Please Note: This blog post is in support of the Mental Health Foundation
Every year, thousands of supporters across the UK take part in Mental Health Awareness Week. This year the week will take place from May 16-22 on the theme of relationships.
Healthy and supportive relationships are key to good mental health. Join in celebrating the people and connections in our lives that add to our wellbeing and help us thrive.
Hold an event:
Think about ways you can bring people together and start conversations around mental health. Some suggestions could be to:
- Host a wellbeing walk – with friends, colleagues or people in your community
- Set up a stand in your local hospital, community centre, library or supermarket
- Hold a series of lectures or talks on mental health – make it as interactive as possible and get the audience involved!
The Mental Health Foundation fundraising team have got you covered with more event ideas for the workplace, schools and your communities.
Don’t forget to add your event to our activity map – you can also see what other people are planning during the week.
Spread the word:
During the week the Mental Health Foundation will be posting stories and information on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please follow them to help them share their messages and to join in the discussion. You can also let them know what you’re getting up to by using the tag #MHAW16.
Share your story:
If you have a personal story about how relationships have been a source of strength in your life and would like to share it, please send through 400 words to stories@mentalhealth.org.uk
Mental Health Awareness Week FAQs
Mental Health Awareness Week 2016 will take place from 16-22 May on the theme of relationships.
How can I get involved?
During the week I encourage supporters to hold events and campaign to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing. You can find out how to get involved as an individual, within a workplace and as a community here.
You can also find events to attend in your area through the activity map
Can you send me materials supporting Mental Health Awareness Week?
The Mental Health Foundation will be producing a range of materials to support your events which will be released closer to the week. This will include a poster, leaflets, and a donation box. You can pre-order your pack here.
They will also be producing digital materials in the run up to the week such as infographics and banners which we encourage you to share to help raise awareness and get more people involved!
How can I fundraise during the week?
The Mental Health Foundation is a charity that relies on public donations and grant funding to deliver and campaign for good mental health for all.
You can find out more about fundraising and get inspiration for the types of events you can hold here.
Do you have any funding available for my event?
Unfortunately as a charity with limited resources, T.M.H.F. don’t have the capacity to provide funding for events held during the week. However, you can publicize your event through the activity map, and they can also send you a free pack of materials including a poster and leaflets. Please sign up to the mailing list to be the first to know when these are available for pre-order.
Can you help me publicize any events I am holding during the week?
You can submit details of your event to be displayed on the activity map. T.M.H.F. will be publicizing this map in the lead up to the week so that supporters can find out about and attend your events.
How can I become a partner organisation during the week?
If you would like to support Mental Health Awareness Week as an organisation, please get in touch via email to: awarenessweek@mentalhealth.org.uk. You can also find out ways to get your workplace involved here.
THE BIPOLAR BUSINESSMAN 