Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week began on Monday 18th May and finished on Sunday 24th. The theme is kindness.
The official website: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week provides a number of useful resources on this theme, including a ‘Kindness Matters Guide’, sharing stories, official research and public policy on why kindness matters, as well as a FAQ section. Ultimately, the aim is to get more individuals and organisations to get involved and help raise the profile of mental health so that more people can receive the help they need.
Supporting people with mental health and wellbeing concerns sits alongside other important corporate issues, such as safety, and is an ongoing priority for the leadership team at Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG). It is PTSG’s aim that mental and physical wellbeing are addressed as one. Around one in six people experience a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression. For an organisation the size of PTSG, that could represent around 220 of its people. PTSG’s growing workforce is regarded its most important asset and as such has benefited from the Group’s structured and focused approach to health and well-being – being able to access professional and confidential help to address concerns before they become serious problems.
During the final week of February, Terry Wilcock (Director of Health and Safety) and Paul Campbell (Group Trainer and NVQ Assessor) presented the concept behind mental health first aid (MHFA) in a special training course for staff. As a result of the course, Paul Campbell achieved the qualification Mental Health First Aid Trainer through Mental Health First Aid England.
