Mental Health Awareness Month- May 2025

Thoughts on Mental Health Awareness Month: 

Its one of our core missions is to de-stigmatise Mental Health. Everybody has Mental Health. Let’s talk about it! We understand that mental health is particularly stigmatised within some communities and we seek to provide safe spaces for people to talk without fear of judgement, discrimination or gas-lighting. By sharing our stories and experiences, we celebrate people’s journeys towards good mental health. Our vision is for all areas of society to understand and prioritise mental health in the same way we understand physical health.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a good chance for us to shout even louder about what we do. This years theme is ‘Community.’ At Changes people define us, as a grassroots-founded organisation, we value participation from our community. From members to volunteers, we facilitate connections by sharing wisdom and stories, bringing us closer together. We believe in the power of peer-led change, where we support each other to change.

We don’t claim to speak for everyone. We recognise that experiences of ill mental health, and the perspectives that come with them, are deeply personal and varied. In our peer support groups and other activities, members share their unique insights, learning from one another in a space that values both growth and affirmation. Sometimes, this means broadening our views; other times, it reinforces what we already believe. But always, we strive to create a space that is respectful, inclusive, and welcoming to all.

Some of our members have voiced that they dont like or align with Mental Health Awareness Week, finding it performative or unhelpful. Maybe we need less ‘talk’ and more ‘action.’ The words from National Survivor User Network may explain this well.

‘World Mental Health Day was not created for the people who need reminding that “mental health matters.’ It functions to remind everyone without the power to enact change, that a ‘solution’ lies not with those responsible for creating conditions that drive distress, but with individuals ability to ‘talk about mental health.’

Read the full web article from NSUN here.

Members creativity gallery: 

This year, we asked our members to share their thoughts through the power of creativity. We have put together a gallery of their artistry to share the power, resilience and ability of our members.

What our members say and the power of Peer Support:

In February 2025, we conducted a member survey which received 75 responses, with an even distribution across all of our groups. The feedback provided clear evidence of the positive impact our groups have on members’ wellbeing.

Key highlights from the survey include:

• 100% of respondents felt either positively or neutral about the statement that attending a Changes Bristol group “helped them feel more confident”.
• 100% of respondents also felt either positively or neutral about the statement that the groups “helped them feel they can express themselves”.
• 93% of applicable respondents said attending Changes Bristol groups helped them feel less suicidal
• 87% of respondents said attending Changes Bristol group helped them feel less at risk of mental health hospitalisation

Alongside quantitative data, our February 2025 Member Survey also gathered powerful qualitative feedback. Members were invited to share their personal experiences of attending our groups, their words reflect the deep value, connection, and life-changing support our groups provide.

Here are just a few of the many meaningful responses we received:

“Support and real feedback, feels like volunteers and staff are professionals in doing that. And it spills on service users who will also step up in providing support (tissues, emotional support, positive feedback or just positive chat during the breaks). Most of the stories I hear there are inspirational. We inspire and give hope to each other. For some service users, including myself, it has massive impact on quality of life and can be lifesaving.”

“I moved to Bristol in November and I did not know a soul here and I am suffering from CPTSD. These groups helped me connect with locals with mental health issues in a positive, therapeutic context — to reduce loneliness, get things off my chest, and begin to become a part of the community.”

‘I have seen a dramatic change in myself, we talk about it at the group how much we have changed and developed. When I have a bad week and my self-esteem is low and I feel down they remind me of how far I have come.’

We will be publishing our full members survey report this summer.

Out and about during Mental Health Awareness week: 

Some of our team visited other organisations to spread the word about the benefits of talking about your mental health.

We visited the Galleries to talk to interested shoppers:

We led a walk and talk session for Aviva staff:

 

And we also had a stall at the Spring Connect event at the Greenway Centre in Southmead.

How to get involved in Changes:

Sign up as a member and attend one of our Peer Support Groups, Walk and Talk’s, Nature connection session, or sign up to our telephone befriending service. Sign up here.  

Become a volunteer! We are always looking for volunteers in all areas of what we do. Click here to find out more about each role and how to start your training.

How to support Changes:

Donate for a chance to win this beautiful cross stitch hand made by one of our volunteers Kathryn. For every £5 donated to the Justgiving campaign you will earn one entry into the prize draw, with the prize being this absolutely stunning artwork.

Here’s Kathryn’s thoughts about the cross stitch and why she’s fundraising for Changes:

“I have designed and created a cross stitch picture that I feel represents the Changes Bristol Community and will give it to one lucky person who donates to this cause.

I was inspired by the Serenity prayer as I love the sentiment of the words and how we use it in the meetings as a positive way to bring the members back together before we finish. The key words are often referenced or implied in our shares and reflections. The hands represent the inclusive nature of the groups and that we all support each other as equals through sharing and reflecting. I’m hoping that others can relate to it too.

Changes Bristol provides many safe spaces for mental health peer support and have helped many people over the years. As a volunteer and member they have supported me through my Long Covid journey and the affect that it has had on me. Even though I currently can’t do any physical challenges I wanted to do something to show my support.”

Thank you for reading our thoughts on Mental Health Awareness Month. And thank you to our members for turning up each week, sharing your story, and supporting others.