Episode 017 - Stephen Pilling and Ginny Allende - Headspace Bolton

“When life is tough, and you don’t want to get out of bed” The Forever Mancunians podcast series aims to introduce and tell the stories of featured guests whose vision, commitment, and dedication in making a difference to the lives of others in our local communities is both interesting and inspiring. In this episode, we meet the founders of Headspace Bolton, Stehpen Pilling and Ginny Allende. Upon recognising shared frustrations with both type, and levels of support available, they teamed up to explore opportunities that serve to generate better results for all concerned.      Stephen and Ginny are a living example of what can be achieved when a Mental Health service user teams up with a member of his support team to try alternative approaches by working together, learning from each other and developing each other. They elude to ‘one size not fitting all’ and how generic services s and structures can dampen the passions and interests that are important drivers in all our lives. Ginny explains ““When life is tough and you don’t want to get out of bed, it’s those passions that drive us forward, that make us tick, and make us smile” Headspace Bolton run high quality creative workshops that look towards breaking the stigma of mental health and what is portrayed and perceived via the creation of performances, competitions, productions and exhibitions." Activities extend to improvised and stand-up comedy, creative music sessions, film-making, animation and script writing activities that reflect the interests and passions for those wishing to explore creative options while generating an exciting forum for people with Mental Health issues.