Giving Welshpool men’s mental wellbeing a voice
It has been well-documented how mental well-being is one of the biggest health challenges in our rural area, with many reluctant to seek help, but the organisers of a new initiative hope that they can make the change.
Angel Voice Singing School, in Welshpool, has teamed up with Roger Morgan, a veteran choir singer who has recently moved to Welshpool, to launch Boy’sterous Rock, a project to bring men of the area together to sing, with the goal of staging a concert at St Mary’s Church this October.
Angel Voice is run by vocal coach, Cathy Beech, and she explains the background.
“Roger recently moved to Welshpool and wants to champion the local mental health organisations, the main one being The DPJ Foundation, a Welsh mental health charity supporting those in agriculture and rural communities with mental health problems.
“He recently suffered a sudden bereavement and has received excellent support from this organisation and is now on a mission to support local mental health organisations and raise awareness of men’s mental health and how we all need to be more aware of how to help.”
Boy'sterous Rock has doubled in numbers over the past few months and is ion the lookout for more people to join up.
“It has been created with a view to promote positive communication and to say, ‘it’s ok to sing, even if you think you can't’, this project is perfect for any man wanting to do something that will fill them with a feeling of achievement,” said Cathy.
“Everyone has a voice that they can use and be proud of. If we let it out, it fills us up in a way that lifts us and helps us to see the next day, week, month through, it is a life line like no other. I have been a coach for 20 years and specifically aimed my skills at helping people of all ages and genders, find their voice. This project is perfect for this.”
“What we want to do is demonstrate that when men come together, we really can make a difference to each other and help others as well,” Roger explains. “Cathy is one of the most open and understanding vocal coaches I’ve ever worked with and it is inspiring to see how she works, she is dedicated to making sure we all get the best out of what we do, for ourselves and all involved.”
If you would like to get involved you can contact Cathy through angelvoiceschool@gmail.com.
You can also chat with Roger or if you would like to make a donation, contact him through mrog18@btinternet.com.
The big concert will take place October 21 at St Mary's Church (pictured).
Who are the DPJ Foundation?
The Foundation was set up in Pembrokeshire in July 2016 following the death of Daniel Picton-Jones.
Daniel’s suicide rocked the community, his wife Emma realised very quickly the lack of support that was available for those suffering with poor mental health in rural communities.
It was announced at Daniel’s funeral that a fund would be set up that would provide support to those, like Daniel, who were suffering from poor mental health.
It became clear that there was a lack of awareness around mental health, everyone had been touched by suicide but very little was being done to combat the issue.
You can reach out to them through https://www.thedpjfoundation.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|