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We’ve now reached the end of summer break and maybe summer - goodbye heatwave 👋. As we’re heading into the next academic year we want to help you prepare for a new start. 

Read on for six ways to get yourself mentally prepared to go back to school.

1. ADD STRESS MANAGEMENT TO YOUR TIMETABLE

Whether we like it or not study stress is part of student life so why not schedule in time to manage stress? Think about how you can cope with the feelings that come up when you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed and develop techniques that work for you to keep stress to a minimum.

2. DON’T SILENCE YOUR INNER VOICE

It’s a new year but you will be returning to some old faces you might have not missed seeing. Did you spend last year feeling like you had to do something because your friends were doing it? Or doing things you didn’t fully agree with because you were worried about what would happen if you said no?

To overcome peer pressure, learn to have the confidence to find your inner voice; the voice which accepts you for who you are. If you’re interested in discussing peer pressure in an online chat then let us know! Email our online workshops team by clicking here.

3. FACE YOUR PEERS (AND FEARS!)

Groupwork and presentations are two words most students dread hearing. Being placed with a group of people you don’t know that well and speaking in front of an audience can be anxiety-ridden experiences however there is something thrilling about facing your fears head on and surviving them! Your fears are real and should be taken seriously, and you can work towards conquering them by understanding what it is you’re exactly afraid of.

Download this Wellcast worksheet for guidance.

4. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT

How do you focus on the present when you’re thinking about deadlines and due dates? It is completely normal to worry about the future. Mindfulness is a technique that suggests that if we focus on the present moment then it can have positive effect on our mental health. Here are a few exercises to try.

5. FIND YOUR OWN CHALLENGE

It becomes easy to disengage and get distracted when you find school work hard or boring. Sadly, there isn’t anything you can do to change your school curriculum so why not consider setting yourself personal and achievable goals to get you through the year? Don’t make it about achieving high grades, instead find ways to be satisfied with your performance. If you find school work affecting your mood, talk to a teacher.

6. MEMORISE THIS…

S-e-e-k-i-n-g h-e-l-p i-s n-o-t a w-e-a-k-n-e-s-s. You don’t have to get through this next year alone. Ask a friend, teacher, parent, carer or trusted adult for help when you feel things are too much. Sharing your feelings with people who listen and care can help ease the burdens of the problems you’re carrying. Speaking to a counsellor is another option. If you’d like to know more about the services we offer, visit our website.

Not from Croydon, Merton Sutton? Take a look on Youth Access to find your local service.  

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From July 2018, Off the Record will be running online workshops at key points during the year (for example during the exam period).  

We'd love to hear your ideas on what workshops we should run and when.

Please email us with your thoughts on onlineworkshops@talkofftherecord.org

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It's Stress Awareness Month and we're heading into exam season. Whilst we all feel nervous and tense about our exams, too much stress and pressure can leave you feeling anxious, which can affect your sleep, appetite and ability to concentrate on revision etc.

We’ve created this list of top tips on how to stay on top of exams and revision:

1. Think realistically and be realistic with your time - an over ambitious revision timetable is going to stress you out and leave you feeling like a failure. 2. Although it might feel daunting, getting started is always better than doing nothing. 3. Reward yourself regularly and don’t forget to take breaks! 4. Take one step at a time and avoid thinking about the worst case scenario - don’t let your thoughts snowball! 5. Revise and do the best that you can do - that is all that you can do. 6. Check out the web for lots of useful resources - we recommend Young Minds, The Mix and Student Room as places to look for tips and help. 

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Here are things you can do if you’re struggling and need some help:

1. Sign up to our free online workshops to get tips and ideas to cope with exam stess: www.talkofftherecordonline.org Wednesday 18th April, 5.30pm and Thursday 17th May, 7pm.

2. Come along to one of our weekly drop in Sutton, Merton and Croydon to talk to someone in person:

Sutton - Tuesdays from 3.30-5.30pm at Off The Record Sutton, 172 Croydon Road, Beddington CR0 4PG. There’s no need to book an appointment. If you want to talk to some first, call 020 8680 8899

Merton - Fridays from 3-6pm at Wandle Valley Resource Centre, Church Road, Mitcham CR4 3BE. Call 020 8680 8899 if you want to talk to someone first.

Croydon - Ring Off the Record on 020 8251 0251 or email croydon@talkofftherecord.org to arrange a time to meet with a counsellor (tell us you’re worried about your exams when you call)

There will also be support available at your school. Ask one of your teachers or speak to your school counsellor or school nurse. 

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If any pressures are getting too much and you feel unsafe, talk to an adult who you know and trust or contact your GP for an emergency appointment.

You can call Samaritans on 116 123 or Childline on 0800 1111.

Merton & Sutton - If you need support between 5pm-9am weekdays, you can call 0800 028 8000 to speak to someone at the local NHS Trust Crisis Line. This is also open 24 hours on weekends and bank holidays.

Croydon - If you need support in a crisis you can call the 24 hour crisis number which is 0800 731 2864 to speak to someone at the local Mental Health Trust Crisis Line.

Professionals or other adults can also make a referral to CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services), to access regular ongoing support or counselling.

You can download all this information from our website.

Download Sutton leaflet Download Merton leaflet Download Croydon leaflet

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Join Off The Record and Young People Insight at Screen25 in South Norwood during Mental Health Awareness Week for a special screening of It’s Kind of a Funny Story (12). 

The film programme will kick off at 7.30pm with Behind The Locked Door, a short documentary produced by Brent Mind, about mental health in the Black community and will be followed by the 2010 hit comedy It's Kind of a Funny Story. The feature film confronts preconceptions about mental health and explores the reality of depression through the eyes of a 16-year-old.

Date: Wednesday 16th May, 7.30pm

Tickets: Standard £8.50. Under 25s £5. £1 off standard tickets with code: PIZZA

Box office: screen25.com/whats-on

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🎄 OTR’s Christmas Opening Hours 2017 🎄

The holidays are approaching and we want to let you know what support will be available from our counselling services in Croydon, Sutton, Merton and online in the following weeks...

Our final online workshop of the year will be “Feeling Angry” on 21st December at 7pm. Register your place here. From 22nd Dec. - 2nd Jan. we will be offering a reduced online service. The site will still be monitored and new users can still register, however there may be slightly longer response times than the stated 48 hours. www.skylinesupport.org

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Croydon 

The Croydon counselling service will be closed on the following dates: December, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 31st and January 1st. We will be open for drop-in counselling sessions from 72 Queens Road, CR0 2PR, between 11am and 4pm on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th December. Please give us a call on 020 8251 0251 if you would like to see a counsellor.

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Sutton & Merton

Our Sutton counselling service will be closing on Thursday 22nd December and the Merton counselling service will close on Friday 23rd December. Both services will reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2018. We will be open for drop-in counselling sessions from 172 Croydon Road, CR0 4PG, between 12pm and 4pm on Thursday 28th December. Just turn up if you’d like to speak to a counsellor.

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For urgent help during our closed hours, we recommend the following:

Samaritans on 116 123 for 24-hour confidential emotional support

Childline on 0800 11 11 for 24-hour confidential support to children and young people up to 18 years old.

CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight) support men anywhere in the UK.

CASS on 0808 800 8088 (Mon - Thu from 7pm-10pm) for women looking for confidential and anonymous self-injury support.

PAPYRUS on 0800 068 4141 (Weekdays from 10am-10pm, Weekends from 2pm-10pm and Bank Holidays from 2pm-5pm) for confidential advice and support.

Take care of yourself over the break - we’ll see you in 2018.

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A review on our Mind My Hair, Hear My Mind blog of Jamal Edwards’s latest documentary exploring mental health and the music industry!

In this new documentary, Jamal Edwards meets up with his friends in the music industry to talk about their personal experiences. The film reiterates the anti stigma messages we’ve been heard over the last few years and includes personal insight into the lives of artists such as Cleo (Mz. Bratt), Dave and Sasha Keable.

Jamal’s motivation for creating this documentary might have been driven by his own life experiences. We learn that at the age of 15 when Jamal founded SBTV, he felt overwhelmed by the pressure of running his own business and being in the spotlight. It’s completely understandable to struggle with anxiety when you’re reality is shared publicly and every action, including mistakes and failures is out there for everyone to see. Jamal has since learned to open up about stress and talk to people.

Jamal’s journey started at F4Fade where he spoke to Artist Manager Despa Robinson. Franklyn Okwedy, F4Fade owner, was recently interviewed in White Noise (read here) and tells us about the atmosphere in his barbershop. “It’s a family vibe and even the barbers don’t argue: if they don’t agree, they will talk about it”. Sounds like a great spot for conflict resolution doesn’t it? At a time where young people are experiencing and witnessing high levels of violence, should we be considering the role the barbershop has to play in resolving issues between young people? In Croydon, Ray’s Barber and The Lions Society are currently developing efforts to eradicate knife crime in the community.

(Of course) The part we felt was most important in the documentary is the discussion between Jamal and Despa. Seeing two Black men on screen talk openly about mental health and therapy in a barbershop is powerful. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the relationship between barbers and their customers can often mirror the one between a counsellor and a client. If all barbers are equipped with ‘basic’ counselling skills and the knowledge of where to signpost their customers for support services, what impact would it have in our communities? We want to see/make this happen.

Despa talks about the personal family tragedies he has experienced. He shares that he was unable to process losing an uncle to suicide and believes seeking therapy during his teens would have helped. This is an important self-reflection for Despa to make as it highlights what statistics have been telling us. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) young people are underrepresented in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and overrepresented in Adult Mental Health Services. This suggests that many BME people are more likely to reach crisis point before accessing mental health services for support. Now wanting to deal with the past, Despa goes to therapy which is making a difference to his life.

“I feel like now there is a good trend towards being honest about your own mental health and not being afraid about embracing you might now be okay.” - Despa

Jamal talks to singer-songwriter Sasha Keable and grime artist Cleo. With the current news surrounding sexual harassment and assault, it’s timely to hear Cleo state that abuse within the industry and the sexualisation of female artists needs to be addressed. Perhaps one day we’ll see a documentary exploring sexism and its affect on women and girls mental health. 

In the documentary, there is fascinating insight from Dr. Sarah Jayne Blakemore, a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. Dr. Blakemore debunks the commonly held belief that the vast majority of brain development happens in early childhood as studies have shown that the human brain undergoes a large amount of development throughout childhood, adolescence and into the 20s and 30s.  

“We should start thinking about mental illness in the same way that we think about physical illnesses. People have very little control over them [mental illnesses] and they are happening at a physical level in the brain. Just because you can’t see it in a brain scan or a blood test doesn’t mean it’s not there at a physical level. If the stigma is decreased then people will start talking about it more, and that really helps.”  - Dr. Sarah Blakemore

For someone who has been instrumental in increasing artist’s visibility and catapulting some of our favourites to fame, it is very righteous of Jamal to utilise the same platform to sensitively approach the topic of mental health and mental illness with those involved in the music industry. Thank you to Jamal and everyone involved for creating this documentary, for being vulnerable and speaking openly about mental health on their own terms. 

The documentary is on Youtube - watch and share with friends.

“Remind people who are going through dark times, it’s okay to talk about it and you’re not alone.” - Jamal Edwards

Need to talk now? Visit Off The Record’s online directory for useful contacts.

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THANK YOU to @InsideCroydon @TimeOutLondon @Croydonist @THeathChronicle & @CroydonAd for helping us get the word out about our Black History Month event at Cutter Barbers.

South Norwood barbers puts free haircuts in the picture

Barbers to offer young BME men free haircuts and portraits to celebrate Black History Month

How a haircut is helping young minds

SNIP, SNAP, CHAT

Mind My Hair, Hear My Mind

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CHANGES...

From Tuesday 31st October our Drop-In service will be based at to our Sutton counselling service location - 172 Croydon Road, Beddington CR0 4PG.

About our Drop-In:

We run a drop in every Tuesday, 3.30-6pm for ages 14-25 in Sutton. It’s somewhere safe to talk to a counsellor about anything that is concerning you. You don’t need an appointment to see a counsellor. It’s also an opportunity to access the sexual health services of the Check it Out nurses including sexual health information and testing, contraception, and pregnancy.

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RUN FOR OFF THE RECORD 🏃🎽

Off The Record has a charity place at The London Marathon in April 2018. This is a rare opportunity for our charity as we are only guaranteed one charity place once every 5 years!

The fundraising target is £2,000 and the successful applicant will be asked to put down a refundable deposit of £100. We can offer you friendly support and advice around any aspect of training or fundraising.

Please apply if you’re interested in helping us make the most of this brilliant fundraising opportunity. If you know any family members and friends who might be interested and are actively looking for a place at the London Marathon, please share this opportunity with them.

Drop us a line at info@offtherecordcroydon.org to register your interest.

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Spread the word about our Black History Month event, October 8th at Cutter Barbers, South Norwood 12-4pm

A community event is being held at Cutter Barbers in South Norwood, where young BME men can receive a free haircut.

Following a successful funding application made to Healthwatch Croydon, the community event will coincide with Black History Month and World Mental Health Day.

The event is being organised by Community Development Workers of Off The Record, a youth counselling charity based in South London as an extension to their community project “Mind My Hair, Hear My Mind”. The event is aimed at 16-25 year olds from the BME community who are welcome to a free haircut, a free digital portrait taken by a professional photographer and complimentary refreshments.

This is an opportunity for members of the community to share their views and experiences with Croydon NHS services.

The event will be held on Sunday 8th October 2017 at Cutter Barbers, 52 Portland Road, South Norwood SE25 4PQ, 12-4pm.

Download the flyer for the event here

For further information on the event, follow www.instagram.com/mindmyhair and www.mmhhmmproject.tumblr.com

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This Sunday, The London Loom are hosting this very unique fundraising event in aid of our work at Boxpark Croydon and Lauren Furey has wrote this brilliant piece on why you should attend.

We hope to see you there. 

Sun. 17th Sept, 11.30am-2.30pm

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Off the Record would like to wish you all the best at university!

Here are some links with useful information, to help before setting off for university:

After Results Day – Get Ready for Uni

Before you go to university in 2017

What to take to University checklist

We hope university will be an exciting and positive experience for you but we also recognise that fresh starts can bring new challenges. Some anxiety is natural but if you start to feel particularly stressed or low then support is available:

· Talk to someone – your new friends, your family & friends from home, your personal tutor

· Get support – all universities have student support services that usually offer medical, academic and emotional support (including counselling). Find out what’s available in your university and get in touch.  If you’re studying in London and Open University, you can access Nightline, the confidential listening, support and practical information service for students, by students. They are open from 6pm to 8am every night of term.

Although Off the Record can’t offer direct support to people outside Croydon, Merton and Sutton, our website has lots of useful information and if you’re back in the area for breaks or holidays, then you’re welcome to get back in touch, but why not sign up to our online counselling service before you go to help you through the transition? Register now at www.skylinesupport.org

There may also be a young people’s service like Off the Record in your university area, have a look on Youth Access.

Good luck 🌟

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Did you watch 13 Reasons Why?

13 Reasons Why is a Netflix series based on a 17 year old girl, Hannah Baker, who has died by suicide leaving behind 13 sides of cassette tape on which she has explained the wrongdoing of those around her. The tapes are passed around to her wrongdoers who each have a tape focusing on how they contributed to her death.

The series has raised many concerns among viewers, mental health charities and therapists for glamourising and weaponising suicide and along with its depiction of sexual assault and suicidal method, the show is also critiqued for failing to seriously address mental health illnesses.

If you plan to watch 13 Reasons Why make sure you can talk to someone about the series afterwards to discuss the feelings it left you with. There are people you can talk to such as Samaritans, CALM and PAPYRUS if you struggle with suicidal thoughts. 

Friends, clients and staff of Off The Record have reviewed episodes to share thoughts on some of the themes touched on in the series. 

(Contains spoilers)

Episode 1 | Episode 2  Episode 3 | Episode 4  Episode 5 | Episode 6  Episode 7 | Episode 8 Episode 9 | Episode 10 Episode 11 | Episode 12 Episode 13

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13 Ways to support a friend thinking about suicide

IMPORTANT: If at any point you feel supporting your friend is too much for you to manage, it’s important to seek professional help.

1. Let your friend know that they are not alone and open up a conversation about what they really need. Be careful about becoming their only support or keeping things secret if you think they are at immediate risk.  

2. Help your friend identify other people who are able to help e.g. a teacher, family member. Look for free or low cost counsellors in their area. Youth Access is a good place to start

3. Help your friend write a safety plan. A safety plan identifies a number of actions which could help keep them safe. Save helpline numbers in their phone e.g. Samaritans: 116 123; Childline: 0800 1111; remove knifes from the house; flush excess medication down the toilet.

4. Download the StayAlive app with them. Stay Alive is suicide prevention app packed with information to help you stay safe.

5. If you are feeling really worried or fearful about your friend it’s important to name the feeling e.g. “I’m feeling concerned about you”. This conveys the message that you really care.

6. If your friend is saying how useless and hopeless everything is and they want to end it all, you can say something like “It worries me to hear you say that” or “That’s really hard to hear. How would you like me to help you?”

7. If your friend is using words like suicide or that they want to kill themselves, it’s important to jump on this by calling 999 or taking them to A&E.

8. Ask a friend if they'd join you to spend a little time looking at some online mental health resources e.g. Young Minds, The Mix, CALM and Mind.

9. If you and your friend are old enough to take this action alone, offer to go with your friend to their GP as a first step to getting some professional support. 

10. Pay attention to your friend’s social media status and profile photos. This could help you track their mood and intentions. Look out for sudden changes in their mood or messages and strike up a conversation about it.

11. If you think they are spending time with people who are dangerous to their wellbeing, try to keep them away. You might need help from others with this.

12. Try not to give up on them. Always try to show up for your friend.

13. It’s always important to say something or do something. Keeping silent is not an option.

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NEW Online Workshops for 14-25s in Sutton 

We have a new online workshop for young people in Sutton starting this Thursday at 7pm. The group will be taking place on the first Thursday of every month covering topics related to domestic abuse with a focus on healthy relationships, self-esteem and managing emotions as well as providing signposting and information to further support. 

The first workshop this week will be about exploring healthy relationships with friends, family, boyfriends and girlfriends.

To register, visit https://www.skylinesupport.org/register and then mention #skygroup in their 'reason for registering'. We will then contact you via email to give you access to the group as we have added an extra layer of safety for this topic. Alternatively, you can email skycasts@talkofftherecord.org and we will contact you with all the info you need.

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We've been meeting with Anita of Extraordinary People's Collective, who are very kindly supporting us with their next event this month! The Extraordinary People's Collective event is a cumulation of introspective conversation and rhythmic vibrations of positivity to inspire the extraordinary dimensions we all innately possess. Life Journeys x Maintaining Your Mental Wellbeing will be filled with positive vibes, captivating stories and inspirational talks from panel speakers: Alex Quang, Leigh-Ann Ncube, KirzArt, Que The Wolf and Harnaam Kaur, otherwise known as The Bearded Dame.They will give you a mindful insight and advice on how you can keep persevering, even on those days when you feel like you don't want to! A percentage of all tickets sales will be donated to us to support our work with young people. 

Click here to book your ticket

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How do you know if you have healthy relationships? How can you stay safe and happy? 

Maybe you want to talk to someone in confidence but you're not sure where to start?

Join one of our friendly online groups as a first step and chat to other young people too.

We're running regular sessions on healthy relationships and building self-esteem over the coming months open to young people in Croydon, Sutton and Merton.

If you live in Sutton you can also request access to our private online group #skygroup (currently only available for young people in Sutton) for more in depth support with a small group of other young people.

These sessions take place once a month on weekday evenings and last about 40 minutes. You can come along and participate as much or as little as you feel comfortable with and we'll be sharing lots of helpful information and advice too. The sessions are hosted by our counselling staff team and give you the chance to share and learn from other young people too.

How to sign up:

Step 1: Register for an account on our website and select 'SkyCast Online Workshops' in the registration process: www.skylinesupport.org If you're in Sutton and interested in the private group too then just mention #skygroup in the 'reason for registering' box.

Step 2: Head to our SKyCasts Whats On page and sign up for as many SkyCast as you like!

Not sure and want to ask some questions first? Email us at skycasts@offtherecordcroydon.org and we'll be happy to answer your questions and help you get started.