Progression Sessions

I become involved in volunteering with Particip8! after a close friend share her experience of volunteering with and how much she loved it and after the previous volunteering I was doing did not work out for various reasons I started volunteering with Particip8! which is part of Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust.

I have volunteered for Particip8 now for two years and I absolutely love it! Particip8! is a group which come together most evenings to discuss that experience of mental health difficulties and what can be done to improve the situation for young people. It has enabled me to use my not so good experiences of mental health services to change it for the next generation. Over the last two years I have led focus groups particularly about discharge from services, language around disability amongst staff.

I am also currently working on a toolkit for police about working with individuals with mental health difficulties. I have also spoken at various conferences about different things including the link between mental health and being a gang member and my lived experience of living with complex mental health difficulties. These experiences have helped me to grow in confidence but also made me realize that I am not the only one with these experiences. Adding to this by sharing my experiences I have come to I have come to realize that when one's mental health difficulties are complex it is important to talk about them openly to reduce stigma. Particip8! certainly does that.

The group of people that I volunteer with are lovely. My manager is really understanding and on my not so good days we will come up with a way that I am still able to participate in a group whether it be communicating via instant messaging or email. I now do something for volunteering every day and it is very meaningful. I am grateful for all the opportunities that Particip8! has given me and continues to do so. I hope that Particip8! will continue in the future so that it is able to give other people the special experiences that has given me. Thank you to everyone at particip8! that makes it such a lovely group to be part of. If you want to become part of particip8! I know more about it contact: particip8@nsft.nhs.uk

You can become involved if you and twenty-five and under and have experience and/ or a passion for improving mental health services. You can be involved in as much as a little as you would like to.

Red Rose Chain is based in The Avenue Theatre in Ipswich. For over twenty years, it has run incredible productions and projects in Suffolk.

Despite being a historic, listed building, the theatre has been made as wheelchair-accessible as possible, and there are plans to do more. There is a level entrance down the path from the car park, and though the door is heavy, the staff are helpful. There is also a disabled toilet.

In 2017, a good friend asked if I wanted to join a community drama group. At first, I hesitated. Previous drama experiences had made me nervous about acting with others: it’s challenging to show enthusiasm when no one else wants to get stuck in! Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the performing arts and trusted my friend’s insistence that I would have a good time. She was right – I came away from that fateful session with the biggest smile!

What I love the most about Red Rose Chain is that no matter who visits, whatever their ability, they always feel safe and welcome, like part of a family. Run by Creative Director Jo Carrick, Red Rose Chain has community acting groups for children and young people and two for adults with mental health issues and learning and physical disabilities. Every session is free, and, most importantly, there are no auditions. Out of the four community groups within the theatre, ACT (Avenue Community Theatre) meets during term time on Tuesday afternoons.

We start with a hearty lunch and a catch-up, and once the cups of tea are finished, we head into the main theatre to create our unique type of happy chaos. What’s that, I hear you ask? Within our group, we have all kinds of talent: as well as brilliant actors, we have dancers and writers, and we have managed to create unique magic many times over. As a prime example, a writing task sent online during the COVID pandemic led to a show about a time-travelling woman snatched back to the Manningtree witch trials! As recently as a week ago, we performed another original show called “The Boy Who Built A Flying Boat,” as part of a collection of heritage plays developed by each theatre group around Anglo-Saxon myths. I played a rapping environmentalist fairy and the aforementioned boat’s figurehead.

I cannot stress this enough: being part of Red Rose Chain has made me more confident and outgoing. In addition to having a fantastic time acting with my friends and feeling acknowledged as a creative writer, I am also part of Red Rose Chain’s Advisory Board. This has given me insight into how the theatre is run, and my feedback around wheelchair access helped them make their Theatre in the Forest productions in Sutton Hoo more inclusive.

I could talk about Red Rose Chain forever, but I’ll let you learn more about them yourself. You can visit their website here: https://www.redrosechain.com/

Like many young people with or without disabilities my mental health went down significantly during the covid-19 pandemic. I get anxiety around managing my disabilities in different places so being told that I could effectively manage them constantly in one cosy space where I had everything I needed seemed perfect. In reality though it meant I got out of the habits of asking for and accepting help, and fighting through my worries to do the things I know I need to do to stay well. This was made worse knowing that I didn't want to study and wasn't doing social things at the same time as other young people I knew. What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I doing these things? Was it my fault? Something I had said or done?

As time moved on I felt more and more that the best way to cover up how much I was struggling would be to build what I thought would look like a good body image. I worried about the possibility of sitting at home with my disabilities all day, not taking care of myself. I was determined to put out to the world that however miserable I might be feeling, that lifestyle would never be for me. All of the young girls I knew of at the time seemed sporty, fit and pretty, and so I thought the best way to cover everything up would be to try to be like them. Walking was now about fitness, not joy. If there was an exercise opportunity around I was determined to try it, even if it wasn't accessible or practical for me. In 2021 I trawled through a list of sports clubs in Suffolk and emailed them to find out about their accessible offers. I got replies, but have never done anything to take them further. And why? Because I don't like sport. Never have, and probably never will. I don't like the mix of fun and rules, or the way all sports seem to have their own language.

And that's ok.

Because...

In March 2022, inspired by the determination and passion of an incredible, now well-known dancer and singer / songwriter, I wondered if maybe there might be a solution out there after all. Dancing might be considered a sport, and can be done competitively if you want to, but given how determined and creative this artist came across to me, I wondered if it might take away some of the frustration and pressure I had been putting on myself around other types of movement. I decided to try putting some music on, having a dance, and seeing how it might feel. And the answer was simply... ok. Not perfect, but ok. And given how sad I had been feeling, I was perfectly happy with that. I started to like everything about dancing more and more, and as it became a more regular part of my every day life, people around me also started to notice my mental and physical health getting better. This convinced me even more that maybe I had found my movement after all, and that I should take a tip from the person who had inspired me to dance in the first place, and commit to taking it more seriously. In October 2022 I tried an accessible dance class and loved everything about it, even the parts where things would usually make me feel anxious. But life got in the way and sadly I never went back. I went back to my awful solo dancing and started to doubt myself a little. Was this even real or achievable? Was I too grown up?

Then fast forward to 2024... and this happened.

After looking into and not starting at another potential dance school, in summer 2024 I contacted 2 organisations that I knew were local to me in Ipswich... maybe they might be able to help? One was a professional dance school, and the other was a charity that puts on weekly dance class style workshops as part of a creativity for mental health offer. These classes looked perfect to me, not to mention the fact they run on Wednesdays so I can attend and join in with my support worker, who doubles as a dance partner and second teacher too. The professional dance school never replied to my email. The charity did. They were very honest from the start about the fact that they had never taught anyone to dance blind before, but they didn't want to simply write it off. In July I had a call with the main tutor who runs the group to talk about how we might be able to make it as accessible and inclusive as possible, with a view to me trying out my first session when the term started in September. And on September 18, after trying out my first class, and after 2.5 years of wanting to find the right class for me, I finally decided to join the Moving Minds dance group, and haven't looked back since.

Moving Minds is a dance group that runs at DanceEast in Ipswich on Wednesday mornings. It is part of an offer of creative opportunities to improve mental health provided by an incredibly special charity called Inside Out Community. The class time is set aside from 10am to 12pm, but the class itself runs from 10.30-11.45: the time either side is to help people arrive, get settled, and socialise, for anyone who wants to. It is not a strict dance class... We are free to move however we feel able or want to, but we do work with light choreography, technique, themes, and even props and poetry. The classes are for adults and are disability inclusive to whatever needs you feel able to open up about. I go with my support worker who helps me look after my health, but also acts like a dance partner helping me with the moves that I can't see to copy. Classes follow a similar but slightly different structure depending on which of our 2 teachers leads them, which adds excitement and variety. Inside Out Community also don't want people to worry that they can't go to the classes because of money, so there is the option to give £5 per class with no pressure, or you can give the total for any classes you think you might be going to as one big bundle.

Classes are usually held in the wellbeing studio which is on the ground floor at DanceEast in Ipswich. DanceEast is an incredibly accessible venue with a welcoming atmosphere offset by calm music playing as you go in. It has a café with very friendly staff and of course very good food. The wellbeing studio itself has a great atmosphere and is a very special place to be. The dance floor is so firm and solid that I am growing in confidence navigating it independently which is something I never thought I would do in a group space.

If you or a disabled young person in your life think dancing might be a good way for them to express themselves but are unsure how it might work, I would say don't let that stop you, keep trying things until you find the right dance or movement that works for you. I believe that we can all dance before we are even born, and that creativity is the most inclusive skill that we all have. Moving Minds classes might be for adults, but they are safe spaces where you can just be yourself without worrying about age or ability, and that is all we can really ever ask for.

Carr Street

Cookie Barista (Microshops)

Based on Carr Street in Ipswich Town, Cookie Barista is the first of twenty-eight Microshops. The entrance is level, and everything is on one floor. There is a disabled toilet further into the building, so I recommend wandering around to figure out where everything is before getting comfortable.

I treat myself to Cookie Barista a couple of times a year. If you’re new to it, you’ll be surprised by the unexpected, quirky décor. The staff at Cookie Barista are welcoming and helpful, particularly if you struggle to carry hot beverages from the counter to your table.

As the name suggests, Cookie Barista brilliantly caters to those with a sweet tooth. The cookies are delicious and chunky and come in various flavours (my favourite is double chocolate). There are also savoury options like sausage rolls and cheese twists if that’s more to your taste. You can choose from all kinds of seasonal hot beverages, as well as different bubble teas. They are worth your money, and you’ll be full for the rest of the day!

Upper Brook Street

Geek Retreat

Since 2021, Geek Retreat has been a haven for everyone who loves the nerdy things in life. You’ll find it on Upper Brook Street in Ipswich, and you will feel welcome immediately. Depending on what time of day you visit, it can get a little noisy, but the shop is warm, and there are weekly community events for all ages.

The shop is warm, and there are weekly community events for all ages. Before this year, I never had the chance to play Dungeons and Dragons, but Geek Retreat hold campaigns, and it’s immersive and a fantastic opportunity to make new friends. The busy weekly event timetable changes regularly, so you can find out more from their website: https://www.ipswichgeek.com/

Alternatively, you can browse their stock – who knew there were so many different card games? – or play a board game and grab a bite and a milkshake. The menu is inspired by geeky references and vegan options are available. The chips are incredibly moreish, and I recommend the Hei Hei! That’s Mine chicken burger and Second Breakfast wrap. I swear, I must have been a Hobbit in another life!

There is a ramp to the entrance; though the door is a bit heavy to open, the staff are always quick to help. There is also a disabled toilet on the ground floor for customers. A room can be hired for events, but due to the building’s age, there is no lift. Nevertheless, the staff are accommodating and will help if you need a particular board game from upstairs.