Meetings to inform and offer support

AT THE Mind LGBT support group, we have started planning our programme for 2015.

We agreed to meet at 1pm on the first and third Saturday of each month. The meeting on the first Saturday will include a lunch, and the other meeting will include a speaker or information and a discussion on a topical matter of interest.

The dates for 2015 are: January 3 and 7; February 7 and 21 (LGBT History Month event); March 7 and 21; April 4 (bank holiday weekend social event) and 18; May 2 (bank holiday weekend social event) and 16 (Mental Health Awareness Week event); June 6 and 20.

We plan to invite speakers from LGBT police liaison, national Mind’s diversity team, Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group, Healthwatch Hillingdon, Central and North West London NHS Trust, Hillingdon Aids Response Trust and Hillingdon Action Group for Addiction Management.

We also plan to address a range of health and wellbeing and community safety issues.

The group is for LGBT people with lived experience of mental health issues, but this is interpreted much more broadly than a diagnosable illness; we are very much focused on maintaining mental health and emotional wellbeing, addressing social isolation and preventative work.

Our final meeting of this year will include a Christmas buffet on Saturday, December 20.

Please bring this information to the attention of anyone to whom it may be of interest. People expressing an interest in joining the group at any time should contact lukasz@hillingdonmind.org.uk or christopher@hillingdonmind.org.uk CHRISTOPHER GEAKE

Hillingdon Mind Address supplied