Category: News

Members gathered at The Charterhouse in central London on 21st May 2022, for a day-long conference exploring questions of diversity and inclusion in relation to faith and mental health.

The event also included Being Alongside’s ‘Annual General Meeting’ – though in fact, the Charity Commission had approved the organisation’s change of legal status to a Charity Incorporated Organisation just days before, which means only the trustees need to attend and vote at these formal meetings in future.

Our two guest speakers stimulated much thought and discussion with their talks about the Church’s relationship with two broad groups of identity: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities; and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Continue reading “Being Alongside Everyone: conference report and ‘AGM’”

Saturday 21st May 2022
11am to 3pm
The Charterhouse, Barbican, London EC1M 6AN

With the theme of “Being Alongside Everyone”, our Spring conference on will explore the relationship between mental health and spirituality, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

It will be an opportunity to discuss how faith groups can support the mental health of individuals from traditionally marginalised groups.

Speakers include:

• Canon Ann Clarke, Preacher at the Charterhouse, London
• Revd Joseph Fernandes, Lead Chaplain for Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller Communities, London Diocese

The conference will be following by our Annual General Meeting (starting at 2.15pm).

Refreshments provided. Sandwich lunch available (donation requested).

This event is free to attend and open to all.

To book your place please contact Lucy Roose, charity administrator, via admin@beingalongside.org.uk or 07496 909828

We are distributing a new leaflet to places of worship throughout the country.

The leaflet introduces people to Being Alongside, summarises our aims, and provides tips on what individuals and community and faith leaders can do to support people living with mental health distress.

We are very grateful to Sophie Coleman and Matthew Ingram for kindly allowing us to use their wonderful artwork.

Members gathered online and in-person for a special day conference on Saturday 15 January 2022, exploring the relationship between anxiety, depression and spirituality.

Contributors covered topics ranging from the place of faith in the treatment of those with mental health difficulties, to what the Bible tells us about Jesus’ approach to healing. Group discussion and reflection followed each talk.

The event was hosted in the beautiful, peaceful sorroundings of the Charterhouse in central London. As well as chance to consider our theme of helping those experiencing anxiety, the event gave members an opportunity to meet informally – for the first time in many months.

You can listen back to the addresses given by our three guest speakers below.

Continue reading “Being Alongside the Anxious: conference report”

Members of Being Alongside/APCMH (those who are full subscribers and have signed up to a £1 liability should the registered company cease to exist) have been invited to an Extraordinary General Meeting taking place on Zoom on Saturday 8 January 2022 at 2.00pm.

Continue reading “BA members to discuss change to legal structure”

PROPOSED CONSTITUTION

To be considered at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of The Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health to be held via Zoom on Saturday 8th January 2022 at 2pm

Continue reading “Proposed Constitution for consideration at EGM on 8 January 2022”

We would like to invite members and supporters to a conference we are holding with the theme of “Being Alongside the Anxious”.

It will take place in the learning centre at The Charterhouse in the City of London, five minutes’ walk from Farringdon underground station.

Speakers will include Philip Bacon, an expert on the effects of mental health on families, and Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford.

To book your free place, please email ajpsummers@gmail.com

No less a star than Britney Spears graces the cover of our Winter 2021/22 magazine. Download it and turn to page 11 to find out why!

We also feature important news about our plans to modernise our charity structure; appreciations of three wonderful people from the Being Alongside family who have recently stepped down from their roles; a plea for openness and transparency about suicidal ideation; reflections on A Garden in Darkness (paintings by Michael Cook and poems by Rosalind O’Media.

We are also honoured to have been permitted to re-publish the brave testimonies of two women who experienced abuse at L’Arche, for which we thank the victim support organisation AVREF.

Last but not least, the back cover is an invitation for all friends and supporters of Being Alongside to come along to our conference on 15th January 2022.

A tribute to Pam Freeman, by Jamie Summers

At the April AGM, after some 35 years of active involvement in our little charity, Pam felt it was time to step down as Co-ordinator and Trustee. Already she is much missed.

I have only known Pam for 26 years, starting my connection at the September 1995 AGM when we were the Association for the Pastoral Care of the Mentally Ill. There was an inspiring seminar that November when the triumvirate of Pam, Jeremy Boutwood and John Vallat spoke of their lives at the Guild of Health offices in Queen Anne Street. Indeed, Pam was also a Trustee of the Guild of Health and we later shared their offices with them. It was then that I became entwined with the aims and ethos of APCMI. At the Hammersmith & Fulham MIND’s Consumer Forum Sunday gathering, Jeremy and Pam came to speak to us on 25^th February 1996 – I was the development worker for this ‘user group’ and vividly recall Pam telling us how she found God in a field of wild flowers.

Continue reading “Thank you Pam!”