For immediate release

It’s Time to Talk about mental health

Time to Change, the mental health anti-stigma programme run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, is hosting an event with City Council, Leeds Mind, Leeds and York NHS Partnership Trust and other partners to celebrate the first ever Time to Talk Day (Thursday 6 February), which aims to inspire a million conversations about mental health.

The interactive ‘pop-up’ event will take place on Saturday 8 February at the White Rose Shopping Centre from 9am to 7pm and will offer the public a chance to engage in a range of activities and learn more about mental health problems from people who have a direct experience.

One in four people will experience a mental health problem, but to end the stigma surrounding mental illness, more people need to feel comfortable talking openly about it. There will be 90 local volunteers with first-hand experience of mental health problems at the event ready to share their stories with the public. At noon there will be special appearances from local sport mascots Ronnie the Rhino and Lucas the Kop Cat. Experts from Rugby League and Leeds United Foundation will also be on hand to talk about nutrition and fitness in the sporting zone. Other zones will include story-telling, arts and crafts, face painting, stilt walking and short performances by the theatre company ‘Likely Story’.

Tricia Thorpe, Time to Change Leeds co-ordinator, said: “The process of volunteering at a Time to Change event can be a very empowering experience and our volunteers tell us that they have gained confidence, felt accepted and that their personal lived experience has been valued in a positive way.”

Richards Evans, Time to Change Community Engagement Manager said: “Mental health problems affect one in four of us and yet many people suffer in silence because as a population we are too afraid to talk about the subject. Our event offers a perfect chance for the public to support the national Time to Talk Day and come down and engage in meaningful conversations about mental health.”

Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Chair of Leeds Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “Leeds is committed to people being able to live full, active and healthy lives where they can have the best quality of life possible. For those with mental health problems, as well as their friends and families, Time To Change is a great way to show our support and commitment to these value.”

Councillor Adam Ogilvie, Leeds Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care, said: We know that stigma and discrimination around mental health still exists. We’re determined that people in Leeds are given the chance to understand the issues and learn why we need to

talk about mental health, and bring people with and without mental health problems together. That’s why I’m supporting the Time To Change event in Leeds on 8th February.“

The event coincides with Time to Change’s latest advertising campaign, which aims to show that it’s the little things that people do that can make the biggest difference, like just having a cup of tea and a chat.

For information about the event and the wider activities happening as part of Time to Talk Day please visit www.time-to-change.org.uk/talkday

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Notes to Editors

For more information please contact Tor Evans, Senior Media Officer, Time to Change on 020 2152 341/07584 003703 or email [email protected]; or Kalpana Mehta on 07875 413427 or at [email protected]

Local Time to Change case study, Lea Gebal, from Leeds has experience of a mental health problem and is available for interview to talk about the stigma she has faced. In addition rugby players Danny Sulphorpe ( Wildcats, Wigan, Bradford Bulls), Marvin Golden (Leeds Rhinos winger) and ex-player Jimmy Gittins are also available to speak about their experience of mental illness.

Time to Change

Time to Change is 's most ambitious programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The programme is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.

For more information go to www.time-to-change.org.uk

Department of Health

On 2 February 2011 the Department of Health launched No health without mental health, a cross-government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages which has the twin aims of keeping people well and improving their mental health and, when people are not well, improving their outcomes through high-quality services.

The strategy is based on six shared objectives, developed with partners from across the mental health sector, and focuses on ‘Recovery’ and the reduction of stigma and discrimination as overarching themes.

To help deliver the objective to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems, in 2011 the Department agreed to support Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. The Department of Health is providing the campaign with up to £16 million of funding together with a further £4 million from Comic Relief and £3.6 million from the Big Lottery Fund. This funding will help Time to Change continue their work until March 2015.

Comic Relief Comic Relief is committed to supporting people living with mental health problems. The projects Comic Relief funds ensure people with mental health problems get their voices heard in the decisions that affect their lives and get the help they need to recover. Comic Relief also helps people to promote their rights and reduce the stigma and discrimination they face so that they feel more included in society. The £4 million grant to Time to Change is the second time the charity has awarded Time to Change its largest UK grant and is part of Comic Relief's long standing commitment to this issue. For more information go to www.comicrelief.com

Big Lottery Fund

Big Lottery Fund supported the first phase of Time to Change with funding of over £16million, and in 2013 awarded the programme a further £3.6m from its Well-being programme to build on its success and work with targeted communities. Big Lottery Fund also supported the campaign’s roll out across Wales.

The largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, Big Lottery Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has awarded close to £6bn to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since 2004. For full details of the Big Lottery Fund's work visit: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

This event is being supported by a number of partner organisations:

Hamara

Hamara works primarily (but not exclusively) with the South Asian community currently delivering several different strands of work; Information and Advice, Sports and Exercise, Youth Services, Community Cohesion etc http://hamara.org.uk

Leeds Mind

Leeds Mind supports people with mental health problems, providing services throughout the Leeds area. We believe that everyone can lead a full, active and rewarding life, and we work with our clients to support them in achieving their goals and engaging in their communities. http://www.leedsmind.org.uk

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health and learning disability services to people within Leeds, York, Selby, Tadcaster, Easingwold and parts of North . http://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/

Space 2

For Space2, the arts can change lives and we continue to promote arts projects as part of the solution in some of Leeds’ most challenged neighbourhoods and to address entrenched issues for communities and cities. http://space2.org.uk/

State of Mind

The State of Mind programme was established in 2011 with the aim of improving the mental health, wellbeing and working life of rugby league players and communities. We want to get people talking about it. http://www.stateofmindrugby.com

Touchstone

Touchstone provides a range of innovative services that improve health and wellbeing in Leeds. http://www.touchstonesupport.org.uk

Volition

Volition - an alliance of voluntary sector organisations that either provide mental health services for or work with people who have mental health needs in Leeds. http://www.volition.org.uk/

White Rose Centre

White Rose Centre is on Dewsbury Road, in the Beeston area of Leeds, . It spans two floors and is near the M621 motorway. It takes its name from the White Rose of York, the traditional symbol of Yorkshire. You can find White Rose Centre on the south side of Leeds, off junction 28 of the M62. It’s less than 3 miles from the city centre, and within easy walking and cycling distance of local residential areas.

White Rose Centre is owned and managed by Land Securities, the largest commercial property company in the UK.