Mental Health Awareness Week

This Mental Health Awareness Week has been all about celebrating community. Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing and considering this concept is at the centre of everything we do, we couldn’t let this go unmarked. This week, we’ve shared all the ways in which we are here for one another and those we support.

To mark the start of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, on Monday we were on the Be Well Bus at the Felixstowe Port Health and Wellbeing Fair alongside other local service providers.

The Bus is a mobile one-stop shop for health and wellbeing support and we helped promote good mental health and shared some thoughts on how this can be accomplished through developing social connections.

“We thrive when we have strong connections with others and supporting communities around us”. Lauren McRae, Community Connectors Support Officer.

In a thousand small ways, our children ask ‘Do you hear me? Do you see me? Do I matter?’

Working alongside service user Ella, we have seen first-hand the value in spending quality time together, exploring activities she enjoys.

“Watching Ella’s confidence bloom in the time I have supported her, gives me purpose and a reason to smile”. Hilda Damulira, Mentoring Service.

On ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ we invited our staff to send us photos of ‘what makes you smile’.

Making time to do things you enjoy is important – it can help to reduce stress, improve mood and boost overall well-being. Making time for activities and interests can also provide a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and social connection and we love that our staff find so many differing ways to do this.

On Thursday, we also invited our team to ‘Wear it Green’ for Mental Health Awareness Week (the international symbol of mental health awareness) and did some fun things together, as a team, helping to turn the world green for good mental health.

Also on #WearItGreenDay our Community Connectors invited our service users to picnic in the park with us. What better way to celebrate the day than being surrounded by nature and green spaces which has a mood-improving effect. 

We chose to host a picnic as they provide opportunities for social connection which we know is really important for mental wellbeing. Spending time together can help combat feelings of loneliness and social isolation and coming together on days like this is a great way to nurture positive relationships.

On Friday, we took a look at how, as a local charity, mental health is a cornerstone of what we deliver. It is not an optional extra, it is foundational. As well as making a positive difference to the communities we work in, ACT recognises the value in supporting its staff.

Caroline Patten, Head of Business Support, shared how we help support a healthy work-life balance and staff wellbeing.

We have an incredible community of volunteers. They enable us to reach and connect with different social groups within the community, as well as being an integral part of our very own ACT community.

We would not be able to do what we do without them.

On Saturday, we invited Ann Lockwood to share how volunteering has helped her...

Volunteering isn’t just a way to help others — it’s one of the most powerful ways we create meaning, reduce loneliness, and feel connected to something larger than ourselves.

What better way to wrap up Mental Health Awareness Week on Sunday than inviting one of our dedicated volunteers, Annie Waddilove to give us an insight into what she loves to do, beyond helping us here at ACT.

Having hobbies and interests tied to happiness is a great way of promoting positive mental health.

Hobbies hold the key to a healthier, happier you! And that was our Mental Health Awareness Week - we hope you enjoyed seeing what our team got up to, and what's important to us.