NEWSLETTER April 2008

MEETINGS: Please note details of the forthcoming Friends of FOCUS meetings:

Tuesday 13th May:    Dr. Margaret Bayes has kindly agreed to give a talk about the work of the Jersey Association of Carers and to take questions from the floor. The meeting will begin as usual at 7.30pm and the talk will be given at 8pm. 

Tuesday 10th June:  the meeting will take place at the Organic Farm Project, Les Bourgeons, Les Petites Rues, St. Lawrence E3 1FD. Mr. Peter Le Feuvre who runs the project has kindly agreed to show Members around the farm and talk about the work undertaken by the 30 service users who attend weekly. The meeting will begin at 7pm to take advantage of the light and everyone is most welcome to attend. Peter has asked us to let him know the number of people who will be attending so if you are joining us please let Anton Skinner on telephone number 851124 or via email: antonskinner@googlemail.com. We will have tea/coffee and biscuits after the tour of the farm. 

Tuesday 8th July: Jim Hollywood, Consultant Psychologist will be giving a talk and welcoming questions from the floor. Please note that the meetings on the 13th May and the 8th July will both take place at the usual location of the Poplars Day Centre at the normal time of 7.30pm and that everyone is most welcome to attend.

Events to note in the DIARY: a further reminder to Members of the following forthcoming events: 

• Itex Walk on the 21st June 2008. We are still looking for volunteers to help man the FOCUS checkpoint, which is likely to be at Greve de Lecq. Anyone able to help out is asked to contact me either on email: antonskinner@googlemail.com or tel:851124.
  
  
• Flag Day: please note that the FOCUS Flag Day is on the 21^st June 2008 and if you are able to help out on that day please contact Maureen on the numbers given above.
  
  
• An event later in the year: on September 13^th there will be a piano recital by Edward Bailhache, sponsored by BakerPlatt, taking place at the Arts Centre with proceeds going to Focus. Tickets will be available at the Arts Centre nearer the time.
  

NEWS AND UPDATES:

• CAMELOT: Volunteers from the St. Helier and St.Saviour Flowers in Bloom, in their first ever joint venture, recently gave our gardens at Camelot a major facelift! Among the work undertaken was the planting of vegetables and a herb garden in the back garden, climbing plants such as honeysuckle around the pagoda and the sprucing up the front and rear borders with flowering plants. Our grateful thanks go to both Parishes Flowers in Bloom volunteers and indeed to our residents who helped with the task.
  
  
• Nearly New SHOP: Zillah reports that we have now got one or two new volunteers to help us out at the Nearly New Shop although she would still like to hear from anyone willing to give up a few hours to help cover our opening hours. We are also very grateful to Eddie who lives in one of the flats attached to the Shop who has over recent months volunteered to paint most of the shop inside and out including the back yard. It really has been a tremendous effort by Eddie for which we are extremely grateful.
  
  
• education RESOURCE: I am very pleased to report that the resource which we trialled successfully last year at Le Rocquier School has now been packaged and distributed to all secondary schools in the Island as a teaching resource. Once again our thanks to the three service users who so kindly agreed to share their experiences and their treatment on audio-tape as part of the teaching resource.
  
  
• Partnership PROJECT: Due to illness we have had to slip the start time for this project but in the interim this allows us to extend the closure date for those wishing to apply to join the programme team. If you are a service user or service provider interested in joining the team please contact me on either telephone 851124 or email: antonskinner@googlemail.com.
  
  
• LOGO: The Committee would like to develop a logo for the charity and, through the Education Service, arts departments at our secondary schools are to be invited to submit possible designs. Any Member of the Charity who would like to submit a design for consideration is invited to contact me at the numbers/email addresses given just above.
  
  
• THANKS: our special thanks go to the St. Martins Fireworks Committee which has donated a further £7,000 towards the costs of redecorating Camelot. This is in addition to their generous donation of £5,000 last year for the same cause.
  

Our thanks also go to Maureen Le Brun whose very successful Tea Party at St. Lawrence Parish Hall, attended by over 80 people, raised the sum of £762.77 for the Charity.

Treasurer’s REPORT:

Donations received this month are as follows: £2472.00 from Toc H Jersey Charitable Trust for the cost of the carpets and curtains at the newly refurbished Camelot, £500 from Dominion Corporate Services Ltd, £762.77 from the Tea Party at St Lawrence Parish Hall held by Maureen Le Brun and £7000 from St Martins Fireworks Committee.

Thank you so much for all these donations and also a thank you goes out to all the volunteers at the Nearly New Shop for your hard work. We’ve had some really good few weeks of shop takings, well done!!

Can smoking affect mental health ?

Smoking does not just affect physical health. Studies have shown that daily smokingcan make you more likely to experience further episodes of depression and anxiety.

Although smokers generally say they feel more relaxed and less stressed after a cigarette it is this temporary relief that is the problem.

The only time a smoker’s stress and mood levels are similar to that of a non smoker’s is just after smoking a cigarette. At any other time smoker’s stress levels are much higher, probably due to the effects of nicotine leaving the system. This creates a ’yo-yo’ effect on mood which can negatively affect long term mental health.

The only way to escape this vicious circle is to quit smoking and to allow your mood to stabilise. Studies show that smoker’s report that anxiety and stress levels fall significantly after quitting.

Can stopping smoking have a negative impact on mental health?

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and when you stop smoking you may experience withdrawal symptoms including low mood, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, restlessness and sleep disturbance. Not everyone experiences such symptoms and they usually last only about 2 – 4 weeks.

If you experience mental health problems it is important to be aware of these possible withdrawal symptoms and to let your doctor or health professional know you are trying to quit so you can both monitor any changes in your mood or how you feel .It is important to remember the significant benefits of stopping smoking compared to the serious dangers of continuing to smoke. Smoking is not an effective way to keep your mental health stable.

Should I be concerned about stopping smoking if I am taking medication?

Smoking can speed up the metabolism of some drugs. If you are currently prescribed medication it is again advisable to discuss with your doctor your intention to stop smoking. In some cases he/she may alter the dosage of your medication.This is particularly important if you are prescribed the drug Clozaril (Clozapine).

If you are prescribed Clozaril (Clozapine) and plan to stop smoking

Clozapine is a medication that can be used for the treatment of Schizophrenia. If you are prescribed this drug it is essential that you discuss with your doctor or mental health nurse your intention to stop smoking or to cut down as smoking can have an effect on the amount of Clozapine you need to stay well.

Stopping smoking can sometimes increase the amount of Clozapine in your body which can lead to more side effects from your medication than usual.

If you stop smoking you may need less Clozapine to stay well.

So if you are thinking of stopping or cutting down it is important that you let your nurse or Doctor know. They will arrange for you to have a blood test to check your Clozapine levels and to continue to monitor your treatment while you are cutting down or giving up to make sure you have the right dose. It is just as important that you tell your nurse or Doctor if you start smoking again as this can also affect your dose.

For free confidential help to stop smoking contact Help2Quit on 0800 735 1155

Or visit the website at www.health.gov.je.