"My Faith has helped carry me through these times."

I am a Christian, it gives me faith and hope for the future and confidence that things will go well and I will be prosperous. I pray every day before I go to bed and also at different times during the day if I need to. I pray when things are going badly and also when things are going well. I go to church. I go on home leave one week and then to church the next week, this alternates.

When I first arrived here, which is a long time ago now, I asked if I could go to church. At that time I had to be escorted so I would go with staff. There was a seven week period when staff were not being provided to take me, so I complained through an advocate or a social worker, I can't remember which it was now, but after that it got better.

I was really upset when I couldn't go and was so disappointed. Some time ago a Chaplin would come and do a service on the ward, but there is nothing like that happening now, this would be done in the quiet room and was great.

Patients would come along and we would get a good turnout. This would be a good thing to bring back for patients. The Chaplin used to also come and talk to us about a lot of things, not only religion. There used to be a Catholic service and a Christian service. I don't know if anything like that is happening on the men's wards.

My Faith has helped carry me through these times. Staff don't really discuss these things if you ask they say they don't want to talk about these things in case they are not the same as the person. I think people like befrienders who have an interest could come and talk to us. The lady Chaplin came from Northampton before which was good. It didn't really matter that it was a woman or a man but it was good because it was a woman. It was more supportive.

I feel the staff don't really encourage it - A long time ago, one of the nurses told me that they were Christian. This helped me to know this. I could talk to this nurse and felt that we had a bond cos I could talk about certain things of my interests and helped me to bring meaning to certain things.

I think that ex-patients could become volunteers and befrienders and talk to other people who needed their faith and religion to help them through being in hospital.

I observe Lent and have given up chocolate, cake and biscuits and cookies. They don't do anything about Lent on the ward here. There was an OT who worked here before who supported me but she is not here anymore.

I think I am the only patient observing Lent here. My sister said she might host Easter so she may have all the family at her house. We have Turkey at Easter.

The meaning for us is about close family relationships and bonding. I like it when I go to my family's house. I give eggs to my nieces and I have 13 to get and I have been getting bit by bit. So far I have five, Three crème eggs and two peanut M and M's.

I want to get a mixture. I got baptised when I was 20 and for over 10 years I have been going to the same Church. I was told that the egg means new birth or new beginning and you can't have Easter without the egg, but I am not exactly sure.

Do you know that more people go to Church at Easter than at Christmas? Yes, I've observed this and that more people come along at this time, even my own family who bring along their partners. I don't know why? It may be to do with Christ's resurrection. I love the Lord.