After fighting her own battle with mental health, a local woman is hoping to help ignite a spark in others suffering from depression.

Jenny Derbyshire is looking for funding help to get a project, designed to promote all the different local services and avenues that exist to help people suffering with severe depression, which may not be apparent at the time.

She is planning to produce a 10-part mini-series of programmes, entitled ’The Spark’, which will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube and, with a local filmmaking company, Dark Avenue Films, on board and the backing of the Isle of Man Arts Council, she is looking for sponsorship to bring the project to fruition.

Jenny herself has battled against severe depression and, after finding that she had to search for different treatments, therapies and counselling services on the island that offered her the help and support she needed, she wanted to create something that made it easier and simpler for others to get the same help.

’This is driven by my own experiences,’ said Jenny.

’All through last year I had a very severe episode of depression. I had a lot of support but a friend said to me that I had to help myself in this situation.

’Originally I thought "how do you help yourself in this situation?"

’But then I found that there was lots of support for those in that situation, help lines and groups and so on.

’However, they are not automatically apparent, so I wanted to shine a light on these services, not just in counselling but in creative and other avenues, and bring them to people’s attention.

’Each episode will feature a different service, with one about what the NHS can offer, a bit about counselling and the services offered by people such as REACH IOM, and also various things like singing and dancing, hypnotherapy, running and sports, arts and writing, meditation.

’There are all sorts of things that are available and I think that it will help people to have a visual representation of who is there and what they can do rather than just going on line and reading a little bit about it.’

She aims for each episode, which will be around 10 minutes long each, will feature an interview with service providers, followed by an interview with Jenny, detailing how she herself benefitted from each of the therapies which have just been discussed.

She based the title ’The Spark’ on a conversation she had with her GP during her regular meetings.

’When I had my very severe depressive episode last year, I went to my GP and she kept in touch with me every few days. We would talk a lot,’ she said.

’After a period, I said to her that I felt well enough to go back to work and she said that she had seen a spark in me and she knew that I would be alright.

’It is based on that and also it has the imagery of setting off that spark in other people, reigniting that spark that their depression has stifled.

’I think it will be helpful for people to know that others have been suffering with it.’

Jen is looking for £5,000 to get the project started and has set up a Gofundme page under the title ’The Spark IoM Depression Support Miniseries.

by Mike Wade

Twitter:@iomnewspapers