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Wednesday 10th October was World Mental Health Day. The subject of mental health is of huge importance to me and something which I have begun to explore through my photographic work. In our stressful lives, it is easy to isolate ourselves in an attempt to protect us from the fears and anxieties we experience; but this coping mechanism can often be counter productive. My Dad is in the process of creating a 'Men's Shed' space for people who may wish to find purpose or companionship, to come together in shared endeavour to create things, make friendships and generally support each other. Part of the process involved in creating this space is to convert a section of his barn into a workshop, for which he needed to concrete the floor. Concrete is strong, secure, unfaltering, tough; some of the things that we may strive to be to cope with everyday pressures. However, the best way to make concrete, it seems is with planning, support, effort and time. This weekend, my Dad organised a work party of friends and family to help to concrete the barn floor. He had the right materials, he set time aside to concentrate on the job and then enlisted some much needed support. With a promise of bacon rolls and strong tea, the willing workers set about the tasks they were given with positive energy and smiles on their faces. Together, they communicated, laboured, mixed, poured and shaped the fluid concrete, leaving behind a smooth and settled expanse (and a few biscuit crumbs). So, the little message for us all: We may not always feel it, but we all have the ability to find strength inside us. We just might need to make the time and ask for support for it to become concrete. For support or information about mental health visit https://www.mind.org.uk UK Mens Sheds Association are the support body for Men's Sheds across the UK. Men’s Sheds (or Sheds) are similar to garden sheds – a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending. The difference is that garden sheds and their activities are often solitary in nature while Men’s Sheds are the opposite. They’re about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge, and of course a lot of laughter.
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Panorama, tonight on BBC1 @8.30pm meets families who spend their lives caring for children with complex disabilities. The Wright family, whom I have been following for the last 9 months, is a family who deal with these issues every day and struggle with limited resources to provide the everyday care and experiences we all take for granted. Last week I was able to accompany the family on a camping trip in the woods and I was completely in awe of the organisation, team work and commitment I observed to make a trip such as this possible. I personally find the planning and packing for such a weekend taxing enough with two young children of my own but to be able to plan for and achieve such a task with an additional child with severe complex needs who requires 24 hour care is unimaginable. Sleeping, feeding, changing, medication, washing, access are just a few of the things to be considered and the extra equipment to make it possible must have made a list as long as the motorway we journeyed on to get there. When looking at these images and on watching the Panorama programme, perhaps we might all think about the unexpected impact on their lives when their children were born and consider the support needed to make these and other such simple and valuable family experiences possible for them. It was incredible to shortlisted by FotoDocument for the Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Award in association with Olympus.
For those that are not already aware, I wanted to show in more detail the project I have been working and the incredibly important issues it raises. Mr Wright started out as a project of personal discovery and quickly became a photo essay, documenting the joys and struggles of a family with a child who has severe and life limiting disability. When planning my project I was very lucky to make contact with Rachel Wright who writes, speaks and trains professionals who care for children with disabilities. As a nurse, she has a wealth of knowledge and as a mother of a child born with severe cerebral palsy, a wealth of experience. The incredible Wright family took the difficult decision to openly allow me to observe their intimate daily life and show with great honesty how unexpectedly different life is for them and many families like them. I am continuing to document the unimaginable 24 hourly challenges they face every day which are becoming frighteningly more substantial due to declining services and funding for support. My project has also brought me into contact with the Disabled Children's Partnership (DCP) who are a coalition of charities who support families such as the Wrights and I hope that my images will inspire you to support their campaign; The secret life of us. Some images from the shortlisted photo essay, Mr Wright: |
CapturingEvie
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