Celebrating Time to Talk Day at Sele Farm Community Hub
10 February 2022
In celebration of Time to Talk Day on 3 February 2022, our Mental Health Liaison, Neighbourhood and Regeneration teams took part in a drop-in event at our Sele Farm Community Hub along with our local community partners in the area. Time To Talk Day is all about getting the nation talking about mental health and this event got the local community together to connect and engage on the topic.
The event was led by Wyld Edges, a community organisation who teach regenerative education using permaculture design (a framework for sustainable living), showing how it can be used in gardening, home and work life. They introduce people to techniques and methods which benefit wellbeing and the environment, helping to build individual and community resilience whilst caring for the natural world.
The Hub was taken over for the day by various other community projects working to tackle mental health issues, including a horticultural project, a group supporting victims of domestic violence, and the B Green Community Café, who arrived with a pile of cakes cooked by volunteer residents. Members of Hertfordshire Council attended as well as residents, representatives and campaigners from the charities Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, representatives of the local school, the Co-op, and community groups.
The event also brought together a group of people with bipolar disorder who had lost contact in recent years as the facilities where they used to meet had closed. To ensure the group can continue to meet up and provide much needed contact and support for one another, we made concrete plans for them to hold weekly drop in sessions at the Community Hub going forward.
It’s been said that listening is the secret to discover great stories and indeed when it was Time to Talk at Sele Farm community hub, Network Homes did the listening. We understand the importance of having these open, honest and supportive conversations about mental health. This is why we have a Mental Health Liaison Team who are helping and support residents who may be at risk from losing their tenancy due to mental health issues.
Christine, Mental Health Liaison Team Leader
