Going grey on page 3!

Social media gets a lot of flak but it allows for sharing of ideas and the Depressed Cake Shop is one of those ideas that is growing like Topsy.

On the first weekend in August (or other convenient times in some places) watch out for a new pop-up cake shop, the same yummy mix of cakes but with one thing in common (well apart from calories) - the colour grey.

The brain child of Miss Cakehead it is all intended to raise the profile of mental health issues and the lives of those affected, to break through the silence that harbours the stigmas that get in the way of people asking for help.  The grey portraying the dull and negative feelings around depression and other conditions, but many of the cakes will be brightly coloured and full of flavour inside - the reality of hope, and the person beyond the clouds of depression. Profits from the shops going to locally chosen mental health support charities.

It started off focussed around the UK but people from around the world have now captured the idea and shops go from California to Kuala Lumpa with volunteer bakers both amateur and professional.

 Now I am not a great baker, but I know a good visual aid when I see one so with a stand at the High School fete approaching, already provided with Time to Change resources, I joined the ranks of those mixing up grey icing. Ok so mine was going on shop brought cupcakes and biscuits, but I planned on giving them away not charging so I think I got away with it. 

It was a really good opener for conversation - instead of 'have a leaflet' it was 'would you like a free cake' and then a reaction or comment about the greyness led on to why and the wider issue of mental health support within the community.

And it got me, the cakes and the whole issue onto page 3 of the local paper... (not the best look after an hour or two of stifling heat!)

With others trying to find ways to support people in our community we will be popping up again on Aug 3rd at Tenbury Countryside Show.

Taming the lions....

Two years ago, back in the infancy of this blog I wrote about being invited to speak to 100 year 10 students from the local high school – beforehand reflecting on Teen Angst, and afterwards in Before the lions.  Well after that terrifying walk into the lion’s den of my old fears personified in the crowded room of teenagers I was a gibbering wreck but glad to have faced it and got it over.

I was invited back last year and it wasn’t so bad, today I hiked with them again (well this year’s yr 10s anyway). Two years of journeying, including some scary Friday night’s at youth club, and now for the 3^rd time of asking I could stand in front of them without shaking, still a bit shaky in finding a starting point, but able to speak and my struggles with bulling at school, the depression, the importance of loving yourself and with resources from Time to Change challenged to stand against stigma and be open to talking about mental health and other tough stuff.

Gabi, my big fluffy dog coming along for the exercise helped break the ice and opened conversations too. It was clear that people were listening and affected by what I shared, both teens and staff. Talking about things that are so personal and touch deep vulnerable bits of you is tough, and for the third time round it is in some ways less scary – I know the audience won’t bite – but in other ways still as hard. 

Yet the power of the personal story is immense, beyond any statistics or flashy adverts, the story of an ordinary person reaches parts nothing else can. Which is why breaking the silence so we can talk to each other, daring to ask for help and daring to try and understand and support each other, is such an important goal.