We are hosting a week of events this June to challenge stigma, share lived experience, and introduce new ways to connect with the past, the community, and the realities of living with mental illness today. The series will run during the week beginning 23rd of June and includes a public talk, the launch of a bipolar support group, and an open day for a new heritage based mental illness project.
“We wanted to create a space for honest conversation that highlights the strength, wisdom, complexity, and humanity of people living with mental illness”.
Event Line-Up:
- Monday 23rd of June 18:30-20:00 – Light in the Dark: A Conversation on Mental Illness, Hope, and Recovery. Canon Conor, a respected community leader and mental health advocate, who lives with bipolar disorder will speak openly about his experiences of suicidal thoughts and the devastating loss of three family members to suicide. He has faced some of the toughest challenges life can bring, and he shares his story with rare honesty, compassion, and insight. His message is one of recovery, truth, and the belief that mental illness should never mean silence or shame. Free ticked event, book on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1405623119589?aff=oddtdtcreator
- Tuesday 24th of June 18:30-20:00 – Launch of Jersey’s Bipolar Support Group. This new group has been co-developed by people with lived experience of bipolar disorder and offers a safe, welcoming space for islanders to connect, share, and support one another. It will run on the 4th Tuesday of every month.
- Friday 27th of June 10.30-11.30 – Change Minds Open hour. This open event invites islanders to learn more about Change Minds, a new partnership project from Focus on Mental Illness and Jersey Heritage, launching this September. Change Minds is a unique 12-week project for adults (18+) living with mental illness. Through history, creativity, and connection, participants will explore real-life stories from St. Saviour’s Hospital archives.
All events are free and open to people with lived experience of mental illness, their families and carers, mental health professionals, and members of the public interested in learning more — except for the bipolar support group, which is specifically for those living with bipolar disorder.
Contact: Email info@focusmi.org or call Liz Kendrick-Lodge, 07797711900 or Stephen McCrimmon, 0779771900,
