Press release: August 2018

Norwich Charity to support launch of Lottery- funded local mental health project

The Support Source Community Sharing Circles Project, spearheaded by local residents *Katie Mottram and **Linda Allen, has received £9,995 funding from the Big Lottery Awards for All fund, via ***The Missing Kind Charity.

This innovative Peer training and supervision project will run over one year from September2018, and provide opportunities for knowledge growth, skills development, sharing and supervision sessions that will help to establish local Community Sharing Circles as a community outreach resource across Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

The trained Community Sharing Circle Facilitators (CSCF’s) will aid reciprocity for people to better resource their own and each other’s wellbeing. The CSCF’s will each have access to specialist training, guidance and ongoing support, to enable them to independently hold a safe space for people who have shared themes of emotional distress; such as loneliness, eating or other disorders, bereaved by suicide; parents/carers of children who self-harm; family health issues (physical or mental health), men’s mental health, survivors of trauma and those struggling with difficult family dynamics.  (Shared themes of distress may extend beyond these examples mentioned.)

Support Source is built on pilot work and public consultation the team have facilitated over the last 9 months as part of our Emerging Kind Project, delivered with support from the ***The Missing Kind Charity. This work included supporting the traineeships of 17 volunteers and engaging over 120 people in conversations about community wellbeing initiatives, on what mental health resources they would like to see locally. 62% of respondents confirmed they would like to have better access to local peer support, listening, and sharing groups.

The Community Sharing Circles project is aimed at meeting this demand by providing support and hope of recovery to people in distress, and marginalised groups who may have been pathologised or disadvantaged due to their psychological struggles. There is sound evidence to indicate that those suffering from distress may find talking to a professional difficult, and that many people benefit more from sharing their problems with trained Peers in an informal, non- hierarchical environment.

Testimonial from a pilot project trainee;

“There has been a profound shift in my sense of well -being, after many years of feeling disconnected from the world and feeling suicidal, I find myself really wanting to live. I am starting to think of the future with optimism for the first time in over 10 years. I am learning to trust my intuition around my own self -care and through this I am slowly building my strength and resilience to be in the world again.”

Should you be interested in finding out more about taking part in this project, or for information on similar bespoke packages for your organisation, please email Linda or Katie at:

linda@kindalistening.org / emergingkind@missingkind.org

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Notes to editors

* Katie Mottram Background – Katie Mottram is an Author, Speaker and Project coordinator

She was one of the Founding Directors of the International Spiritual Emergence Network, providing a collaborative platform for the global networks that exist to support people going through the spiritual emergence process. Her personal story is featured in the publication by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Spirituality and Narrative in Psychiatric Practice: Stories of Mind and Soul, 2016, and in her own book; Mend the Gap, 2014.

Katie founded the International anti- stigma campaign in support of those experiencing spiritual phenomena, #Emerging Proud: http://www.emergingproud.com and the Emerging Kind; a project training Peers to hold ‘Safe Space’ support groups for those going through a difficult transformation process.

**Linda Allen Background –  Linda is the Founder and Trainer of the KindaListening project – a programme that develops deeper listening and empowering conversation for greater connection, wellbeing and community building. It is a foundational part of the Community Sharing Circles training to support individuals to resource themselves and each other by creating a safe space to evolve wellbeing.

Linda works as a Wellbeing Consultant, Coach and Trainer, supporting individuals (and their carers/family) through crisis and beyond, consulting with and delivering training and coaching within organisations to empower sustainable resilience, wellbeing and leadership; supporting emotional wellness for young people in schools and as a therapist at the Breathing Space Norfolk.

*** The Missing Kind charity (registered charity number 1156133) works in partnership with individuals and organisations to provide sustainable solutions to today’s social and environmental problems. The Norwich based charity is a non-sectarian organisation that wants to put the missing kindness back into community and business. Find out more here: https://www.missingkind.org