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Press Release

World Mental Health Day

Local groups join global celebration for fifteenth World Mental Health Day

Local mental health groups are coming together to host a week of events to celebrate the 15th anniversary of World Mental Health Day on 10th October.

Charities United Response and Mind will be joining with the Western Sussex Primary Care Trust and other local groups to stage a series of mental health events throughout West Sussex.  Aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues and providing people with information on how to look after their own mental health, the theme for this year's global celebrations will be 'Mental health in a changing world - the impact of culture and diversity'.

Highlights of the week's celebrations will include:

Sunday 7th October      11am - 1.30pm - Sunday Celebration with 'Sticky Jam', Sainsburys, Chichester - local group 'Sticky Jam' will be entertaining shoppers at this information and fundraising event. All proceeds will go to local self help groups.

Wednesday 10th October  11am- 3pm - World Mental Health Day Info Event, Hotham Arts Centre, The Esplanade, Bognor - Come and celebrate 15th anniversary of World Mental Health Day and try out some complementary therapy for yourself. With tombola, book and craft stall, poetry corner and a 'wish tree', there is something for everyone. Local author and historian, Sylvia Endacott, will be speaking at the event and drawing the raffle at 2pm. Local groups including, United Response, Mind, Samaritans, the Friendship Group, CAPITAL, the Consumer Group and Sussex Police will also be on hand to offer advice and information about local services. 

Thursday 11th October   11am - 2pm - Information and crafts, Parklands Motors, North Street, Midhurst - Another opportunity to find out about local mental health services and to buy some local crafts.

Gold and Black ribbons commemorating World Mental Health Day will be on sale throughout the week, with all donations going to local mental health groups.

Carole McHugh, who heads up United Response's work in West Sussex said:

"This is the fifteenth year that people around the world have come together to celebrate World Mental Health Day and it's very exciting."

"It's good to see that people are becoming more aware of the importance of looking after their mental health, but there can still be a lot of stigma and misunderstanding around the subject. We hope that through this week of events more people will find out about the advice and support that is available to them locally. With 1 in 4 adults experiencing some kind of mental health problem each year, this week of events really is for everybody."

To receive a full programme of events, please contact Saundra Trebble from West Sussex MIND Advocacy (managed by Brighton and Hove MIND) on 01243 791906 or 07973 330276.

Ends

For more information please contact Sarah Bartlett or Jaime Gill in the United Response Press Office on

or

or call 020 8246 5122 / 020 8246 5237

Notes to Editors:

1. 1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, and one in six experiences this at any given time.

Source: The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report (2001)

2. United Response is a national charity that works with people with learning disabilities or mental health needs – including some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

We provide everything from 24 hour care to a few hours of support a week. United Response is community based, working in many localities across England and Wales.

Our mission is to support people with learning disabilities or mental health needs to take control of their lives. We design our care and support around each person and work with them to achieve real inclusion, independence and citizenship for all. We support people across the whole spectrum of learning disability and mental health and have developed a range of specialisms in working with people with the most complex needs, particularly person-centred active support.

We are working towards a society where people with learning disabilities or mental health needs are equal participants and have access to the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

We have won several awards for our pioneering work and for being a top employer. In 2007 alone, we have been highly commended by the Charity Awards for our “Good To Great” approach to providing support, while the Charity Times named us one of the best six charities to work for in the UK. We are experts in the development of accessible communications.

United Response was founded in 1973 by chief executive Su Sayer. We are a top 100 charity, supporting more than 1,500 people throughout the UK at any one time and employing more than 2,000 staff