Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) is delighted to announce the launch of the LPT Yellow Book – a pioneering yellow bound book full of signposting and advice around mental wellbeing support. It features a collection of 30 stunning poems, art and photography which won our ‘I feel better when’ competition earlier this year across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The winning contributions were selected from over 300 entries to feature in the book. The selected artists, poets and photographers were presented with their own hard back copies and a music CD based on a winning poem, at a special awards ceremony at New Walk Museum on Wednesday 5 July. Their work was exhibited as part of the prestigious event.
There will be 10,000 free copies of the LPT Yellow Book, promoting support for mental wellbeing, distributed across local NHS and mental health support groups, as well as local authorities, museums, cafes, and other public places.
The project is a unique collaboration with mental health arts company rethinkyourmind, co-founded by Peter Hirst, lead singer of local band Refuge. He
created the Yellow Book following his own experience of mental illness, with the aim of producing something that would support people with their wellbeing and recovery.
Dr Peter Miller, chief executive of LPT, who was one of the judges, said: “Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is proud to have worked with rethinkyourmind to develop the first NHS Yellow Book, as an important way of raising the profile of positive mental health to local people.
“I hope that this book will inspire hundreds of people to express themselves, to talk openly about mental health, and to support the wellbeing of others. I am sure that the legacy of the LPT Yellow Book will continue for years to come. The standard of entries was fantastic and I congratulate all those who have been selected as winners to feature in the book.”
Peter Hirst, said: “We are delighted to create the first personalised NHS Yellow Book with LPT. It has been great to work with the Trust that supported me with my mental health. I spent 11 months in hospital at the Bradgate unit over three years in my early 20s. Many of the practices that feature in this book have helped maintain my wellbeing. Coupled with the medical support I got from the Trust, the magic began to happen for me!”
Details of all winners and their winning entries can be found here: https://rethinkyourmind.co.uk/the-lpt-yellow-book-2017/
Please email communications@leicspart.nhs.uk if you’d like copies of the Yellow Book.
Alongside the LPT Yellow Book, a winning poem entitled “Out of the Blue” by Steve Walton, has been turned into a music single performed by Refuge. It is hoped that the single will inspire people to talk about mental health and promote positive wellbeing.
The music single can be viewed on LPT’s youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_bhLFUj-TE&feature=youtu.be and downloaded fromAmazonhere: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071L71T4Q.
On having his poem chosen to be the lyrics for the song, Steve Walton, from Scraptoft said: “It feels pretty special. I really believe that the Yellow Book – this book of sunshine – has a role to play in the recovery journey. It’s a wonderfully useful piece of kit in the toolbox to recovery. I am really proud that LPT, my local mental health care Trust, are playing such a pioneering role with this Yellow Book and really hope it inspires other health care Trusts
to follow in their footsteps.”
In turn, on having her photograph used for the music single front cover, Joy Gravestock, from Packington, said: “I’m over the moon. The photograph is of my garden, a place of huge
solace and restoration for me, and vital to my mental wellbeing, as I have a history of depression and anorexia. I hope that the wonder I experience in the beauty of photograph is translated to those who will use the books and hear the CD.”
Likewise, Siyuan Ren, from Glenfield, talks about her painting that has been selected for the back cover: “I’m thrilled! My day job requires me to travel all over the world, and I am only calm when I paint. It’s my way to meditate. I truly believe that art and poetry can help with mental health.”