‘Every conversation matters, every act of kindness counts’

Mental Health Awareness Week is from 11-17 May and encourages people to take action to support good mental health. Sue Tomlinson from Rethink shares how the team are doing this across the county

‍Mental Health Awareness Week is a reminder that nobody should face mental health challenges alone. ‍

Empowering Minds

Rethink’s Empowering Minds aims to improve individual mental health outcomes for Gloucestershire residents with a serious mental Illness and/or common mental health conditions. We believe that connection, compassion, and community can make a real difference. Every conversation matters, every act of kindness counts, and support should be available without judgement. ‍ ‍ ‍

Across Gloucestershire, we provide one-to-one support, peer support groups, wellbeing sessions, drop-ins, practical support, and safe spaces where people can talk openly and feel heard.

‍Whether you are supporting someone else, or simply checking in on a friend – your help matters. If you know someone who might benefit from the service then you can download a referral form here.

‍Mental Health Awareness Week is the perfect time to take a moment and look after your own mental wellbeing too. ‍

You can join us at Empowering Minds whether you’re looking for peace and reflection in our Wellbeing Garden, something a little more physical and hands-on such as a woodworking project, or if you’re simply looking for time to talk with others who understand. ‍Connection, creativity, fresh air, and conversation can all play an important part in improving wellbeing and reducing isolation. ‍

For support or more information, please contact the Rethink team by calling 07570 343767 or emailing empoweringminds@rethink.org.

Gloucestershire Mental Health Forums ‍ ‍

The Gloucestershire Mental Health Forums bring people together to work out how local mental health support could be improved, so they are ‘a space to work out together what would make things better’.‍ ‍

Although the Forums are facilitated by Rethink Mental Illness, they’re really owned by the people who take part. ‍They were set up because there was a clear need for more joined‑up working across Gloucestershire. The aim is to bring different parts of the mental health system together, spot where there might be gaps in what’s currently available (eg training and service delivery), and co‑produce solutions to problems with the people who care most about mental health outcomes across the county. ‍ ‍

The Forums take place online every three months, covering Stroud & Berkeley Vale, Gloucester, Forest of Dean & TWNS, the Cotswolds and Cheltenham across a two-week period. ‍ ‍

Each series of Forums focusses on a different topic, suggested and voted for by Forum participants. So far, we’ve explored ‍mental health needs alongside drug and alcohol use; mental health needs alongside neurodivergence; and also crisis support. ‍

Who comes to the Forums?

‍The Forums bring together a mix of people, including: ‍

• people with lived experience of mental illness

• people who support or care for someone with mental illness

• staff and volunteers from the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS), and grassroots groups and organisations

• people working in statutory services, including the NHS and local councils. ‍

Turning insight into action

‍However, the Forums aren’t just a talking space. They’re linked directly with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Partnership Board, where priorities and insights from the Forums are shared. From there, actions are agreed and taken forward.

‍We think it’s really important that people’s time, experiences, and insights lead to real change, not just conversation, and as the Forums grow and progress, we hope to have lots of positive progress to show people across the county. ‍‍ ‍

Interested in getting involved? ‍ ‍

If you’d like to join a future Forum or find out more, you can get in touch by emailing: Rhiannon.Davis@rethink.org.

Intro photo of an Empowering Minds woodwork project. Credit: Rethink