Livability is preparing for Greenbelt Festival where it will host three major sessions on dementia, wellbeing and mental health.
Greenbelt is an arts, faith and justice festival that brings together 25,000 Christians each year.
Livability works to remove the barriers to living a healthy, independent and inclusive life in the community, so it is essential that Livability helps churches understand and support people who live with dementia, mental health problems or disabilities.
Livability will run three major sessions with the central theme being ‘Is church good for you?’
This theme is all about supporting churches to make everyone feel safe, welcome and included in their church and the sessions will discuss and explore issues that are important to building healthy communities through healthy churches:
The Mental Health Access Pack has been live for almost a year. We need your help to develop this tool so that more church leaders can understand mental health. Come ready to share your experiences of the triumphs and tragedies of mental health and church life.
Is your church a place of stress, guilt and worry? Is it helping or hindering a healthy life? Could the local church become a place which helps re-balance your life and develop your wellbeing?
Experts in dementia and wellbeing share a stage to give you some realistic help and hope.
Leading these sessions will be the likes of Livability Associate Katharine Welby-Roberts, pychotherapist Peter Johnson and dementia expert Trevor Adams.
Along with The Children’s Society, Christian Aid and the Church Times, Livability is one of Greenbelt’s listed partners and associates and has led many sessions on issues like disability and inclusion, wellbeing, and mental health.
With the help of Livability and others, Greenbelt is one of the most accessible festivals, allowing people with disabilities to enjoy much of what it has to offer. The festival’s accessibility includes ramps, accessible toilets, hearing loops and wheelchair recharging stations.
Livability’s Assistant Director of Community Engagement Corin Pilling who will be speaking at the festival said:
‘Livability is so excited to be back at Greenbelt this year. This year at Greenbelt, we’ll be exploring how dementia, wellbeing and mental health can be big barriers to someone’s experience of community.
‘There’s a real need for open discussions to help us find practical solutions that are informed by our faith and have a direct impact on those who are part of our church communities.
‘Livability is passionate about overcoming disabling barriers in society. We see local churches as playing a significant part in that. Often at the heart of their community, churches are important agents of local change.
‘To help churches build communities that are welcome and inclusive we need to educate ourselves on these particular issues.
‘Greenbelt is the perfect place to engage with people who are passionate about faith, community and inclusivity and we can help bring about positive change in as many churches as possible.’
Join in the community conversation with Livability this year at Greenbelt or on Facebook and Twitter – #goodforyou
Livability, 6 Mitre Passage, London SE10 0ER.
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