Mary Frances Trust

The Mary Frances Trust (MFT) is a local mental health and emotional wellbeing charity for adults in Surrey who provide person-centred services.

During the Covid-19 pandemic this important local charity ran a series of radio shows throughout 2021 to support vulnerable adults who were experiencing any mental or emotional health issues. Providing this information in an accessible audio format proved to be a powerful method of communication to people they may not have reached through their traditional methods.

The Wellbeing Hour featured MFT clients, staff and facilitators with guests focussing on thought-provoking discussions about mental health and emotional wellbeing, from the perspective of people with lived experience. 

The show covers a wide range of topics and gives clear and helpful advice to listeners. Please find below a summary of previous shows with a link to the show recording:

 

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Show 1

• What activities the Mary Frances Trust runs and the calendar of upcoming events 
• Information about Safe Havens who provide out of hours help and support to people & carers
• Engaging with the Men of Surrey and the importance of their mental wellbeing, Men’s Minds Matter
• Interviews with individuals with stories about relocation to support mental health, managing emotions and looking at different ways to be creative – including adding colours, shapes & pictures to your daily journal as a way of accessing your creative side

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Show 2

• “New Year, Know You”, meditation facilitator Litsa looks at ways of getting to know yourself better by trying new things.
• Meeting some of the instructors, Anna (Happy Head Yoga & Coaching) and Jayne (Jayne’s Zumba & Fitness), who talked about the benefits of physical activity.
• Getting involved in arts & crafts – even if you’re not crafty and unlocking your inner creativity. 
• A delightful song on the treble recorder by MFT client Rebecca!  
• Meditation and sound healing session from Litsa and Alysson

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Show 3

• The “Power of Words” and how they impact our mental health
• Time to Talk Day (4th February 2021)
• Michele, the MFT Creative Writing Tutor, explains how writing can transform our emotions, internal language and how we talk to ourselves
• Why not try the creative writing task – writing poetry using your voice and own choice of words
• Suzie from the Women’s Group, was interviewed about the power of positive affirmations
• Children’s Mental Health Week (1st-7th February 2021) – how to find help for a young person needing support
• 5 minute breathing space exercise with Litsa to reflect and pause

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Show 4

• Your questions posed to Kathryn Harriss, a BACP Accredited counsellor, on the theme of supporting parents & carers in lockdown
• The MFT Book Club marks World Book Day (4th March) with a review of ‘Anne of Green Gables’
• Laurence and Chris, two male clients of MFT, open up about their experience of being bipolar, how they manage their condition as part of Bipolar Day (30th March)
• Poems submitted by listeners in response to Michele’s creative writing are read out on air!

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Show 5

• Speaking with Enya, MFT’s Peer Support worker, about the launch of the Service User Network (SUN) which aims to help people with complex emotions often associated with personality disorder
• Elena shares her story of how her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder helped her to understand herself better, her passion for mental health activism and first impressions of SUN
• As part of Stress Awareness Month, Angie Muscio, a wellbeing facilitator, looks at what stress is and how to know when it is affecting our lives
• Clients from MFT then share their experiences of stress and how they stay calm
• Taryn and Litsa finish this episode off with a fun creative activity you can try at home