Uke can be happy – music and massage at mental health day

Wherever they play, the Grand Old Uke of York make people happy. So they have joined with the Healing Clinic in York for a special event to mark World Mental Health Day.

Healing Rocks will see York’s ukelele orchestra playing a selection of feel-good songs at the Basement On Thursday, October 9, from 8pm.

That is the eve of World Mental Health Day, which the World Health Organisation promotes globally on October 10.

The ukulele is easy to pick up, it makes you smile and is good for the mind, body and spirit. So organiser June Tranmer, founder of the Healing Clinic thought, why not promote mental health day with the uke?

“People love to talk about music but we’d like to get people to be more open about mental health issues and talk about those too,” she said.

At Healing Rocks there will be Healing Clinic practitioners on hand to give mini massages for those who buy ten or more raffle tickets.

The night will raise funds for a fund to make the clinic’s premises on Museum Street more accessible.

“We have been at Club Chambers for seven years now, having started life in 1992 in Fulford,” June said.

“We have three treatment rooms out of four that are not accessible to people with mobility issues, so we really need to think about improving access to our practitioners.”

A community interest company since 2007, The Healing Clinic is “particularly focusing on mental health at the moment” June said.

“We will be doing Dementia Awareness training at the clinic in November, to raise our effectiveness in helping people with dementia feel more welcomed to our premises.”