Health in Mind and CAPS Independent Advocacy.

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