Today is World Mental Health Day, providing an opportunity to show support for better mental health and mental health charities.
With this in mind, we thought it the perfect timing to announce our new chosen charity, Changes Bristol who will be added to our current charity partners CLIC Sargeant and Jessie May.
Changes Bristol support people with their mental health recovery.
Approximately one in four people in the UK experience a mental health issue each year. Figures show that Bristol sees higher rates of mental illness than the national average, with disadvantaged areas the worst affected. Mental health is just as vital as physical health and mental health issues can affect everything from quality of life to life expectancy.
Changes Bristol is a grassroots mental health charity that has been providing peer support groups since 2004. Changes offers a support network which anyone can access. You don’t need a GP referral, there are no waiting lists, and you can access the support for as long as you need it.
With the help of trained mental health facilitators, these safe, confidential groups enable people work together to improve their mental health. These sessions let people learn from others with lived experience, work to reduce social isolation, support improving self-esteem, and empower people to make the most of their lives.
At PRG we are committed to supporting mental health and back in July, 8 employees spent two days learning about mental health, how to support their peers and how to provide the next steps of getting them the practical help they need.
After the training was completed we set up a MHFA email that allows any employee to contact a MHFA on a strictly confidential manner 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.
Alongside this our health plan also offer a full employee assistance programme (EAP). In times of need EAP have experienced counsellors on hand to support you and guide you through your situation. They provide emotional support, telephone counselling, practical information, face-to-face counselling and CBT.
If you’d like to find out more about the work that Changes Bristol do, take a look at their website here Changes Bristol
