Wear It Blue For Better Mental Health!
Mental Health Awareness Week: 15th-21st May 2023.
Local mental health charity West Kent Mind are once again asking people across the community to Wear It Blue for better mental health this Mental Health Awareness Week, from 15th-21st May 2023.
Last year the response was incredible; with schools, football teams, WIs, local councils, theatres, libraries, businesses large and small, individuals and families joining West Kent Mind in wearing it blue for better mental health, raising awareness and valuable funds to support the charity’s work in the community.
This year, the team are hoping that even more people across West Kent will take part. Louise Griffiths, Marketing Manager said: “We are appealing to everyone in our community to help us turn West Kent into a sea of blue for Mental Health Awareness Week! We want everyone to feel comfortable talking about mental health and seeking support when they need it, and by wearing blue, our West Kent Mind colour, you will help us raise awareness and help to create a supportive community. Any donation you can make to our Wear It Blue campaign will make a real difference, helping us to reach and support more local people experiencing mental ill health. Dig out your favourite blue T-shirt, pull on your blue jeans, slip on some natty blue socks and join us in wearing it blue for better mental health!”
How to get involved:
- Pick a day during Mental Health Awareness Week (15th-21st May) and show your support by wearing something blue!
- Donate to West Kent Mind to support vital services for local people: visit the Just Giving campaign page at www.justgiving.com/campaign/WKMWearItBlue
- Start a conversation, talk and listen – small conversations have the power to make a big difference.
- Share your pics with West Kent Mind! Tag @westkentmind in your photos and use the hashtag #wearitblueforWKM.
The West Kent Mind staff team will be in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge stations on Tuesday 16th May to share information about the support and services available and to collect donations.
Why it makes a difference:
One in four adults will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Demand for services at West Kent Mind continues to rise as they experience the ongoing and long-term impact of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and global events on our mental health and wellbeing.
It is more important than ever to raise awareness about mental health, for people to understand how to support themselves and others, and how to access the support they need.
In the last year, local people were supported in over 3,000 affordable counselling sessions and there were over 2,000 attendances at their community wellbeing groups. Solace Café opened two evenings a week to provide support for those experiencing or at risk of experiencing an emotional crisis and 16 specialist five-week Life Skills courses were delivered to support clients to challenge unhelpful thinking and behaviours and make positive changes in their lives.
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While demand for support continues to rise, resources and funding has become scarcer and more competitive, so they rely on the generosity of our local community to help raise funds to support our vital services.
Mental Health Awareness Week, 15th-21st May, is an opportunity to turn the spotlight on mental health, to get people talking openly and honestly about mental health with family, friends and colleagues, and to create supportive communities where everyone can talk freely and feel empowered to seek help when they need it.
• To donate to the Wear It Blue campaign: visit the Just Giving campaign page at https://justgiving.com/campaign/WKMWearItBlue
#wearitblueforWKM #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #IndexDigital
