Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:37 pm on 23 November 2022.
I thank all Members for their contributions and particularly Gareth Davies for having the courage to speak out, because it is your bravery and your preparedness to share your story that gives other people who are going through similar experiences the hope that they too can recover and then resume normal life. The way the way you described how you learn from every episode and setback in order to strengthen your emotional resilience is really outstanding, so thank you very much indeed for that.
Jane Dodds spoke about loneliness, and I absolutely agree that that is a potential killer. It is one of the groups that I didn't talk about in my opening remarks: those who are living in poverty. That is one of the isolators, as well as people who are newcomers, or people from ethnic minorities. If you live in poverty, you are constantly thinking, 'Do I dare take my children to this or that activity? Will I be embarrassed because I'm asked to contribute in some way or another financially?' So, we really have to think so hard about this in the current situation. But I absolutely agree with you that loneliness is one of the biggest factors that undermine people's health and well-being, and Sioned equally spoke about that as well.
Jane, you also spoke about community mental health first aid—. Sorry, did you say something? No. I beg your pardon. And the importance of bonding social capital of saving important community assets, like the Pontardawe community arts centre, which I'm sure is a much-loved place. Because, once they're gone, it's really, really difficult to get them back again. That's why, if we haven't got the resources to run something in the short term, we need to mothball and make sure that we've still got them there for the future. But, hopefully, we don't have to do that. We may have to call on volunteers to run them for us, but we really do need to keep our community centres going, because that is where people combat loneliness. Because just meeting somebody once, in one context, enables you, then, to say 'hello' to them when you meet them in the shop or on the bus, and that, then, can lead to a deepening of relationships and a, 'Oh, I haven't so-and-so recently; I'll just pop around and see whether they're okay.' Those are really the most important things about combating loneliness.
Mark Isherwood, in your intervention, you very importantly spoke about autism as a way—. Autistic people can become so lonely and isolated, particularly if, as adults, their parents move on and are no longer available to support them. I saw a wonderful programme—I think it was on S4C—about a woman in Gloucestershire who had converted the farm that she had inherited from her parents into a social enterprise farm to enable young people to go to work, despite their autism, supported by other people. That is such a good example of how everybody can work, so long as we give them the right context. It’s down to the community at large to reach out to people who have particular disabilities, and ensure that we are not discriminating against them because we simply haven’t thought about it.
So, Lynne Neagle, you're such a good ambassador for mental health; I feel confident that we're in good hands in terms of keeping this flag flying. I think that the important work that the Government is doing around a whole-school approach to mental health is absolutely crucial. Mabon, you reminded us in a timely fashion about the importance of community asset transfers, which exist in other parts of the UK. At the moment, the Welsh Government has got a different approach, but we need to keep hold of that one.
Distressed people don’t learn well, and, unfortunately, they often end up with enduring mental health issues, or in the criminal justice system. So, there’s a real bonus in addressing these problems at an early time. Lastly, I just want to end by saying that Christmas is the worst time for poor people. It’s supposed to be a happy time. Actually, it’s a terrible time if you're poor. I just wanted to end by reading out something that a man from Glasgow said:
'At the moment…I can’t go to my friend’s house like I would do every Christmas. My neighbour knows that and has invited me to spend Christmas with her and her family. During tough times, the people around you can be there for you if you need.'
So, we all need to think about who in our community is going to have a rubbish Christmas, and how we can help them to have a better Christmas as a result.