Together As One

The Together As One (TAO) group was formed in early 2010 and holds drop-in sessions, currently 2 days per week, where affordable social and leisure time activities take place such as table tennis, darts, board games and a book club. Core activities are free whilst other optional activities are free or low cost.

The benefits of these sessions are:

• They reduce isolation and promote social inclusion by providing opportunity for service users to meet new people in a safe and friendly environment, and to develop their peer support networks and friendships.
• They improve the quality of life of service users, who are frequently excluded from social and leisure activities through a combination of low income and the social stigma that attaches to mental health.

Within the drop-in sessions, TAO provides educational and self-help activities (led by service users where possible), such as art classes, cookery lessons, de-cluttering support and talks e.g. on Direct Payments. As well as these, service users are encouraged to cook for each other, shop for group meals and clear up.

The benefits of these activities are:

• They promote self-reliance
• They increase self-confidence and esteem
• They increase general life-skills, including coping skills

As a result, they also empower people to take a more active part in the community. In addition, TAO further empowers and enables service users to take a more active part in the community by:

• Moving beyond the drop-in environment to visit local attractions as a group e.g. Barnes Wetlands, the cinema and the circus.
• Providing advocacy via a trained volunteer (we are fortunate to have a service user who is trained) to enable people to access services as required.
• Providing free, recycled computer equipment to promote I.T. awareness for work and social benefits.
• Encouraging service users to represent the group externally e.g. at a recent Rotary Club dinner.
• Taking part in community events e.g. performing a sketch, working with United Reformed Church members in a service to celebrate World Mental Health Day.
• Leading community events e.g. TAO produced a play at the end of last year.

As a predominantly self-help group, TAO further fosters self-confidence, self-esteem and empowerment through service-users forming the majority (7 out of 9) of the trustees, and hence taking an active part in meetings and decision-making. TAO believes that all these activities can help reduce the occurrences of mental ill-health and of relapses: this is not only of benefit to the service users but also: for the public in terms of reduced anti-social behaviour; for the NHS in terms of reduced dependency and fewer relapses; for the state in terms of reduced dependency. TAO is a new group and will constantly seek to expand activities in line with members' wishes and needs.

TAO meets at Twickenham URC every Monday and Thursday from 11am - 4.30 pm. Membership is free, and anyone who feels that they might benefit is very welcome. Just come along, or for further information please contact Carol Ajegbo on 020 8892 3241, ca...@hotmail.co.uk.

Click on the image to the right to download a poster.