Fighting mental health stigma

People from across West Sussex have shared their personal experiences to help tackle the stigma surrounding mental health.
(L to R) WSCC Cabinet member for adults and health Amanda Jupp, Jackie Manners from West Sussex libraries, Coastal West Sussex Mind trustee Sue Hawker and champion Kris(L to R) WSCC Cabinet member for adults and health Amanda Jupp, Jackie Manners from West Sussex libraries, Coastal West Sussex Mind trustee Sue Hawker and champion Kris
(L to R) WSCC Cabinet member for adults and health Amanda Jupp, Jackie Manners from West Sussex libraries, Coastal West Sussex Mind trustee Sue Hawker and champion Kris

Residents from Chichester, Worthing and Crawley, who have experienced mental health problems, came together to celebrate their achievements at the Time to Change West Sussex event at Chichester College.

The event, on Wednesday, October 31, included the support of county councillors, West Sussex County Council staff, the libraries, the teams from Coastal West Sussex Mind and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

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Some mental health champions then shared personal stories of the mental health challenges they have faced and how they became involved in the Time To Change campaign.

Activities were then held to help raise awareness of mental health issues, including pebble painting, stride and sketch walks, pom pom cheerleading sessions and various craft sessions.

The workshop not only marked the end of the funded partnership but also gave everyone the chance to pitch possible ways to sustain the important work of raising awareness about mental health.

West Sussex County Council cabinet member for adults and health, Amanda Jupp, said: “I was very pleased to join the workshop which included a number of volunteer champions who go out into our communities and spread the word about the importance of mental well-being in the workplace.

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“It was a really engaging morning with excellent input from the voluntary sector and well-being agencies and we have come away with some good proposals to move forward.

“We all have our part to play in changing attitudes and removing the stigma around mental health.”

So far a total of £5,663 has been awarded to 15 Time For Change events.

For further details on the mental health champions fund, other events or to get your own event funded email [email protected] or visit the Time to Change website.