Today marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health.
The week, which is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, is in its 21st year and runs from 10-16 May.
This year, the theme for the week is ‘Nature’. Across the country, people will be celebrating the mental health benefits of being around nature in their local community in a range of digital and creative ways. Throughout the week we’ll be launching our first Cycle Group for service members, going on a nature walk, raise awareness of our free out of office hours helpline specifically launched during COVID to provide additional support services to ACCI service members and launching a 52 miles cycle challenge within the month to encourage our members and the local community to cycle and to be out in nature.
Denzil Fletcher of ACCI said “With the nation coming out of a global pandemic, Mental Health Awareness Week is more important than ever. The last 12 months have been tough for our members and the local community, so this makes Mental Health Awareness Week even more important than ever, and we want the whole community to get involved with us celebrating this week.”
Mark Rowland Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said: “Mental Health Awareness Week has grown to be one of the biggest awareness weeks in the UK. This year the theme is on nature and its central role for our mental health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature to help us get through lockdowns and our research shows that good mental health depends on us being able to connect with nature in some way and its power in both prevention of and recovery from poor mental health.
“During the week, we want to hear millions of people’s stories about how the natural world has supported their mental health.
“We also want to highlight the huge disparities between who is and who isn’t able to access nature. We want the week to explore how everyone across the UK can connect with nature and experience the mental health benefits wherever they live.”
We urge any service members who feel they need some additional help during COVID-19, to use the Freephone line and contact us 0800 118 4057. Helpline opening times:
- Friday – 16:00 to 22:00
- Saturday -10:00 to 18:00
- Sunday- 10:00 to 18:00
To get involved with any of the ACCI Mental Health Awareness challenges please call 01902 571 230.
