Greater Manchester Arts and Health Network (GMAHN) and Greater Manchester Mental Health Network would like to invite you to a FREE event focusing on mental wellbeing at the Freemasons Hall, Manchester on Thursday 11th February 2010 between 9:00 and 3.30.

There is emerging new science on wellbeing and a new movement for change outlined at the recent NW Public Health Conference. This event will provide an opportunity for a partnership of practitioners working in mental health in the arts, health, local authority and voluntary sectors to build on their own area of work around a common theme for 2010.

The event will share information, evidence and practical examples about steps to mental wellbeing, focusing on creativity and expanding into sector planning for 2010.

At the event, there will be a presentation by Lynn Froggett, Professor of Psychosocial Welfare and Director of Psychosocial Research Unit, University of Central Lancashire who will be sharing academic evidence about why creativity is good for wellbeing. There will be an opportunity to find out about the recent GMAHN cross district campaign calling people in Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Trafford to ‘be creative’ as a step to mental wellbeing, the focus of the Creating Wellbeing project.

As part of development work and supporting the overarching work of the Greater Manchester Mental Health Network the afternoon will focus on the Commissioning Toolkit for mental health presented by Jude Stansfield, Public Mental Health & Wellbeing Lead, DH/ NHS North West. There will also be a chance to contribute to the development of 5 steps for mental wellbeing for World Mental Health day 2010 using evidence from both the Foresight report and the NW wellbeing surveys.