Its World Mental Health Day 2018, a poignant title for an all encompassing lived experience for many. I would usually perhaps share a quote or a photo or make a comment about the importance of awareness but as the years change so am I changing and it feels right this year to be a little… Continue reading The Storms that Follow us
It’s just a month since we told our story on Songs of Praise having been invited by BBC via Missing People and I have purposely stayed away from social media since then as an act of self preservation. It was a really tough decision to render myself quite vulnerable but equally validating to have been… Continue reading A message to new social work undergraduates
It was humbling being asked to tell my missing story on Songs of Praise and to have such a painful time in our lives treated so gently and with such dignity by those who filmed and created the piece, yet another example of the kindness of strangers. We hope that it will help others in… Continue reading ‘Found’ Dedicated to ‘The Missing People Choir’ – The Song that Sang me Home x
Childhood Pictures, a song written in memory of my mum and dad and sent out with love to the child in us all, Ju xxxxx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYHTGBfpbVk&feature=share
One year ago this Sunday, a month after returning home from being a missing person, I embarked on a life changing walk. I had suffered a mental health breakdown and instead of accepting more treatment, I started to walk. I felt free under the sky, untethered. As I walked more and more miles from my… Continue reading A Returned Person One Year On (an appeal to a missing person)
Its 7th June, today is a day for remembering someone special. Every year on this day I visit the graveyard in a nearby village, I kneel beside a gravestone and I chat to my friend. I think of his cheeky smile, broad accent, thick black hair and laughing eyes and I remember him. The day… Continue reading Cherish the young people in care systems of all kinds
Ive not done the blogg for a while, I’ve been writing a memoir and now I’ve hit 30,000 words I wanted to stop and breathe and to say hello. It’s such a roller coaster, writing stuff, especially life stuff, but it’s a rich experience too, it’s like weeding an overgrown patch of land and finding… Continue reading Writing my Book
A day of quiet reflection, what a difference a year makes. It’s twelve months since my spirit broke and the clown mask fell off, the most singularly terrifying experience of my entire life where, after a three year battle with depression and being the strong one, holding everyone else together, I eventually found myself in… Continue reading Hope
My beautiful wife spent time in Uganda several years before we married, as a physiotherapist, she was able to support women with their back care and became involved with health care, prison visiting and other work in Namatala slum, Mbale. Coming home, after building friendships and hearing the stories of people’s lives and daily struggles… Continue reading “May we always be a friend to a stranger and never a stranger to a friend”
My Missing AnniversaryIts approaching the twelve month anniversary of the time I was missing. It would be the easiest thing to quietly let it pass by and there will be private moments of reflection and thankfulness but I can’t roll up such a significant life event and pack it away in an old trunk somewhere… Continue reading My Missing Anniversary
I’ve been away for a few weeks in the beautiful welsh countryside near to the Pembrokeshire coastal path and the blustery Irish Sea. Just me and the 🐶. We have experienced the most extremes of weather, snow, hale, ice, wind, rain and sunshine, each day bringing with it fresh air and new life and each… Continue reading “The Head Not The Tail”
Sharing some of my artwork from when I had my own studio after being one of the first young people to benefit from sponsorship by The Princes Trust after overcoming challenges in my childhood. Was lucky to be chosen to then paint and exhibit for Prince Charles 40th birthday and went on to enjoy some… Continue reading Time to come out of the shadows, blowing the cobwebs away
Today took us on some incredibly beautiful trails, so fortunate to live here and to be able to appreciate this environment in all weathers. “Thielo” was begging for mercy after five miles so he was rewarded with a swim in the stream and a bonio!!☺️🐶
Ju Blencowe 