It’s January. It’s dark. It’s cold. And those New Year Resolutions have possibly already become forgotten.

Frankly, there’s no better time to get together and have open and honest conversations with each other about what we’ve been experiencing recently and what pressures we may be facing. Cue Great Mental Health Day on Friday, 26 January!

Now in it’s third year, Great Mental Health Day is a London-wide initiative designed to get Londoners talking about mental health, highlight the fantastic support available across the city and take the stigma out of asking for help when needed.

Led regionally by Thrive LDN and Good Thinking with support from a wide range of London partners, including the Mayor of London, Great Mental Health Day this year will focus on the importance of meaningful connections when it comes to mental wellbeing.

At the moment, the world can seem like a scary place and the stresses and strains of everyday life can take their toll. Building strong social networks and maintaining trusted relationships with others – or simply checking in with someone else to make sure they’re OK – can make a huge difference.

To mark the day, events are scheduled to take place across the city, both in-person and online. This includes Thrive LDN’s ‘Walk Talk Walk’ event which sets off from Tower Hill Underground Station at 12:30pm, providing the opportunity to get together and talk to others whilst enjoying some of London’s most iconic landmarks.

The Great Mental Health Day webpages host information about activities taking place throughout the day. Simply find your borough or type in your postcode to check out what’s going on. It may mean getting involved with something you’re already passionate about or trying something new. Yoga, painting or drama workshops, open mic nights, pet therapy sessions – the possibilities are endless! Some of the activities taking place across the city include:

• the unveiling of a new community hub in Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster by Mind, the mental health charity;
• a Parent Wellness Expo at Tottenham Community Sports Centre led by Haringey Borough Council; Whilst in Islington;
• an over-65’s Friendship Hub in Chislehurst organised by the Bromley Third Sector Enterprise, which includes local branches of Age UK and Mind.
• a Young Carers Book Club in Bromley, providing an opportunity for young carers to come together and provide mutual support.

Great Mental Health Day provides an impetus to start building meaningful connections with others that will flourish – something that is integral if we are to meet the health and care challenges of today. The power of partnership working is something we know well at Transformation Partners in Health and Care (TPHC).

We work with a wide range of stakeholders and partners across the city to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of Londoners and to achieve our goal of becoming the world’s healthiest global city. 

Since its launch in 2017, London’s digital wellbeing service, Good Thinking, one of the main organisers of Great Mental Health Day and a programme within TPHC, has helped more than 690,000 Londoners improve their mental health and wellbeing. This has been through a wide range of online resources to tackle stress, anxiety, low mood and lack of sleep. The service provides access to free, approved NHS apps, workbooks, guides, blogs and podcasts, with targeted resources for specific audiences, including young people, parents, carers, employers and faith-based organisations.

Through the London Health and Care Partnership, we’re continuing to work with partners across the city to support programmes and initiatives that improve the lives of people living and working in London. For example, this year we’re working with London Sport to improve access to safe physical spaces in the city for teenage girls to take part in sport. We’re also working with the London Tobacco Alliance to improve communication and engagement with smokers, their families and retailers to help them to quit.

And our Mental Health Transformation Programme works with partners to improve the way that mental health services are delivered, so that every Londoner receives high quality care, with good outcomes, which fully meets their needs as an individual.

Great Mental Health Day is the start of the journey ahead to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of Londoners for the future.

If you’re worried about your own mental health or someone you know, don’t forget that help is available across London. Both Thrive LDN and Good Thinking have excellent resources to help you tackle concerns such as stress, anxiety, low mood or lack of sleep, all of which can have a big impact on our mental wellbeing.

You can also talk to your GP about how you’re feeling, who can help you to access the support that you need. If everything feels like it’s just too much, you can call The Samaritans for free, 24/7 on 116 123.

So, this Great Mental Health Day remember, whether it’s participating in community events locally, joining discussions or sessions online, or simply reaching out to friends and neighbours, every action counts.