Welcome to our August Newsletter!
In this month's edition, we are sharing our recent reports, upcoming events and introducing a new member of staff!
August was a busy month, with the release of our report 'Behind the Addiction' and the promotion of a report commissioned by Hospice at Home.
We even went to Whitehaven Pride!
Read my story... join us on 6th September at People First 10am-12pm
Behind the addiction: a report that tells the story of addiction from the point of view of those affected by it.
For those who weren't able to attend the Try Dry July event last month, we would love to invite you to the People First Conference Centre on 6th September 10am-12pm for a Listening Café takeover! We will be displaying storyboards with extracts from our Addictions report, as told by the project's participants. Come and have a brew, a browse and a chat with us about your own experiences.
Our Addictions project concluded in a report, 'Behind the Addiction', which features case studies from 29 brave people who opened up to Healthwatch about their personal experiences of living with addiction, living in recovery, and being affected by someone else's addiction. There will be a printed copy of the report available.
If you don't have time to visit us, we encourage you to grab a cuppa and have a read through our report in your own time, so that we can break the stigma around addiction together. Click here to read the report.
Hospice at Home report
We recently completed a report commissioned by Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland.
Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/HHCNL-report
Spotlight: New staff member Suzannah
New member of staff Suzannah has shared her experience of working for Healthwatch Cumberland so far.
Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/introducing-Suzannah
Upcoming project: Menopause and Mental Health
There's no such thing as a silly question about menopause!
Healthwatch Cumberland recently asked women about what they would like us to focus on during our upcoming project on women's health.
The feedback we received showed many people felt there are gaps in knowledge surrounding menopause and its effect on mental health.
As a result, our project will be focusing on menopause and mental health.
Throughout this project, Healthwatch are partnering with menopause experts to answer your questions and help everyone feel more comfortable talking about it. We will be holding events and providing you with lots of information in the coming weeks - keep an eye on our socials!
Menopause is still seen as a taboo topic, and we would like to provide a safe space for you to ask any questions you have, no matter how silly they feel!
We're inviting everyone regardless of gender, age or stage of life, to ask 3 questions you would like answers to regarding menopause. Please take some time to fill in our survey by clicking the box below, or following the link here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ask-questions-about-menopause/