Member Article

It’s Time to Talk: Mental Health Charity Announces Plans to Ensure January Blues Stay in January

Leading mental health organisations, Living Well UK and Birmingham Mind, have announced plans to boost support in their Selly Oak and Hall Green wellbeing hubs, ahead of Time to Talk Day on 1 February. Taking place at the recently launched grounded. sites, the plans include an awareness-building quiz at the site in Selly Oak, while visitors to Hall Green can enjoy a Chai and Chat from 10am until 2pm. The plans come in a bid to encourage open communication about mental health and give people prompts on how they can make time to talk.

To ensure that people feel supported beyond the usual January Blues, the pair have announced their plans to host additional workshops and support sessions on 1 February, also known as Time to Talk Day. 

Set up by Mind – another leading mental health charity in the UK – Time to Talk Day is the nation's biggest mental health conversation, aiming to encourage people to talk about mental health and remove the stigma. Whether it’s a coffee morning or a conversation with a friend, every conversation matters.

With this in mind, Living Well UK and Birmingham Mind will be hosting additional workshops at their grounded Selly Oak and Hall Green sites, with open sessions to encourage people to pop-in and talk about their mental health struggles, discuss support options available to them, or simply to have a chat with a friendly face.

On the aim of the additional support offerings and reasoning behind them, Leila Zafar, project manager at Living Well UK said:

“Throughout January so many people are focused on their mental health and wellbeing; it’s gloomy, it’s cold, we’re all missing Christmas and the break from work. But those feelings don’t necessarily stop when the month does... 

“This is why things like Time to Talk Day are so important, to remind people - and the nation as a whole - that something as small as a conversation at the bus stop or a call just to chat can make the world of difference. This year we really wanted to encourage people to come and visit us in person for a cuppa and a chat and figured that our new grounded. sites are the perfect place for that! Whether it is regarding mental health struggles or not, we’re hopeful that it will leave people feeling a little less alone.”

grounded. Selly Oak will be hosting an awareness building mental health quiz, featuring topical questions that also act as conversation starters. Meanwhile, grounded. Hall Green will be hosting a Chai and Chat from 10am-2pm, during which the site’s resident experts from Birmingham-based CIC, Cognitive Wellness, will be on hand to offer advice about mental health support, as well as a friendly face and a listening ear.

Those looking for more information about grounded., Living Well UK’s offerings, or for support from a mental health professional, can do so via the official grounded. website or via Living Well UK’s website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Claire Bryson .