Submit your events for our Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day free guide
We’re calling for events planned for the city’s Mental Health Friendly Day or during the same week to add to our free Social Connectedness Guide.
We would like to hear from anyone with anything organised so we can create a definitive resource.
Central resource
Our Administrator, Chloe explains: “We would like to put together a central resource to help people participate on the day or during the week. We’re now around just three months away from Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day on July 8 and to collate events and add them to our guide in good time, we need to hear about them now.
“Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day is a moment for the whole city to come together to celebrate and champion positive mental health and wellbeing.
Planning an event?
“We’re asking anyone planning an event, big or small, for the day, or during that week from July 5 to 12 to share it with us, so we can include it in our free online Social Connectedness Guide. Whether it’s a special coffee morning, a wellbeing workshop, an activity like a craft club, a gathering, a community walk, a meet-and-greet or something you already run that encourages connection, we would love to highlight it on our website, as well as through our weekly Roundup newsletter to members and via our social media platforms.
“Shared positive experiences, even if not linked specifically to July 8, all boost social connectedness, help reduce isolation and support mental wellbeing across our city.”
Social Connectedness Guide
Any relevant submitted events will be added to our citywide Social Connectedness Guide, helping residents and those working in Southampton discover opportunities near them.
They can be new events specifically organised for the day or during that week, or regular sessions, that can be adapted to the theme or simply represent an opportunity for quality in-person social connectivity.
Powerful social connection
Chloe says: “We know how powerful social connection is for good mental health. By bringing together all the events happening across Southampton in one place, we can help people discover opportunities they may not otherwise have known about, while also marking Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day.
“Working with our partners and members, we would like to be this to be a truly citywide celebration of connection on July 8 and throughout the week around it.”
How to add an event
Anyone wishing to add an event to our Social Connectedness Guide can complete the online form here or email Chloe via smhn@communicareinsouthampton.org.uk.
This call-out is part of our wider work to promote connection and positive mental health, alongside our ongoing Power of Hello, 200 Ways, 200 Days Campaign, which is a countdown to Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day.
Power of Hello
Chloe adds: “Daily since the launch of the campaign on December 22, we’ve been giving people ways to say hello and good reasons to do this through our social media channels. We started with 200 days until July 8 and are now at just under 100 days to go.
“Saying hello to someone every day is one of the simplest ways of helping boost social connectedness and positive mental health in our city. It costs nothing and we all have the power to do it. Trust your instincts and the environment you’re in before saying hello to a new person but do please give it a go whenever you can. Research suggests it’s as good for you as it’s for the person you’re greeting.”
Who’s already involved
Among those organisations already involved with the citywide Social Connectedness Campaign, the Power of Hello Campaign and the Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day are:
- Southampton City Council (SCC)
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight (HIOW) NHS Healthcare Trust
- Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS)
- KvLS Mental Health Support
- The Probation Service
- Solent Mind
- Communicare in Southampton
Photo taken with thanks to Tim Kenyon Photography and Solent Mind’s Mayfield Garden Centre for providing the venue.