Manchester Mind chosen as Forward Role’s Charity of the Year
Being able to give back to our community and support local charities is important to us here at Forward Role. Just before Christmas we asked the whole company who they wanted to champion over the next twelve months and we’re thrilled to announce that Forward Role’s Charity of the Year 2020 will be Manchester Mind.
Manchester Mind is a proud member of the national Mind network, but an independent charity raising their own funds to keep local mental health services running. As Joanna Huddart at Manchester Mind said, "In our community every year we offer advice, information and support to 6,500 children, young people and adults who're experiencing mental health issues. The charity partnership with Forward Role is so important, as with your kind donations we can continue to be there for anyone who's suffering emotional and mental distress."
Manchester Mind has done a lot of work to raise awareness of mental health, helping to remove the stigma around it. Their goal is that ‘no one should have to face a mental health problem alone’ and they look to empower people, by giving them the tools to help improve their mental health. With 1 in 4 people in the UK experiencing a mental health issue each year, it’s something that a lot of people can relate to and Manchester Mind cover a broad spectrum of conditions that affect different people in different ways.
For a number of years now Forward Role has been doing lots to promote positive mental health in our workplace. From creating a collaborative working environment where the whole team feels supported and able to seek help should they need it, to running regular wellbeing events.
We believe that by just being aware of your mental health is a step in the right direction, so we actively promote this through Wellbeing Days where we encourage the team to get out of the office and join in with activities like yoga and fitness classes, to get those stress-busting endorphins pumping. We also like to offer healthy breakfasts by providing lots of fresh fruit, to help boost both physical and mental wellbeing; as poor physical health can have a negative effect on mental health too. To promote wellbeing in our workplace we also offer Forward Rollers free mental health support, in the form of 24/7 counselling.
So, with Manchester Mind selected as our 2020 charity, we’ll be challenging ourselves to boost our own wellbeing initiatives this year by looking into all of the ways we can support them. We’ll be doing various things throughout the next 12 months to raise as much money as we can, as well as spreading the word about the great work the charity does and helping them to achieve their strategic aims:
To address the effects of poverty, insecurity and poor physical health on people’s mental health.
To help people to manage their lives and to make positive choices with skill and confidence.
To promote and create opportunities for people to contribute to their communities.
To provide information and advice to people to meet their needs and raise awareness about mental health within our city.
The money that we raise this year will go a long way; as little as £10 would provide 3 hot meals for a vulnerable person with mental health issues and a donation of £200 can be put to great use, offering 8 counselling sessions for a young person in emotional distress.
For more details of all Manchester Mind's projects and services visit www.manchestermind.org.
If you’re struggling with mental health issues it’s important to reach out for help. We’ve listed some numbers below that you can contact if you want to talk.
