Nicky Nurrish was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 when she was 30 years old.
When she started learning about her diagnosis, she realized there wasn’t a single place in Plymouth that people could go to, so she created Marbles Lost and Found herself.
And now, the website launched three years ago is helping to provide information, advice and guidance on mental health through meetings in cafes and concerts.
The 44-year-old has been organizing different events to help raise money and awareness for her CIC company and refers to users of the service as ‘warriors’ for the strength they show day after day.
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“I was diagnosed with bipolar in my thirties, so I had quite a bit of destruction in my life,” Nicky said. “So when I got the diagnosis, I was pretty unwell at the time and had a total meltdown.
“When it was recognized, they gave me medication and I felt a bit lost. No one taught me how to deal with having Bipolar, they just gave me the label, they gave me medication, I was under the system and my life was completely turned upside down.
“I was getting more and more frustrated with the system because I wasn’t getting that support, so I started doing research on bipolar disorder, following people like Stephen Fry and Carrie Fisher and it started helping me because I was connecting with other people with mental illness.
“I was like ‘wow, this is really helping me,’ so I started gathering information, and when I was looking around there was nowhere that anything was all in one place, and when you’re in your head, it’s hard to find that. “. information.”
(Image: Nicky Nurrish)
Nicky created Marbles Lost and Found because he wanted to have a space where people could come together and talk openly about how they feel with like-minded people.
Every second Tuesday of the month, he hosts a unique support group at Moments Cafe on New George Street for locals to talk about how they feel, learn coping skills and learn more about their own minds.
Nicky has started organizing fundraising concerts at The Junction in Mutley Plain where bands play and he said it’s also an opportunity to break the stigma and ‘scream about mental health’.
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He added: “I have things like other organizations coming in and giving talks with the group, things like nutritionists coming in to prepare meals and discuss brain foods. I also have Toby from Street Factory and Jo who is very inspiring.”
The support group at Moments Cafe has been self-funded for the last three years, so the Junction fundraisers are to help fund Marbles and the types of support you can get at the groups.
The first gig at The Junction which he called ‘Messed Up’ was a huge success, managing to raise between £600 and £700.
(Image: Nicky Nurrish)
Nicky added: “I think we need to look at mental health differently, I think we need to educate people about wellness and really shout about all the great services we have in Plymouth.
“There’s a lot of support, mental health just takes time and we have a great community so I think we all need to shout about it and work together.”
“No matter how you feel, you can get ahead, you just have to surround yourself with the right things in life.”
You can contact Nicky on the Marbles Lost and Found website or send a direct message to Facebook page.
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