Today we are joining over 30 other mental health organisations from Newcastle and Gateshead at a Mental Health Marketplace at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum.
This is a free event, open 10.00am until 3.00pm for anybody who is interested in learning more about mental health, including members of the public, mental health service users, carers, referrers, and other service providers.
The marketplace has been coordinated by the Voluntary Sector Advisory Group (VOLSAG), which is a network of more than 30 mental health organisations, including small local voluntary organisations and large national charities, which support adults in Newcastle and Gateshead who are experiencing mental health issues.
Each participating organisation will have a stand giving information about their services, with a selection giving tabletop presentations and Q&A sessions during the day. There will also be creative activities to get involved in, including print-making and exploring the world’s only Periodic Table of the Emotions, developed by Aidan Moesby. The Discovery Museum will be giving special guided tours of the museum’s collections, with opportunities to discover some of its artefacts.
Food will be provided at a pop-up café, which will serve bacon rolls and Danish pastries in the morning, sandwiches or soup for lunch and cake and scones in the afternoon. All visitors will be given a free food voucher to use for a meal at the café. Tea, coffee, and biscuits will also be available throughout the day.
The marketplace is an opportunity to meet the mental health charities and voluntary organisations supporting people in Newcastle and Gateshead, to meet the staff and find out about the services they provide.
The member organisations of VOLSAG provide a wide range of mental health services, which include advice, advocacy, information, support and personal development, growth and recovery, as well as practical resources such as housing, volunteering, and work-related activities. Some of these organisations are led by people who have experienced mental health problems themselves.