As part of the GHA’s initiatives to celebrate World Mental Health Day which is held on the 10th October, the GHA’s Mental Health Services are leading an awareness day, which is scheduled to take place at Midtown Park tomorrow Friday 8th October.

The awareness day will be opened at 11am by the Minister for Health, Samantha Sacramento and Dr Ashim Bettadapura, GHA Consultant Psychiatrist and will begin with a performance by the Gibraltar Band and Drums and there are various activities that will follow throughout the day.

These activities are as follows:

- Move 4 your Mind – with Lee Desoiza, strength & conditioning coach from The Strength Factory.

- Express & Decompress – with Maries Fox, Art Therapist from (MBS) Wellbeing Gibraltar.

- Yoga & Relaxation – with Yoga tutors Susan Jane Alman, Preesha Budhrani & Jasmine Chesney yoga helper from (MBS) Wellbeing Gibraltar.

The event is open to the public from 11am to 2pm and aims to assist to raise awareness of how everyone can all build mental health resilience, wellbeing and break through the stigma of having mental health needs.

Arts and crafts supplies for the art therapy session for have been kindly donated by the Beacon Press.
Finally, on the evening of the 10th October the Moorish Castle will be lit with the image of the “Talking Head”, the logo that has been adopted by the Ministry for Health in its National Mental Health Strategy and the symbol that is being widely used throughout the GHA’s mental health services to promote mental health. It was taken to symbolise talking about mental health to reduce stigma and listening and learning as the cornerstones of the mental health strategy and continuous improvement of the services.

The Minister for Health and Care, Samantha Sacramento, said: ‘There have been many changes in the mental health services in the last six months, and most certainly since the launch of the national mental health strategy. I can see the GHA’s mental health teams invigorated and motivated. The event that has been organised by the GHA’s mental health services tomorrow
represents quite a landmark moment. It shows how as a service, there is a shift on the focus from mental illness, to more of an emphasis to mental wellness. The event that they have organised is about showing the public how to develop a healthy mind, though exercise and other coping mechanisms and there will be examples demonstrated tomorrow by individuals and organisations all of whom have volunteered their time to support the event and our community.

“Tomorrow promises to be an interesting event and I strongly encourage the public to support it by attending. I would like to extend my gratitude to the whole team at the GHA’s mental health services whose hard work has made this possible and is a testament to their dedication in developing the service and I am also grateful to those who have given up their time to contribute to the sessions.”