Happy New Year and an Update from Mary!
It seems to have been a long time since I wrote anything in the Blog.
Most of my time since September has been spent working on the LifeSIGNS 2007 SIA Booklet. This has been a mammoth task, but when you see it I’m sure you’ll agree it has been worthwhile – the new booklet is going to be an amazing publication (not saying that the old one wasn’t fantastic, because it was) and won’t be recognisable from the old one. The foreword is written by Barent Walsh who has over 30 years experience of working with people who self-injure, and has written 2 books on the subject, including his most recent, the excellent “Treating Self-Injury” which I publicise everywhere I go!
I feel that it really will be a must-have for EVERY GP, therapist, School library, University counselling centre – basically for everyone who will come into contact with people who self-injure. As the publication will cost £5 as a hard copy I think this will be an absolute bargain. However, we still need your help in raising money for printing – we need this to look professional, and professional costs money. Once we have the initial costs out of the way the booklet will pay for itself. Pre-orders/payments are one way which we can raise the funds quickly (especially if you are ordering a few). Please contact sarah@lifesigns.org.uk
At the end of the day, what other self-injury guide as comprehensive as this one can you get for £5? The answer is, there isn’t one. so pre-order!
Anyway, the booklet is now out of my hands. On a personal level I am pretty busy for the rest of this month both in and outside of work, including an A level psychology exam which I have done no work for (why do I set myself these goals when I don’t have any time?!)
In February I will finish analysing the LifeSIGNS research. I’ll also be writing hundreds of letters. JennyB kindly made me a contact list of all the universities, so I’ll be writing to them (including leaflets), and also every Primary Care Trust (hoping for a trickle down effect with LifeSIGNS information). On a Cumbrian level I will e-mail the 40 secondary schools shortly before SIAD. This lot should keep me busy while also making badges and experimenting with designs.
So, what else has been going on? Initially through a wristband query I have been in contact with an art student called Hannah (LifeSIGNS member) in Ireland. She has kindly shared with me some of her work, which focuses around ‘safe’ alternatives to self-injury. While it was (in Hannah’s words) “not what everyone would consider ‘art’”, I certainly found it thought provoking, and think that Hannah has a lot of talent and will go far – providing she remembers LifeSIGNS when she’s rich and famous!
I’m in the process of negotiations about a possible feature in ‘Bella’ magazine, but I don’t know what will come of that.
On the patron front, I haven’t been having much luck, but I’m not sure that actually having a patron is necessary (although I will keep an open mind), so long as we can get people to support and promote LifeSIGNS and our work, that is what is important.
I’m having to take a big step away from the message board, apart from focussing on the SIA Strategy Group. There is so much else to do. I will miss all of my fantastic friends on the board (you know who you are), and will be popping in. but things do change, and a new year signals a new chapter in my life and time to move on.
