Issue 11 acessible

Issue 11 accessible

The importance of pets

Our Special Friends helps people who are struggling at a difficult time in their lives, through the power of animal companionship.
Sally Bycroft, from the group, said: “Those of us who have a pet (or have had one in the past), know just how much they can help us to cope with the stresses and strains of life.”
The charity began by helping people facing the loss of their special animal friends and led to a range of animal companionship support services to enhance the health and welfare of people and animals in need and at risk, working collaboratively with other service providers.
Sally said: “We understand how much a relationship with a pet can help to soothe feelings of anxiety, ignite memories of happy times with a pet and offer comfort when things just get a bit overwhelming.”
The charity is currently based in West Suffolk and offers services to the local community, but it is growing and the ambition is to have a community centre where people can come with their pets to seek advice and get the help they need.
People with a love of animals but who do not have a pet can come too.
See more at www.ourspecialfriends.org
More about Our Special Friends in the next issue
The first research on pets and mental health was published 30 years ago. Psychologist Alan Beck, of Purdue University, and psychiatrist Aaron Katcher, of the University of Pennsylvania, measured what happens to the body when a person pets a friendly dog. Here’s what they found:
Blood pressure went down
Heart rate slowed
Breathing became more regular
Muscle tension relaxed
These are all signs of reduced stress and evidence of the mental health benefits of having a pet.

All about Ollie
A tilt of the head to let me know that he is listening to my every word, the wag of a tail to say yes to another treat and the howl to show his excitement of going for a walk. All this pleasure wrapped up in this black and white bundle of fun, who brings me so much pleasure and makes me smile every
day.
George (Dereham)

Let’s meet

Julie Evans, Carers Lead, Suffolk Central ID, Haymills House
First record bought: The Cure, 17 seconds
Fave food: Poached egg on thick granary toast.
About yourself or your role:
I am the carers lead for Central IDT Suffolk. My passion in life is supporting people. I have been a family carer myself and know that information is vital to the ongoing support to any unpaid carer
In my family life I love dogs. Our family currently has six. Our latest two are rescues which have come all the way from Greece through the Greek animal rescue team to be with us. They are wonderful to have around the home.
I have a passion for the outdoors and love spending time walking in the forest with my ever-increasing pack of dogs.

A big thank you

Norfolk County Council, in partnership with Caring Together and Carers Voice, has put together a carers’ wellbeing pack.
Alongside some PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and some information to support carers, the pack also contains some ‘pick-me-up’ items for carers to enjoy – chocolate, sweets, bubble bath, a bag, tea, coffee, biscuits.
To request a free pack, email your contact details to:
CarersQAservice@nsft.nhs.uk
There is a limited amount of packs, so it’s a case of first come, first served.

Something new

Carers visited the Tower Street printmaking studio in Ipswich of Oyster Community Press CIC to learn printmaking for their health and wellbeing.
Funding from the Suffolk Carers Fund meant there were free courses for up to 25 family carers especially affected by the coronavirus.
A professionally-curated exhibition of the work they have created will be held at The Whistler Gallery in the DanceEast building in July.

Help us make the right choice

We are committed to having a service user or carer/supporter on all interview panels.
Training is provided to help you understand what is involved. It is currently online but plans for face-to-face training as COVID restrictions ease.
Training dates are:
11 June   1-3.30pm
23 June   10am-12.30pm
8 July   10am-12.30pm
30 July   2-4.30pm
This is a paid role and expenses can be claimed. Contact Gary Walker, PPL, on 07785 692926 or email
gary.walker@nsft.nhs.uk