If you are interested in volunteering with 'the Phoenix' or would like to be put on a waiting list to benefit from this service please contact:
-Marian O'Brien (Coordinator): 07949 383294 or
-St. James saying 'The Phoenix Project': 020 8567-8309.
-Email: theredphoenix2006@yahoo.co.uk.
Why is The Project Being Set Up ?
It has been identified that there are many people in our local community suffering from a range of mental and emotional issues. They need support. Many cannot get what is needed to help them from the NHS or other statutory services. Several members of the church have experience in these areas and have the financial backing of the District Church Council to set up a project to alleviate these needs. The project is at the early set up stage. Its objectives to clients will be:
1. One-to-one buddying
2. Self-help groups
3. Legal advice
4. Benefits advice
5. Health Living Initiative
6. Travel chaperones or support to and from meetings.
The 'core' activity is called Mentor/Buddying, which is a special type/form of mental health support but is not counselling as such! We aim to be 'a friend in the community'. This will be the first activity. All aspects of the project will be carried out over a period of three years and will be ongoing.
As we are setting up the project we will need to develop it in a number of ways. Our aim is to provide a service as Professional as possible! It will be a mainly Mental Health service user led. Also the planning, monitoring and evaluation will be carried out by service users as 'user involvement' is at the centre of our values and understanding of what mental health is all about. There will be no 'us and them' heirarchy as often suggested to be reflected in the 'statutory' services. We are the 'grass roots' of mental health in the Borough of Ealing. Therefore the objectives of the team members will be to:
1. Select and develop proper working management
2. Provide a safe working venue
3. Provide legal and practical training for team members
How Will The Project Work ?
Research shows that women and minority ethnic groups have the greatest need. It is the intention to provide confidential one-to-one support to each person for an hour a week. As well as specific Benefits and Legal advice, it has also been found that confidence building, self-development and dietary advice in tune with 'lower-level' incomes is often needed. Group ‘talking treatments’ would be used for sharing personal experiences.
Project Needs
It will not be easy to run this project alone. We seek your practical and prayer support for it’s long term success. Nobody has cash to spare these days but we seek funding. If you are able to help us care for our brothers and sisters in trouble who knows what a better society this could be ? If you are able to make a small donation, support a fund raising event or arrange for money to be left in a will, not just will we be grateful but our clients will experience personal changes that will change their lives forever we hope. This project will directly benefit local people in need. Yet little funding is available. Conor O'Brien organised a sponsored cycle ride over 9th-12th May 2007 to help raise funds.
You can, also, give of your spare time by volunteering in a variety of ways.
As we will be focussed on Women/Black and Minority Ethnic in the local community, although not exclusively to those groups, we would welcome a diverse range of volunteers as we aim to be a multi-cultural project.
Roles Available for volunteering are as follows:
-Management Committee roles (no 'direct' experience needed)
-Mentor/Buddy support roles (no 'direct' experience needed)
-Support supervision for the Mentor/Buddies themselves (preferably by a person who has a 'formal' counselling qualification)
We welcome people who have or have had experience of mental health issues themselves.
