YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK FUNDRAISING PACK #MHAW17

YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK FUNDRAISING PACK #MHAW17

Thank you for joining us for Mental Health Awareness Week 2017! Now in its 17th year, we have previously focused on how mindfulness, anxiety, sleep deprivation and exercise can impact our mental health. This year our theme is Surviving or Thriving? Too many of us accept that experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety are the price we pay to keep our lives on track. Working hours blur into leisure time and the rise of social media changes the way we interact with friends, families and our communities. During the week we will be celebrating good mental health as an asset that helps us to thrive. This is not just the absence of a mental health problem, but having the ability to think, feel and act in a way that allows us to enjoy life and deal with its challenges. Raising awareness is vital for changing the way people think about mental health and events like yours help us reach more people than we ever could alone. Fundraising at your event will help us make an even bigger impact on everyone s mental health. Your gift will allow us to continue conducting vital research into how people can live mentally healthier lives and ensure everyone is aware of the simple steps they can take to enhance and protect their mental health every day. We hope you find this fundraising pack useful. If you need extra materials or more information about the week visit: mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw. Mark Rowland Director of Fundraising and Communications

About us The Mental Health Foundation is the UK s charity for everyone s mental health. With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive. The difference you can make 5 Could help us create materials to spread mental health messages far and wide. 25 Could pay for a single parent to attend a Creating Connections course one of our early years in the family programmes. 50 Could help us set up more Standing Together groups to help vulnerable older people adjust to life changes and ensure their mental health is a priority. Marie found one of our early years in the family programmes, Creating Connections, life-changing I came to be on benefits and a single parent at age 28. I was dealing with bereavement, depression and low self-esteem while trying to rebuild our whole lives from scratch. I struggled for two years to get back on my feet and adjust to being a single parent, doing everything myself with not a lot of support. By joining the Creating Connections self-management course run by the Mental Health Foundation, I learnt something new every session: from goal setting, mental wellbeing, and tools for managing emotions and stress, to training opportunities and services for single parents. I learnt there were others who struggled too. The course material, other members attending the course and the course facilitators have been a great support that has helped me so much and still help me now.

FUNDRAISING IDEAS This Mental Health Awareness Week hold an event that helps you and your community THRIVE! See our 10 ways to look after your mental health below and get inspired. Feel free to print out the handout in the next page to give out at your event! 10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH SOME IDEAS FROM US TO GET YOU STARTED... NEXT STEPS TEA & TALK Get everyone together for a chat over a cup of tea and slice of cake. Find out more: teaandtalk.org.uk SMOOTHIE SALE Bored with the usual bake sales? Try making and selling healthy, nutritious smoothies instead. FOOTBALL MATCH Hold a football match (or whatever sport you prefer) and ask for a donation from each player to take part. MOCKTAIL PARTY Combine your favourite juices to create exciting, nonalcoholic cocktails! Choose recipes from the hundreds available online and challenge your friends to a Mocktail competition. DONATE YOUR SKILLS Do you paint, dance or play an instrument? Hold a workshop or put on a show! IN CELEBRATION Ask friends and family to donate to the Mental Health Foundation instead of buying you gifts for a special occasion such as your birthday or wedding. BBQ OR PICNIC Make the most of the sunny (or not so sunny!) weather and hold an outdoor event. 1. Add your event to our activity map: mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw 2. Tag us in your online activity and use #MHAW17 3. Get in touch with your event photos and stories: awarenessweek@mentalhealth.org.uk DONATE Colechurch House, 1 London Bridge Walk, London, SE1 2SX mentalhealthfoundation @mentalhealth @mentalhealthfoundation Pay in your fundraising or support the Mental Health Foundation with a donation: Online: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/donate Phone: 020 7803 1121 Post: Send a cheque payable to Mental Health Foundation to our address to the left of this box. Patron: HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, KG GCVO Registered Charity no. England 801130, Scotland SC 039714

10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH 10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH mentalhealth.org.uk mentalhealth.org.uk 10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH 10 WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH mentalhealth.org.uk mentalhealth.org.uk

MAKE YOUR OWN DONATION BOX Build your own Mental Health Foundation donation box and put them around your venue for people to add to. Print onto card or thick paper. Cut along the solid pink lines using a pair of scissors and, once cut, fold along the dotted lines. Fold or glue the top and bottom flaps into place to make a cube. Text THRIVE to 70300 to give 3 Mental Health Foundation will receive 100% of your donation. We would like to tell you a bit more about our work and ask for support, there is no obligation to give. To opt out of future calls/texts include the words NO INFO at the end of your message e.g. THRIVE NO INFO. Text THRIVE to 70300 to give 3 Mental Health Foundation will receive 100% of your donation. We would like to tell you a bit more about our work and ask for support, there is no obligation to give. To opt out of future calls/texts include the words NO INFO at the end of your message e.g. THRIVE NO INFO.