With you in mind

Mental health charities and organisations from across Tameside got together to mark World Mental Health Day.

They gathered at Ashton’s new library in Tameside One last Thursday (10 October) to offer support and workshops to anyone passing by.

The theme for this year's World Mental Health Day was suicide prevention and all the charities involved helped with different parts of mental health.

It was organised by Kelly Smith, project manager for The Buddy Project at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop MIND.

The aim of the day is to normalise discussion around mental health, bringing it into the public conversation which will save lives.

Kelly said: "We invited the public to come along to get involved and talk about mental health to normalise it so people feel like they can gain support and speak about it freely.

"To normalise mental health is massive. People are more likely to ask for help and support if they don’t feel they’re being judged and stigmatised so the idea of the day was to get people talking about it as a regular conversation.

"If you ask people if they’re alright more than once they’re more likely to open up to you and get support which saves lives." 

The event was well supported with Tameside, Oldham and Glossop adults and young persons' departments, Tameside Women’s Centre, Change Grow Live, The Health and Wellbeing College, Be Well Tameside, LEAP, Richmond Fellowship, Minds Matter and Motivate all in attendance.