Monday 10th May marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health. 

We’ve prepared a short video blog with some tips for wellbeing from some of our team.

The week, which is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, is in its 21st year. This year, the theme for the week is ‘Nature’. Across the country, people will be celebrating the mental health benefits of being around nature in their local community in a range of digital and creative ways.

Peter Oliver, County Commissioner of Merseyside Scouts said: “Supporting our members, of all ages, to build resilience with empathy is amongst the core skills for life we develop through our structured programme of activities, across the 145 communities of Merseyside we serve. We’re also working hard to raise awareness of the ways to wellbeing, encouraging our members to consciously think about taking time to focus on wellbeing, and training Mental Health First Aiders, to help our members access support – this has never, in recent times, been as important as it is now. Mental Health Awareness Week is a key opportunity for us to raise the profile of the importance of wellbeing, and to further develop understanding.”

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said: “Mental Health Awareness Week has grown to be one of the biggest awareness weeks in the UK. This year the theme is on nature and its central role for our mental health.  Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature to help us get through lockdowns and our research shows that good mental health depends on us being able to connect with nature in some way and its power in both prevention of and recovery from poor mental health. During the week, we want to hear millions of people’s stories about how the natural world has supported their mental health.  We also want to highlight the huge disparities between who is and who isn’t able to access nature. We want the week to explore how everyone across the UK can connect with nature and experience the mental health benefits wherever they live.”

Some of the ways people can participate in Mental Health Awareness Week:

  • During Mental Health Awareness Week, why not try to make a habit each day of connecting to the nature in your local area? Stop to listen to the birdsong, smell the freshly cut grass, take care of a house plant, notice any trees, flowers or animals nearby. Take a moment to appreciate these connections.  
  • Share images/videos/or just sound recordings of the nature on your doorstep (and how this made you feel) on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.
  • Use Mental Health Foundation resources in your family, school, workplace and community to join with thousands of people who will be finding new ways to connect with nature in their local environment.