Friendly Places: Mental Health

Pledge and Tips for Communities

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There’s no health without mental health.

Mental health is just as important as our physical health. Like our bodies, our minds change and develop throughout our lives. And, like our bodies, our minds can become unwell.

Mental health problems are very common. They affect how people think and feel about themselves and others, how they interpret events, how they cope with life events and how they develop and sustain relationships. One in four of us is likely to visit our GP in connection with a mental health problem. Every faith community contains people who have experienced mental health problems, or their family and friends.

There is a significant and positive role for faith communities to play in the support of those with mental health problems – both within their own congregations and in the wider community. This stems from the position of faith groups as places of community, of meaning, and of connection.

By signing up to the Friendly Places Pledge, a faith group makes a commitment to be a place which welcomes and supports those struggling with their mental health. The downloadable copy available on this page contains the wording of the pledge along with a summary of our tips for being a friendly place.

Paul Farmer

CEO of Mind

Rebekah Warburton

Caritas Anchor House

Canon Steven Saxby

St Barnabas Church

Malcolm Duncan and Joyce Gledhill

Gold Hill Baptist Church

Simon Fenn

Cromer Church

Heinnie

Agape Arabic Christian Centre

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Martyn Goss

Devon Faith and Belief Forum

Mohammed Ali

Communities for All Ltd

Hufsa

Pendle Womens Forum

Lauren Wood

The Hope Centre

Stephen Fowler

Connect Centre Elim

Dave Wood

Metanoeo

Matt Wall

Community Chaplaincy Association

Ade Adekoya and Maresa Ness

The Mosaic Clubhouse

Zed Ali

Project BME

Wonderfully Made Woman

Baroness Judith Jolly

Bleddwyn Evans

Gloucester Outdoor Church

Graham Storer

Sleights Area Men's Shed

Alan Agurbutt

Dyslexia Lincolnshire

Margaret Hodge MP

MP for Barking

Dave Howe

Heanor Baptist Church

Kieran Murphy & Co.

Phase

Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP

Former Minister for Care and Support

Eric and Danielle

The Centre Project

Fauzia Chaudhry

Fatima Women's Association