SignHealth

The Deaf health charity

Archives for June 2016

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Mascot competition winner is a roaring success

We have a winner for our fantastic competition to design a SignHealth mascot and we think you’ll agree he’s a roaring success.

We received a huge bag of brilliant entries for the competition.  Everyone at SignHealth was  really impressed with all the super-creative entries.

Our winner is Ryan Rong, aged 12 from Newminster Middle School in Morpeth, who won everyone’s heart with his super lion drawing.  His design is now being turned into a mascot for SignHealth by Jellyhead Studios, based in London, who have previously made mascots for the BBC, Asda and the Rainforest Cafe.

Said Ryan: I’m really pleased to have won – I can’t believe it! I loved designing my SignHealth lion. I have enjoyed being part of the sign2sing event at my school for the past 2 years.”

Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition.    You will all receive a special certificate for taking part very soon.

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Men’s Health Week Targets Stress Levels

This week is Men’s Health Week (13-19th June) and this year the theme is stress. We can become stressed for lots of different reasons including money problems, family difficulties and work related issues. Stress affects everyone from time to time but sometimes it can get out of control and have a negative affect on our lives and relationships.

Understanding why we become stressed and how to combat stress is very important. If it isn’t treated, stress can turn into something more serious with 1 in 4 of us developing a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression.

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The good news is there are ways that we can beat stress. Exercising, hobbies like painting and writing, volunteering, seeing friends, learning new things and laughing, all help to relieve stress.
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It’s also important to talk about what’s making your feel stressed. Talk to friends and family or, if you want, talk to a professional. BSL Healthy Minds, for instance, can help with therapy in British Sign Language.

If you would like some more tips on how to manage stress, have a look at our BSL videos on the SignHealth website or click on the images below.

Or, if you had a good tip for coping with stress, you can share it by leaving a comment below.

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Image Credit: Umbrella Shot

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BSL Healthy Minds wins Disability category in Charity Awards 2016

The Deaf Health Charity SignHealth is delighted to announce that it has taken the top prize in the Disability category at this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector.

SignHealth won the award for its BSL Healthy Minds project, the only national psychological therapy service whose specialist workforce are all deaf or deaf culturally-aware, and fluent in British Sign Language (BSL).

Studies show that 40 per cent of deaf people will develop a mental health problem at some point in their lives – twice the rate of the hearing population.  Yet BSL Healthy Minds is the first such service specifically designed for deaf people.

A 2015 evaluation found that 87 per cent of service users were fully satisfied with the service. Many even told the charity that they had lived for years with problems that had been addressed after a few sessions with a psychological therapist.

“We had a record number of entries this year, and the standard was particularly high, so SignHealth should be very proud to have won their category.”

Award

The service achieved high recovery rates of 77 per cent, compared to a national mainstream average of 44 per cent.

Dr Sarah Powell, Clinical Psychologist and Hazel Wilcock, Clinical Strategic Lead accepted the award on behalf of BSL Healthy Minds before an audience of voluntary sector leaders, celebrities, politicians and frontline charity workers.  The ceremony was hosted by TV journalist Bill Turnbull at the Mermaid Theatre in London.

Tania Mason, editorial director at Civil Society Media which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated SignHealth on winning the highly-coveted award.  She said:

“We had a record number of entries this year, and the standard was particularly high, so SignHealth should be very proud to have won their category. Their project delivered great results.”For 17 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do, and the rigorous judging process ensures that only the very best-run charities win awards.”

The life changing work of BSL Healthy Minds

Gary Cottrell, chief executive of SignHealth, said:

“SignHealth is delighted that our BSL Healthy Minds service has been recognised in the prestigious Charity Awards.  We’re enormously proud of the service which has made a significant difference to so many deaf lives.

Going forward, we would like to see access to therapy in BSL made easier for deaf people.  Currently we have to apply for funding for each individual’s therapy separately.  Funding varies from area to area resulting in a postcode lottery.  Via our Therapy the Deaf Way campaign, SignHealth is calling on the government to provide a nationally commissioned psychological therapy service for Deaf people in BSL.

As a result of winning at the national Charity Awards, SignHealth is now keen to continue the good work with part of this being the development of a cCBT (computerised cognitive behavioural therapy) program in BSL in partnership with Bupa.  The programs that are currently available do not enable access for BSL users and this is a huge gap in self help support for deaf people.   We are also developing a Real Time Online Psychological Therapy Service which will be secure and confidential and enable deaf, sign language users to access therapy at a time that suits them. “

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More help needed for anxiety disorder

Researchers from the University of Cambridge say that four out of every one hundred people are affected by anxiety.  Women, people aged under 35 and those with chronic health conditions are most likely to suffer from anxiety disorders.  The report says that there needs to be more research into why people become anxious and what can be done to help them.

People who have anxiety disorder are overwhelmed by feelings of worry, fear and unease.  The feelings tend to last for a long period and have a negative impact on everyday life.   They may also experience physical symptoms such as raised blood pressure, nausea and disrupted sleep patterns.

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BSL Healthy Manxietyinds has made a series of BSL videos on anxiety including what the symptoms are, how to reduce anxiety.  There is also advice on altering thoughts related to anxiety, coping with physical symptoms and managing anxiety.

Picture credit: Practicalcures.com

 

 

 

 

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BSL Healthy Minds shortlisted for the Charity Awards 2016

The Deaf Health Charity SignHealth is delighted to announce that its BSL Healthy Minds service has made the shortlist for this year’s Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector.

BSL Healthy Minds has been shortlisted in the Disability category for its work delivering therapy and counselling for deaf people in British Sign Language.

The Charity Awards is the sector’s most highly-regarded excellence recognition scheme. All 30 shortlisted charities this year have been judged by an independent panel of sector leaders as having demonstrated outstanding best practice from which other organisations can learn.

thumbnail_Hallmark-CA2016---shortlistThe ten category winners, plus the recipients of the Overall Award for Excellence and the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement, will be announced at a ceremony and dinner on Thursday 9 June at the Mermaid Theatre in London’s Blackfriars.

The black-tie evening will be hosted by former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, who will be joined by representatives of the shortlisted charities, alongside senior figures from the charity and civil society sector, and a smattering of celebrities from the worlds of theatre, television, music and sport.

Tania Mason, editorial director at Civil Society Media which organises the Charity Awards, congratulated SignHealth on making the highly-coveted shortlist.  She said:

“We had a record number of entries this year, and the standard was particularly high, so SignHealth  should be very proud that BSL Healthy Minds has made the shortlist.  For 16 years the Charity Awards have been identifying and celebrating the fantastic work that UK charities do, and the rigorous judging process ensures that only the very best-run charities make it through. We wish SignHealth the very best of luck on the night.”

“The rigorous judging process ensures that only the very best-run charities are shortlisted” Civil Society Media

John Low, Chief Executive of Charities Aid Foundation, overall partner of the Charity Awards, said:

“CAF exists to support the amazing work of charities. Anyone looking to see some of the impressive ways in which charities make a difference would only need to take a look at the shortlisted nominees for this year’s Charity Awards. These are shining examples of charities at their very best, showing determined leadership and constantly innovating to support people in communities across the UK and beyond.

It has been a difficult year for the charity sector and there are important lessons to take away from this. But it is no less vital that we continue to celebrate the success of charities which make such a difference to people’s lives in so many different ways.  Recognising the achievements of charities, like those in this year’s shortlist, is a crucial part of how we continue to maintain and build a proud culture of caring for others and selfless generosity in Britain.”

Gary Cottrell, Acting Chief Executive of SignHealth said:

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Image Credit: ADoseofShipBoy