Mental Health Week lessons from our clients

At Cause Communications we work across a range of incredible charities. Working to improve people's mental health, whatever their age, is a common theme amongst our clients and one we always think carefully about. In this, Mental Health Awareness Week, we also recognise the needs of those working for charities. It's a challenging economic environment out there and there are tough external pressures on the third sector. Working for an organisation that you care so much about means that boundaries, rest and decompressing from focusing on intense issues are important for positive mental health. In our team, we actively try to support each other to balance busy agency life and our drive to make change through our clients' work, with our lives outside work, to create a healthy balance.

The mental health challenges faced by those who need charitable support are vast. Research from our client, the Disabled Children’s Partnership, has shown that too many families still cannot access life-changing services and as a result are facing grave mental health challenges. Families with disabled children are still more socially isolated than the rest of the population. Without support at home and the appropriate education for their child or children with additional needs, parents' ability to work standard hours or at all is reduced, leaving them unable to provide financially for their families. Endlessly having to challenge local authority decisions in a broken system can result in persistent trauma.  Our client Sibs is the UK charity for people who grow up with a disabled brother or sister. At a Sibs event in Parliament earlier this year we heard powerful testimony from Joe Reddington and Monica who told how they came to put their own needs aside. Joe described this as being a "glass sibling", one who is never seen.

Climate change expert Angela Terry, founder of the environmental education charity One Home, recognises the anxiety that exists about the future of our planet and focuses on explaining the positive steps individuals can take. The hottest 20 years on record have happened in the last 22 years with the last four being the hottest. With the impacts of climate change already being felt in the UK, our work with Angela is important in empowering people to take actions to protect our planet, for ourselves and future generations. 

We are proud of the impact our clients have on improving the mental health of young people. 

Jamie's Farm offers a safe, nurturing environment in which young people can develop the social and emotional skills necessary to deal with challenges. The charity recognises that young people have individual and often complex needs which can manifest in many ways, including poor mental wellbeing, disengagement, and challenging behaviour. After visiting Jamie’s Farm, teenagers frequently show positive shifts in their behaviour, engagement, self-esteem and mental wellbeing.

National youth charity OnSide has a network of 'Youth Zones' around the country. Its mission is to empower young people to lead positive, fulfilling lives by providing access to incredible spaces and exceptional youth work, delivered by outstanding people. OnSide creates these valuable spaces where they are needed the most, in some of the UK’s most economically disadvantaged areas. The centres are staffed by skilled and dedicated youth workers who truly believe in young people – helping them see what they could achieve, and giving them the skills, confidence and ambition to go for it. They can completely transform how young people feel about themselves - I will never forget what it felt like to visit my first Youth Zone and see the difference it was making. They invest both resources and time into young people during a crucial period in their lives.

We know from another client how important this support is. We are currently working with the most inspirational man, Angus Collins, who is aiming to become the first person to row solo and unsupported round Great Britain in order to raise £250,000 for men’s suicide prevention charity James’ Place. Brit Angus is the world's most successful ocean rower and a record-breaking endurance athlete. Despite that Angus attempted suicide on his 30th birthday. Now 36, and mentally healthy, Angus is facing his biggest challenge yet with his GB Odyssey. Follow his progress here.

Recognising and addressing mental health needs are vital parts of our work with our Cause clients but this week we will also be focusing on how we can look after ourselves and each other for positive mental health outcomes for everyone. We will all face different obstacles and challenges, but never take it for granted that somebody is OK because they haven't reached out for help  - as Angus told us himself, from his own experience you can look like you have everything on the surface and be experiencing a mental health crisis.

We all have mental health needs, and supporting each other and creating an environment where someone can ask for help, can change and save lives.