Author: Paul Mills

“Music for the soul” is the title of the Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s forthcoming summer concert to be held on Saturday July 22^nd at 7.30pm at Warminster School, in the beautiful, purpose-built Thomas Arnold Hall, Church Street, Warminster. 

Music is a universal language. It is understood by all cultures, ages and types of people. It has nothing to do with the words but rather, the emotions it creates. Music communicates love, happiness, and even sadness – these are emotions experienced by all – making it the universal language. It’s quite wonderful to know that in a world full of such diversity, there is something that connects all human beings.  

The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra’s forthcoming concert certainly has something in it for everyone from Borodin’s invigorating Polovetsian Dances, featuring Hamish MacCunn’s beautiful Scottish music-scape The Land of the Mountain and the Flood – now a popular favourite on Classic FM – through to everybody’s favourite Farandole by Bizet. From quiet and thoughtful to loud and immersive, the audience can feel connected through the energy created by our local community orchestra.  

The Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra always put on a popular, fun and relaxed concert; the sound and the atmosphere being complemented through the serving of summery punch, delicious shortbread and best of all every penny being donated to Wiltshire Mind. 

Amanda Williams, founder and conductor of the orchestra comments “Music has the ability to put us all in the right frame of mind to achieve anything. Quite often our rehearsals fall on busy days but after a good play and a chocolate biscuit at break time, everyone feels buoyed, comforted and in good company.”  

“Our concert this summer not only provides an opportunity to share the musician’s hard work but also raises awareness for Wiltshire Mind, an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. The link between music and mental health fits perfectly. We shall be donating all of our ticket, raffle and refreshment monies to the team at Wiltshire Mind. So please do come along and support us!” 

Tickets can be purchased from our online shop www.warminsterorchestra.org.uk 

calling 01985 216376 or emailing wiltshiremusicmaking@hotmail.com  

£10 in advance, £12 on the door. 

Find us on facebook – Warminster Philharmonic Orchestra.  

Geoff Brown, an ambassador and fundraiser for Wiltshire Mind, also know as ‘The Hat Man of Calne’ made a very special ‘Hat fit for a King’ to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III. Geoff made the hat over a six-week period, and as the pictures show it really is a unique and extraordinary piece of commemorative art.

Over the years Geoff has made over 400 hats of many varied designs. Geoff has also made hats to commemorate the Queens visit to Calne in 2001, and the Golden Jubilee of the Queen in 2002.

Geoff has supported Wiltshire Mind since its formation and helped raise much needed funds to support our services.

2023 marks the 30th Anniversary of Wiltshire Mind. We are an independent Wiltshire Based charity, offering mental health and wellbeing support for our community. If you’d like to help us fundraise – email us at fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk

Any funds raised will go directly towards our services locally, supporting adults and young people in our county.

If you’d like to donate to Wiltshire Mind, visit our Just-Giving page.

Thank you!

Ashford Homes is delighted to announce its first official Charity of the Year partnership with Wiltshire Mind. We will be organising a range of fundraising events over the next 18 months to raise as much money as we can for this unfunded local charity.

Wiltshire Mind is an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. The charity was founded in 1993 in Devizes, supporting those living in long-term care to live and work in the community – following the closure of many mental health residential units. At this time, the charity was fully funded by the governing local councils across Wiltshire.

Nearly 30 years on, Wiltshire Mind continues to support the community, however, the funding has completely changed. Now affiliated to National Mind, Wiltshire Mind remains an independent charity, but they must raise every penny through fundraising or voluntary donations. The charity does not receive any statutory or commissioned income, and they rely on the community to help raise much needed funds. To provide its counselling, support groups and training services Wiltshire Mind must raise £465 each day of the year.

Paul Mills, Joint CEO of Wiltshire Mind said, “We are thrilled to partner with Ashford Homes to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing in the construction industry. This year we celebrate our 30^th anniversary, and look forward to supporting Ashford Homes with their fundraising events”.

Mental health charities are needed now more than ever, and mental health is a particular issue that is dominant in the construction industry. According to a survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), 26% of construction workers reported experiencing a mental health condition. Moreover, Mates in Mind (2022) found that men in the UK are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. However, in construction (a male dominated industry) men are three times more likely to die by suicide than the national average for men.

Stuart Morgan, Managing Director of Ashford Homes said, “We are delighted to announce Wiltshire Mind as Ashford Homes’ inaugural dedicated charity of the year. We have historically donated to Wiltshire Mind and seeing the funds go to such good use has been wonderful.

With the ongoing crisis of poor mental health in the construction industry, the company is taking steps to ensure that our team are well prepared in spotting signs and how to best support everyone we encounter. Wiltshire Mind recently visited our head office to provide training for the management team, providing an engaging, two-way discussion and highlighted particular areas in the business that we should pay attention to. Our team came out feeling much more confident in how to handle certain situations and to be comfortable with asking direct questions.

The construction industry is suffering from a serious mental health crisis, and it’s imperative that we take major steps to change things, we know the money raised will go to helping people across Wiltshire and look forward to working with Wiltshire Mind over the next 18 months.”

Please keep an eye on our website for our upcoming fundraising, and visit our JustGiving page if you’d like to support the charity.

Do you have an interest in supporting the emotional wellbeing of others?

Do you have active listening skills and are looking for an opportunity to enhance your skills?

If so we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for volunteers for our support groups to assist our group facilitator create a safe and non-judgemental space for our members.

The minimum commitment is 2 groups per month, either face to face or on-line. In return we will provide full induction training and opportunities to meet with other volunteers at further training sessions.

If this sounds like you, please email supportgroups@wiltshiremind.co.uk for further information or to arrange an informal discussion.

£13.50 per hour

Wiltshire Mind is an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. Our services are accessible for everybody in our community.

We are looking for a Facilitator with experience of supporting mental health, to work on a sessional basis, within our Malmesbury support group. Our wellbeing ‘Connect’ groups provide a safe, welcoming place for people to meet, share their thoughts and experiences and gain support, and are open to those aged 18+. 

The role requires an experienced mental health / wellbeing professional with an interest in facilitating groups to offer face-to-face support with the possibility of supporting in an online format, on occasions.  The post holder is required to welcome new people into the group and maintain a boundaried, safe space to enable people to speak openly about their wellbeing and mental health.  Within the support groups, facilitators are supported by at least one volunteer and the post holder is required to support the volunteer in their role.  Clinical supervision is provided for this role and available, once per month.

Working closely with the Head of Service Delivery, Service Delivery Co-ordinators and volunteers, the role is integral to delivering the requirements of the charity, and service improvement.

The successful candidate will demonstrate high levels of professionalism and exhibit a keen interest in the charity and the values that we uphold. 

Appointment to the role is subject to satisfactory references and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.  This position is based on a sessional contract, allowing for 2.5 hours per group, on a twice per month basis.

For full details see www.wiltshiremind.co.uk

CLOSING DATE 12^th May 2023

How to apply: 

To enquire about the role, please email Philippa Collins using the details below:

philippa.collins@wiltshiremind.co.uk

Wiltshire Mind are pleased to announce that Stefan Kerwin has joined Wiltshire Mind as Joint Chief Executive Officer alongside existing CEO Paul Mills.

The new Co-CEO role strengthens the leadership team at Wiltshire’s well known mental health and wellbeing charity which has its base in the county town, Trowbridge.

Like many charities, there have been a number of funding challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increased cost of living continues to have an effect on income. Wiltshire Mind relies on the generosity of the community to help raise the funds which pay for the support provided by the charity locally.

Last financial year the charity helped over 300 people across Wiltshire, and has its sights set on increasing this number in 2023-2024 to help with the increasing demand for support in the county.

The charity is currently working with local partners and grant providers to fund and deliver new innovative wellbeing support services. This includes schools, where early intervention is critical, and with GP’s to develop counselling referral services for adults and young people.

On-going funding is needed to create new services, so the leadership and delivery teams have their hands full at the local charity.

Charity Chair, Jim Donald commented “We have seen a significant increase in the demand for our services since the pandemic. I am therefore delighted that Stefan and Paul are bringing their joint skills and talents to the role. This helps us cover more ground as a local charity, and strengthens our leadership team – enabling us to help more people across our communities”

Wiltshire Mind would love to hear from any organisations or individuals who would like to help volunteer or fundraise for them. They need to raise £465 a day to help continue providing their counselling and support services.

To find out more about Wiltshire Mind, visit their website at www.wiltshiremind.co.uk or contact fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk.

We are looking for a qualified counsellor, to work on a sessional basis, to support clients between the ages of 11 and 17, that are referred by GP surgeries as a part of a new innovative funded project.

12 Month Sessional Work Contract

GP Referral Project funded by NHS Charities Together / RUHX

£22.50 per hour

Wiltshire Mind is an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. Our services are accessible for everybody in our community.

This role requires an experienced practitioner with organisational membership – offering both face-to-face counselling and also using online methods.  Experience of integrative counselling and assessments and working in an organisational setting are essential. 

The Counselling role holds client caseloads and is responsible for assessing new clients into the service.  The post holder is expected to attend supervision in line with the BACP guidelines of a minimum of 1.5 hours per month.  

Experience and practice in counselling children and young people is integral to the role with an ability to use creative and talking therapies.  Working closely with the Head of Service Delivery, Service Delivery Co-ordinator and team members at GP surgeries, the role is integral to delivering the requirements of the charity, and service improvement.

The successful candidate will demonstrate high levels of professionalism and exhibit a keen interest in the charity and the values that we uphold. 

Appointment to the role is subject to receiving satisfactory references and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.  This position is based on a sessional contract for 7 hours per week over 2 – 3 days.

Details about our charity can be found here: www.wiltshiremind.co.uk

CLOSING DATE 30th June 2023

How to apply: 

To enquire about the role, please email Philippa Collins with your contact details: philippa.collins@wiltshiremind.co.uk

Local fundraiser and Wiltshire Mind supporter, Ben Budd recently walked 325 miles across Southern England, raising an incredible £3,000 for our charity. Its an inspirational story, captured here in his own words and photos of the event.

Finding my way back home – by Ben Budd

Like Broken Stones. They’re all trying to get home (Paul Weller)

I’m no expert but it seems to me that many mental disorders and crises may stem from a sense of alienation from one’s true self. I certainly felt that after 20 years in the advertising and marketing world I had lost my true sense of self and had become someone different – someone I really didn’t like too much. I had wound myself up like a coiled spring and I needed to start unwinding again quickly if I was to survive.

One step of the transition was to get out of London and return to a quieter space. Eventually I found myself in Avebury, home to the world’s largest neolithic stone circle and a place of spiritual pilgrimage. Living here and practising Tai Chi I became aware of two supposedly important ley lines which uniquely intersect at 3 points all within the Avebury complex. All of their many other intersections can also be plotted and joined to form a diagonal straight line running from Carn Les Boel near Land’s End in the extreme South West to Hopton on Sea in Norfolk on England’s east coast.

Another step on my journey was a career change, and a fairly drastic one. From the cab rides, expense accounts and pitch presentations synonymous with the advertising and marketing world I – perhaps rather recklessly – threw in the towel and lifted the trowel. The horticultural trowel. I became a gardener! I also designed gardens as wells as buying and selling plants, but was happiest in the peace of a border dappled with warm sunlight. The outdoor life was transformative in lifting my spirits.

With the advent of lockdown I think we all became aware of people formerly considered to be ‘resilient’ and confident, yet who for the first time suffered debilitating instances of doubt, anxiety or depression. My own pre-lockdown experiences and those of family members and friends convinced me that when the cost of living crisis hit, hot on the heels of the pandemic, it was time to help others.

I hope I have achieved that by walking 325 miles across southern England, following the intersectional route of the St Michael and St Mary lines, back to my home in Avebury. In the process I trust I have increased awareness of MIND’s fantastic work to help people with mental health issues whilst generating £3k, donated by my kind sponsors. As well as assisting others who really need it, the journey has certainly helped me to uncoil some of that that tightly wound spring, and although I still feel a bit broken, the great outdoors continues to drive the healing process.

Ben Budd

If you are inspired to raise money too, contact Wiltshire Mind today. Fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk . Wiltshire Mind provides support to over 300 people in our county each year, and relies on the generosity of the community to help raise funds. This year is our 30th Anniversary. Help us celebrate by raising funds if you can – and help make a difference.

Raising £30,000 in 2023 to mark 30 years of Wiltshire Mind

This year Wiltshire Mind celebrates our 30th anniversary as your local mental health and wellbeing charity.

Over those years, we have supported around 8000 people, providing local peer support groups, adult 1-1 counselling, and young people’s counselling. Along the way we have trained several hundred people in Mental Health Awareness, and worked with countless organisations and delivery partners to provide mental health and wellbeing support across Wiltshire.

Throughout this year, we will be marking our anniversary with fundraising events.

Our aim is to raise £30,000 which goes directly into providing support not just for individuals, but for schools, GP surgeries, care homes, charities and companies across our county.

During 2023, we are inviting you, our supporters, to create a fundraising challenge involving the number 30.

Simply set up a donations page on Just-Giving, and ask your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues to sponsor you, with donations going to Wiltshire Mind.

Some ideas to get you started with your fundraising

Create a treasure hunt for the kids – with 30 items to find

Organise a bake sale with 30 colleagues

Run 30 miles

Swim 30 lengths

Cycle 30 miles

Hold a themed quiz night with 30 people

Host an online cookalong for 30 people

Watch 30 films

Read 30 books

Host an afternoon tea for 30 people

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your own idea for a 30th fundraiser, we’d be delighted to hear from you!

If you’d simply like to donate to us, scan the QR code below or visit our Just-Giving page.

Thank you for your support!

fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/WiltshireMind30