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How charities are getting involved in mental health awareness week
15 May 2020by Joe Lepper
This year’s event is themed around kindness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help charities take part a raft of online resources has been created.
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place next week (May 18-24) and is an opportunity for charities to raise issues around emotional wellbeing across social media and their websites.
The annual week of activity is being hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and this year is themed around ‘kindness’.
During the week the charity will promote new polling data and research around the mental health benefits of being kind, along with tips and case studies to inspire people.
The campaign was originally themed around ‘sleep’, but was changed to kindness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for ‘kindness’ “in uncertain times”, says Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation
“Now more than ever we need to re-discover kindness in our daily lives,” he adds.
“We want to use Mental Health Awareness Week to celebrate the thousands of acts of kindness that are so important to our mental health. And we want to start a discussion on the kind of society we want to shape as we emerged from this pandemic.”
Social Media resources
To help mental health charities and other voluntary groups take part, the Mental Health Foundation has made online resources available.
This includes social media graphics for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to promote the week. Scotland specific graphics have also been created. Welsh language social media imagery is also available.
Charities are also urged to share content around the week using the #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek hashtags.
There’s just one week to go until #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek! �br />|>
— Mental Health Fdn (@mentalhealth
Find out how you can get involved and show that #KindnessMatters 💚
👇Download resources and read all about this year’s theme:
t.co/tpVlFiRdr1a>There’s just one week to go until #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek! \uD83D\uDE0A
— Mental Health Fdn (@mentalhealth) May 11, 2020
Find out how you can get involved and show that #KindnessMatters \uD83D\uDC9A
\uD83D\uDC47Download resources and read all about this year’s theme:
https://t.co/tpVlFiRdr1
Among charities and other organisations already promoting Mental Health Awareness Week via social media is the National Young Agency, which is using the event to raise awareness of its help for young people feeling anxious.
🚨New on YouthWorkSupport🚨
— NYA (@natyouthagen
In prep for Mental Health Awareness Week, please do download and share this new free resource for young people on stress and anxiety
Big thanks to @VRyouthwork for working with us on it!@mentalhealth #KindnessMatterst.co/pvfqRCRprR pic.twitter.com/vWJMfQHsdY\uD83D\uDEA8New on YouthWorkSupport\uD83D\uDEA8
— NYA (@natyouthagency) May 15, 2020
In prep for Mental Health Awareness Week, please do download and share this new free resource for young people on stress and anxiety
Big thanks to @VRyouthwork for working with us on it!@mentalhealth #KindnessMattershttps://t.co/pvfqRCRprR pic.twitter.com/vWJMfQHsdY
Another is children’s mental health charity Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. It is using its social media content to also promote its free seminar series ‘From Crisis to Kindness’.
The Anna Freud Centre is hosting a free seminar ser’es, ’From Crisis to Kindness’, for twitter.com/hashtag/MentalHealthAwarenessWeek?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek! Join us for the second one on Tuesday 19 May on the twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus pandemic, twitter.com/hashtag/mentalhealth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mentalhealth & education. More info & book: t.co/IJanAIFbNu">t.co/IJanAIFbNu twitter.com/hashtag/KindnessMatters?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KindnessMatters t.co/R211DZ9080">pic.twitter.com/R211DZ9080
— Anna Freud NCCF (@AFNCCF) twitter.com/AFNCCF/status/1260974551594414094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2020
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Free supporter pack
A downloadable free supporter pack has been made available by the Mental Health Foundation to offer further help.
This 21-page booklet offers further details of how charities can share content around kindness via online platforms. This includes using photos and videos to share acts of kindness.
“You can also share your ideas on how you think we could build a kinder society that would support our mental health,” states the pack.
The pack also details the importance of keeping connected online with friends and family for good mental health.
This includes offering advice to the public about arranging to use video conferencing to have a cup of tea and a “virtual catch up” with friends.
This could also include arranging to watch a film at the same time as a friend on a video call. Sending a motivational text to a friend who may have mental health problems is also among the advice in the pack.
Online charity support
The charity sector has been successfully using technology to ensure it can carry on supporting the mental health needs of beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic, as in-person support has to be put on hold.
Homelessness charities are among those helping. The Connection at St Martin in the Fields has launched a mental wellbeing website specifically for clients sleeping rough or in temporary accommodation. Activities on the website can be viewed online or printed as booklets.
The Samaritans have configured and posted hundreds of mobile phones to volunteers to help those with emotional wellbeing issues. Calls to the NHS are being routed to the charity’s volunteers using simple call plans built on Gamma. The charity is also looking to release a new self-help tool.
A number of mental health charities, including Mind and the Samaritans, have teamed up to create an online mental health support hub for NHS workers and others supporting those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Called Our Frontline it offers online resources, toolkits and advice on supporting mental wellbeing during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s Child, which supports those affected by eating disorders, quickly pivoted its in-person support online at the start of COVID-19 lockdown, through Zoom one-to-one counselling and telephone support.
With COVID-19 affecting many people’s emotional wellbeing it is clear that Mental Health Awareness Week this year is particularly important in raising awareness of ‘kindness’ and the role technology can play in supporting people struggling.
Joe Lepper
Joe Lepper
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