Valuing your own health and wellbeing: how your values, or compromising, them impact on both your own and others mental health.

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Next month the 10 October marks International Mental Health day, the following month the volunteer support team will also be exploring supporting volunteers with their mental health, at our volunteer coordinators network meeting. Mental health and wellbeing are closely linked, and thankfully our understanding of the importance of good mental health and wellbeing and the conversations around both are growing; but with so much information it can be difficult to pick out what is meaningful or useful for you to use as a support tool in your specific circumstances; whether at a personal level or supporting staff and volunteers.

Earlier in the summer Jenni-Kate a Therapeutic Coach and Change Worker at JK Changework, delivered a training session for Community First Yorkshire on Workplace Wellbeing. In the session we explored our own values and how identifying and considering how well we are meeting these values impacts on our own wellbeing and then by extension the wellbeing of those around us. Whilst this approach may not work for everyone it is something that could be used with staff and volunteers to frame conversations around wellbeing, and support both them and you to identify what is important to them.

What are values?

We were asked to spend 10 minutes thinking about and writing down our top ten values in relation to our work or volunteering. A value is a rule or something that needs to be in place that we attach importance to. One obvious example for the majority of people who work is earning a salary that allows you to live comfortably. This is not a value that would apply to volunteering, you can expect to find values like making a difference or supporting a cause I feel passionate about more important to a volunteer. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, given the sector we work in, the values around our time and the impact this time can have on our communities was also a common value amongst workers.

As an example here are my ten values, they are not in any particular order but if you do feel strongly or know that a particular value carries extra importance, you could list them in order of importance. This list is not set or final and as I change, my work changes, and the circumstances around me change, the list will change.

  • My work is time-bound, with clear separation of home life and work life
  • I want my work to be worthwhile (organisation I work for)
  • I know I’m making a difference (work I do at a personal level)
  • Being social, meeting and talking to people as part of my work is important to me
  • I like my work to be varied, I get bored easily
  • I need a planned or organised approach to work, not just me but the organisation I work for as well
  • I have the flexibility to work how I want, not just time but methods etc.
  • I have ownership of my work
  • I earn a salary that reflects the work I do
  • I need a dedicated, quiet and light space to work free of clutter

How can I use my values to support wellbeing?

In the second half of the exercise we were encouraged to discuss 3 of our values with a partner, either the most important values or perhaps the ones that we know are not being met at the moment. If you are not meeting one or more of your values, then there will be an impact on your overall wellbeing. Are spending enough; time, energy, effort and attention on those values. If you are not what are three actions, you could take remedy this. What conversations do you need to have, what changes do you need to make?

To be honest on reflection and discussion with my partner I felt ok about the ‘state’ of my values, a few of them are not quite being met at the moment – being social and a space to work. I know why that is and it is due to circumstances, beyond my control. But even just recognising this and acknowledging the impact this can have on my wellbeing helps me to put it into context. It acts as a check when I’m not feeling great about work, I know it is because one of my values are not being met and for me just knowing that and recognising it is helpful.

The last 18 months have been a time of huge change and upheaval, and now reflection for people. I do think that if I had been asked to list my top ten values before the pandemic that my list will have looked different. So as people return to work and volunteering or approach new or blended approaches of working and volunteering now might be a good time to think about what your values are.

Further support and information

JK Changework offer both individual and workforce support with wellbeing, to find out about upcoming events, further information and contact details, please visit their website.

Volunteer co-ordinator network is a network for volunteer co-ordinators and those in a charity with a responsibility for volunteers across North Yorkshire to network and share information, advice, tips and thoughts on all aspects of volunteer management, see here for more information.

We have a number of resources, template and information sheets to support you with all aspects of volunteer management visit the volunteering/people section of our website for more information.

International mental health day is 10 October click here to find out more information and detail of events and activities near you.

If you have any further questions or need support with any aspect of volunteer management, please do get in touch info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

 

Setting up a Men’s Shed: your own charity or an umbrella organisation?

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When a group of guys is coming together to form a Men’s Shed, one of the questions that often comes up is does the Shed need to form its own incorporated group?  Or should the shed shelter under the umbrella of an existing charity, who already has a constitution, a charity number, and a bank account?

If there is an existing community organisation such as a church or community association, then it is very tempting and it might seem a no-brainer to simply come under their auspices.  However, in advising groups establishing a new Men’s Sheds I suggest they stop and think for a moment.  As coming under the umbrella of another charity can create unforeseen difficulties, which may be difficult to undo, if a shed goes down this path.

The primary purpose of a Men’s Shed is that it is there for the benefit and interests of the men themselves and not for other purposes. Clearly, the activities of a Men’s Shed will often benefit the local community in terms of making or repairing things for others such as repairing benches or items to commemorate Armistice Day.

However from what I have observed, one of the key benefits for the men is for them to be responsible for the activities themselves rather than the activities be provided for them. This provides an opportunity for autonomy and self-actualisation, which often on retirement gets lost and this can cause a sense of a loss of worth and fulfillment. This can be replaced by being involved and having responsibilities in the shed.

In simplistic terms, the shed is about men doing it for one’s self rather than been done for or done too. This is too often the case in care contexts, which is what guys will want to stay out of the grip of.

It also means that the shed won’t be in a position to be used by a larger charity to justify their own operation and in paying for their overhead cost and staff.

As Cormac Russell makes clear in a Ted Talk: “Money which is intended to go to those that need the help, doesn’t. It actually goes to those that are paid to provide the services to those that need help”.

This means that the guys in the shed are often described, not by their strengths and abilities, but rather by their weaknesses and their need. This discounts, what they are and further undermines their sense of worth.  It also can mean that the larger charity gains the credit for the Men’s Shed rather than the men themselves gaining the credit for the effort they have put in and this sense of value is taken from them.

In terms of grant funding, if a shed is part of a larger charity then any grant applications will have to be made by the larger charity. This means that the project may not be eligible for funding aimed at smaller groups or if the umbrella charity has already applied to a fund in one year, such as Awards for All, it won’t be eligible to apply to that fund.

In terms of banking, these days following the Covid 19 it has become increasingly difficult to open a new bank account and it is now a bureaucratic process. However, not making the effort to open the shed’s own bank account may be creating furthermore local bureaucratic difficulties further down the line. I know of one shed, where they needed to receive grants from external funders, and every time they had to explain that the other charity was dealing with their banking which created headaches when the charity’s trustee was away.

It also meant that in terms of being able to pay for items they needed to go to the trustees of the other charity to issue cheques, which had to be justified on each occasion. Whereas, if they had opened their own account, they could easily receive grants and donations directly and make payments for materials by asking their own designated signatories to sign the cheque or authorisation.

Although the process of becoming your own Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) may seem a cumbersome process in terms of form filling, one of the benefits of the process is that the men involved need to clearly decide what the shed group is about. This process helps the men become clear about their vision, how they will operate and is beneficial as it creates the opportunity for a discussion about the core aims and objectives for the shed.

Although this may take longer than simply coming under the umbrella of an existing charity it may prevent some of the disagreements that can occur when people don’t have the same vision for the shed- see my blog on Disagreements in Sheds.

It is not that difficult for a new Men’s Shed group to become its own incorporated charity with advice from; the UK Men’s Sheds Association, other sheds that have already gone down that path, or infrastructure organisations like Community First Yorkshire. The most difficult part may in fact be opening a bank account.

However; undoing a relationship with an umbrella charity may be more complicated. Contracts for the lease of premises may have to be re-assigned and funding held in reserve accounts transferred to the new charity. A liaison may be needed with grant awarding bodies who have funded the umbrella charity for the establishment or operation of the shed etc.

If you are working on establishing a new Men’s Shed and are planning on coming under an existing charity; stop and pause for a moment and reflect on whether this is the best course of action for you.

If you are an existing Men’s Shed and are starting to find that a relationship with an umbrella charity is causing you some difficulty, consider if you should to set up your own separate charity and become responsible for your own destiny. If this is the way you want to proceed this may need some delicate diplomacy; however the longer you leave it the more difficult it will become and the tensions and difficulties may simply get worse.

Is Paying the Rent for Your Men’s An Up Hill Struggle

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By Andy Ryland

Over my time working with men’s sheds one of the core concerns is:  Can the shed group afford to pay the rent on their premises?

While commercial workshop space is attractive it comes at a price and whilst there may be pressure to rent commercial space be very careful about what rent the shed group can actually afford.

The danger is that, if rent is high, much of the group’s activities will have to be spent making items to sell or carrying out community projects to pay the rent, or taking paid for clients from Social Services Departments.

This then has a knock-on potential members, who just want to come along do their own projects or even just have a coffee and a chat.

Although you may have paid the rent it will have changed the nature of the atmosphere in the shed and made it into a place which is like a working environment and may result in the loss of members.

Clearly attracting more members and running additional sessions each week can help pay the rent. However, when promoting the shed doesn’t come across as needing the members to pay the rent or becoming pushy as this will put off the very members you want to attract. See my blog on Attracting new members. 

If you are looking to sell items then identify, what the local community is looking for and make sure you have a quality product.  Often bird boxes, planters and hedgehog houses are popular.

When calculating what rent you can afford be sure to have done your sums have produced a proper cash flow. See the Blog on Making Predictions or Projections on Shed Finances 

In choosing the premises for a shed, you may need to make some compromises on the space available the location or the activities you can undertake.

However; having somewhere affordable for the first shed is more important than having an all singing and dancing space that you can not afford and have to leave after a short while after a great deal of stress.