Mental Health Awareness Week: Turning awareness into action
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from May 11-17 aiming to raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about mental wellbeing.
Organised by the Mental Health Foundation, the week focuses on “Action”, reminding us that while awareness is important, meaningful change happens when we take practical steps, whether that’s supporting ourselves, reaching out to others, or strengthening communities.
Mental health challenges affect a significant proportion of the UK population, with around one in five adults experiencing common conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Despite growing awareness, stigma and barriers to support still exist. Mental Health Awareness Week aims to:
Encourage open and honest conversations
Challenge misconceptions around mental illness
Promote early intervention and prevention
Signpost support services
Access to mental health support is a big issue for those in our community experiencing homelessness. This year’s New Hope health report showed that 19% of those asked received no mental health support last year, and that 26% needed mental health care but did not receive it. It also found that mental health issues were a major driver of A&E visits and hospital admissions among homeless people.
While national campaigns raise awareness, it is often local charities that provide the day-to-day support people rely on. New Hope works directly with those in need, offering a safe, supportive environment where people can begin to rebuild confidence, develop coping strategies and feel less isolated.
New Hope’s approach is rooted in understanding that recovery is not linear, it looks different for everyone. Services are designed to meet people where they are, offering tailored support that empowers individuals to take positive steps forward.
Key areas of support include:
1. One-to-one support
People are given the opportunity to talk openly about their experiences in a non-judgemental setting. This personalised approach helps individuals feel heard, valued and understood.
2. Group activities and peer support
By bringing people together, New Hope helps reduce isolation, a key factor in poor mental health, and develop social inclusion. Group sessions encourage connection, shared experiences and mutual encouragement.
3. Practical wellbeing activities
From Cultivate’s mindfulness sessions to creative workshops, New Hope provides activities that promote relaxation, self-expression and resilience - aligning closely with the “action” theme of Mental Health Awareness Week.
4. Building confidence and independence
Through structured programmes, people can develop life skills, improve self-esteem and regain a sense of purpose.
Cultivate’s Ian Bond explained: “We have found that a loss of meaning and purpose is often a root cause of mental health difficulties in those experiencing homelessness, which is one of the reasons we developed a tool called the ‘Life journey tree’.
“This is an image of a tree with the nine universal needs written on the roots and allows people to reflect on how they have been meeting their needs, and how they wish to, going forward in their lives.
“The need for meaning and purpose, when understood as a root, can be seen to feed and support all upper growth. We help people to reconnect with meaning through asking what has enlivened them in the past, encouraging new experiences that would not normally be available and by reinforcing agency and personal strengths as they arise during our sessions and interactions.
“Over time this helps people build positive narratives and identities, often resulting in improved mental health. Examples of activities that build meaning and purpose are participating in natural spaces like gardens and therefore feeling connected with and able to influence ecosystems. Using their areas of competence to coach others, for example, at TopGolf, showing how to strike a ball correctly, or at Everyone Active gym, helping someone else to make a fitness plan.”
Mental Health Awareness Week is a powerful reminder that small actions can have a big impact. Whether it’s checking in on a friend, taking time for self-care, or seeking support, every step matters.
Charities like New Hope demonstrate what action looks like in practice - providing essential services that help people not just cope, but thrive.
