Time To Talk day
Eight events took place across North Somerset, with hundreds of people talking about the importance of mental health in day to day life, at venues including Weston General Hospital, Weston College and The Living Centre. The events were supported by organisations from across the NHS, Police, charity groups and private sector as well as service users from mental health services.
Involvement coordinator for Avon and Wiltshire Partnership NHS Trust Stephen Budd said:
“ Time to Change is a great charity challenging mental health stigma and discrimination . They say that too often, it’s left to people with mental health problems to talk about mental health. It’s treated as a taboo subject – something to only be spoken about in quiet corners. But mental health affects us all, and everyone should feel able to talk about it.
“We’ve come here today to promote wellbeing and the benefits of talking about mental health. We’ve had a great response from the local community and talked with hundreds of people about how they are feeling and what people can do if they need more support.
“There’s no right or wrong way to talk about our wellbeing– every conversation about mental health helps towards making it a normal subject for people to talk about.”
North Somerset Clinical Lead for Mental Health and local GP Dr Mike Jenkins said:
“This year we really want to emphasise that it is important to talk about mental health and that this can be done anywhere. Time to Talk Day is a chance for all of us to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen, to change lives and to reduce the stigma that still surrounds mental illness.
“Around one in four people will suffer with a mental health problem in any given year and yet people are still reluctant to talk about it. Events like those in North Somerset today get people talking about mental health and help them to find out more about the services which are available to help them.
“We would encourage anyone who is worried about mental illness or who is struggling to cope to book an appointment with their GP to find out more about the services which are available to help.”
Andy Marsh, Chief Constable, Avon and Somerset Police said:
“Mental wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, but most of us find it difficult to talk about. We increasingly come into contact with people in mental health crisis, and I’m proud to say that, working with our partners, we’re now in the second year using our Bristol street triage and control room triage teams to really make a difference supporting people going through what can be some of the toughest times in their lives.
“But it’s not just about being able to offer the right service to those in need in our communities, it’s about having a strong support structure for our officers and staff when they need it as well. That’s why this Time to Talk day I’m encouraging everyone – police officers and staff included – to speak freely and openly about their experiences of mental health and help others to do the same.”
Nigel Briers, Chair of North Somerset LGBT+, said:
“This is a great opportunity to raise awareness around diversity and equality, mental health does not discriminate. Time to Talk day event show shows how effective working together can be in raising awareness.”
Emmy Watts, Access Service Manager Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said:
“We are really pleased that time to talk events are helping to raise awareness of mental health, to encourage our communities to turn difficult conversations about mental health into natural ones.
“We are into our second year of control room triage this consists of a team of mental health professionals working within the police control room in the Avon and Somerset Force. This has led to the development of a successful partnership initiative, which supports people on the streets who are experiencing mental health crisis. The focus is ensuring that the right support is given at the right time. We are committed to working together with the police to improve the access to support in whatever circumstance in which a person first needs help. “
