4 July

What we loved about Mental Health Awareness Week

The Lord Mayor's Appeal Programme Manager Matt Bentall reflects back on our This is Me activity for Mental Health Awareness Week and looks at the benefits of taking part in the worldwide initiative for mental health... 

This year was the 25th year of Mental Health Awareness Week and it continues to drive conversation and actions in organisations up and down the country.

The theme for 2025 was community. It has long been recognised that connection and belonging are protective factors that can help to prevent or limit the impact of poor mental health on individuals.

It was this very topic and the role it plays in the workplace that was explored in a webinar produced in collaboration with Elevo in advance of the week itself.

The session considered not just the role of formal staff networks in building a sense of community but also the informal connections that arise when we find like minded people in our workplace and are given space to collaborate and connect.

For many, the workplace isn’t simply where they earn their keep, but a source of purpose, identity and something that builds rather than erodes their wellbeing. Whilst built for Mental Health Awareness week, the webinar is of relevance to any organisation looking to build their internal communities and can be accessed along with the supporting written resource for free via the This is Me hub. 

Throughout Mental Health Awareness week, we celebrated the desire of organisations across the City to continue to end the stigma that surrounds mental health and create workplaces that enhance and support the wellbeing of their staff. 

We joined forces with The Lord Mayor's Appeal Charity Partner MQ Mental Health to recognise the benefits of physical activity on mental health.

We were joined by over 50 individuals from across out This is Me Network for a walk and talk in glorious sunshine, on a green ribbon-shaped route that started at Mansion House and ended by the Heron Tower, taking in some iconic City locations along the way. 

A particular highlight of the week for the team, was a trip to UBS to witness their one day barbershop pop up facilitated by the Lions Barber Collective, an organisation that is committed to creating safe spaces within barber shops for customers to share their mental health struggles. Staff at UBS queued from before 9am for the opportunity to sit down with one of the Mental Health trained barbers for a trim and a chat. 

The team also attended a fantastic morning event at the Guildhall, opened by The Lord Mayor and chaired by This is Me Steering Group member Anastasia Vinnikova. Those familiar with our recent work will also recognise panellist Luke Wilson who along with Anastasia, shared his story in our most recent This is Me storytelling video. 

With each Mental Health Awareness Week that goes by, it is heartening to see the continued commitment of the City to creating more mentally healthy workplaces, even against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis and shrinking budgets.

The benefits of supporting staff wellbeing are as vital now as they ever have been and This is Me will be playing our part in the year ahead with a brilliant schedule of events. Please visit our website to find out more. 

On their Mental Health Awareness Week activity Christelle Jones, Group Legal at UBS said: 

“Being able to host our Lions Barber Collective event was such a powerful reminder that healing is a journey best taken together, with empathy lighting the way.”

Join the This is Me movement here