Many people who have suffered mental health problems such as depression and anxiety have great difficulty relaxing, which is an important part of the recovery process. Thanks to the Ballamona Association for Mental Health, the Department’s Rehabilitation and Recovery Service at Geddyn Reesht, Braddan now has a fully equipped relaxation and calming room. The equipment in the calming room can be arranged to meet the needs of the individual and the therapies offered will enable the person to become skilled in keeping calm and in control and so help them to improve their quality of life. During the last year the Mental Health Service had 2,511 referrals, which equates to an average of 209 per month, and it is anticipated that patients old and new will be able to benefit from this new facility. The Minister for Social Care Hon Martyn Quayle MHK said: “I would like to thank the Ballamona Association for Mental Health for its generous donation to fund the Calming Room and for its continued support to our service users. This support is particularly appreciated in the current difficult financial times for Government.” The Association supports individuals receiving mental health services who were formerly in Ballamona Hospital and those in need of support in the times since its closure. It has supported a variety of projects in the Rehabilitation and Recovery service for which the Department is very grateful. To thank the Association, the Department is giving the Association’s members a demonstration of the Calming Room room on 1st October at 2pm at Geddyn Reesht on the Nobles Hospital site. The Department’s Member for Social Services Mr Bill Malarkey MHK said: “The new Calming Room is already assisting service users in their recovery, helping them to return to a happy and productive life. It is a valuable addition to the Department’s Social Services resources.” The principle of the calming room is to create an environment where outside distractions are removed and visual and audio aids are introduced to promote relaxation and contemplation. Unlike a sensory room a calming room’s objective is not to stimulate but to provide a gentle path to mental stability. This approach was pioneered at Her Majesty’s Women’s Prison Styal in 2004 where the first calming room was installed in an attempt to relieve the stresses of prison life. It was found the effects of the calming room exceeded their expectations, not only preventing the escalation of stress for the inmates but also producing a calmer atmosphere overall. As a result, the approach has been adopted by many organisations in the UK. The calming room will be used primarily by the service users at Geddyn Reesht who are undergoing an intensive period of rehabilitation designed to enable them to return to normal life and if possible gainful employment. It will also be offered to people with mental health problems from other areas that can be referred to have therapeutic sessions in the room.