Monday 5th August 2019 - New week - new opportunities

Posted 3:15pm

We have built up a lot of contacts, and have had people alongside us for over two years. One of the biggest gripes is that "life is hard", and yes it is. It is something we recognise ourselves that we have gone through and experienced. I call it my self pity moments.

It is one of the hardest things to overcome if you have gone through depression, anxiety or stress. Whatever has caused your mental health episodes is really important to you. It is hard to explain to some people just how tough it can be. But, and here is the crux, we have to find a way to move forward, and not get stuck in the mud. Finding confidence in a dark place is very hard.

For HMHB, yet again money is a question. We are delighted to have been awarded just under £900 from the Local Initiative Fund in July, as well as collect a cheque for just under £900 from Open Destinations in Islington as sponsorship. But attending the Job Centre this morning, as I have to do as I am currently receiving Universal Credit, the emphasis is back in my court to find salary funding. And this is the bane of my life. Naturally we are keeping everything crossed with our lottery bid for a year of seed funding, but if successful that will not arrive till the end of the year.

So I have started on a couple of funding applications, and really want to try and get off around seven or eight this month. Anything would be great of course.

This links back to the start of this entry - where I talk about our service users stressing how hard life is. But how hard are people really trying to get out of the hole they are in. Not for one moment would I belittle anyone with their mental health situation. There is fantastic counselling out there, and I really hope everyone manages to get suitable and relevant intervention. Ultimately though, it is up to us as individuals to come out fighting, push the problems away, and re-enter life with gusto. Easy words maybe, but it is the only way to live and prosper. No point looking at the problem and moaning. It solves nothing. We need to look at the problem and start working out how to overcome the challenge. It's what we have to do with funding. And it is what we all have to do in life.