 Think Global… Act N16
By Jenny Wight
Many people want to support local charities and voluntary groups but don’t know how to find them. Local groups need this support but don’t have the time or resources to carry out advertising or employ press officers. N16 Magazine is stepping up to bridge this gap to act as a link between local people and community groups active in N16
ACT N16
Talking Matters is a national charity promoting stress prevention in the orthodox Jewish communities. As N16 has one of the largest orthodox Jewish communities in the UK, it makes sense for the charity to have its head office in the Stamford Hill library.
Talking Matters run accredited counselling courses for men and women in Stamford Hill, Hendon and Manchester. They run sessions on building self-esteem, and have a counselling room at Stamford Hill library. Their next project is a ten-week drama therapy group for women. They also run a programme called Choices, which works with first-, second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors.
José Martin, the director of Talking Matters, previously established 'Chizuk' as the first orthodox Jewish mental health facility in Britain, which led to the development of Talking Matters: a preventative rather than reactive service.
Stress is a big concern in 21st century Britain, with new legislation on stress in the workplace and a general awareness of the physical and mental problems high levels of stress can bring. But the day-to-day lives of the orthodox Jewish community are different to others living in the area, as José says, ‘we live in the world but we are not of the world’. This means there is a need for health professionals who understand these differences. Talking Matters website says ‘In today’s world there are historical, societal and family pressures that bring to bear issues which even the most diligent and committed Rabbis are no longer equipped to deal with.’
José goes on to talk about the causes of stress in her community, ‘Recent history makes things difficult, as do cultural differences. The fact we look different. This is possibly worse for the men as they stand out more.’ There is also the difficulty for José’s generation, otherwise known as the ‘sandwich generation’ with parents living a very traditional lifestyle and children who want Ipods. This generation is being pulled in two different directions; a difficulty faced by people of a similar age from other faith groups.
Some of the problems faced by the orthodox Jewish community are caused by a lack of understanding. Though they are mostly left alone, José did mention a Rabbi who would count the times he was verbally abused on the way to synagogue. As Talking Matters are keen to break down the barriers, they run run cultural awareness sessions. José says, ‘we are proud of the fact that we answer questions about the community in a straightforward way’.
THINK GLOBAL
There has been a shift in focus in recent years from promoting equality to valuing diversity, and in Hackney we are lucky to live in one of the most ethically diverse areas of the country. Obviously, this richness does not come without problems mainly caused by ignorance and a lack of understanding. For example, there have been 342 racist crimes in Hackney over the last 12 months, according to statistics from the Metropolitan Police.
TAKE ACTION
If you are interested in joining a cultural awareness session contact José on jose@talkingmatters.info or 0208 802 9222. Talking Matters would also like to make contact with other faith communities or groups who are interested developing similar ethically sensitive counseling services for their own community.
Do you run a local group or charity and would like to be featured on Think Global... Act N16? Then send an email to jennywight@hotmail.co.uk giving details of your group. |
