Mental Health Awareness Week hailed a great success in Southampton

As we’re leading on developing the recently launched Southampton Mental Health Network, we attended many events in an effort to raise awareness of mental wellbeing in the city during National Mental Health Awareness Week (May 13-19, 2019).

Our Manager at Communicare, Annie Clewlow explains: “For us at Communicare National Mental Health Awareness Week is a really important event and Southampton Mental Health Network, (SMHN) which was officially launched during the week, is a vital project too.

“SMHN has been created with the support of the Creative Options Community Project, and many other organisations like ourselves, to make Southampton a Mental Health Friendly City and to bring together individuals and organisations committed to working in partnership towards its shared vision for a Mental Health Friendly City.”

During the week, Annie visited one of our new lunch clubs, as well as going along to a well-established one: The Haven, which we run in partnership with St Mark’s Church.

“I also presented to the Love Southampton steering group, helped with a stall at Lordshill Library Tea & Talk, attended the Deanery Synod, and Itchen to Bridge the Gap and Rotary Social Innovation events to help raise awareness of SMHN.

“Some of the things we can do in Southampton to help the project reach its aims include simple actions based around loneliness, isolation, being kind and being a good friend and neighbour. In our charity we see this as a particularly important area, as simply befriending someone in your own community can make a big difference to the lives of everyone.

“This is about all ages and all walks of life getting together and being involved. We’re all in it together, as a community and we need to come together to look at the simple things we can do to make Southampton a mentally-friendly and happy place to live for everyone.

“We feel strongly about the mental health of the city, as isolation and loneliness often go hand-in-hand with emotional well-being. We’re acutely aware of the impact isolation and loneliness can have on all ages, therefore it’s crucial we help raise awareness, benefit those in need and, also, increase understanding within all communities.”