Blog

My name is Jade, and I’m the Navigator for the North Wales region. I’m based in Porthmadog, Gwynedd within a resource centre operated by Adferiad Recovery. I also work in the resource centre supporting people with mental health issues, so the navigator role fits in well alongside this other role.

During the pandemic, the number of us working from home skyrocketed. For some of us, this change became permanent and the new normal. Whether it’s a couple of days a week or every day, many of us are still working from home and experiencing the isolation that can come with it. Evie, 30, from rural Norfolk, shared her experience of loneliness with us, and what she has found helpful to keep more connected.

Living and working rurally can bring added challenges to the sense of loneliness we’re all susceptible to. Thanks to our partner Neptune Energy we were able to fund our Rural Connections programme, delivered by our founding charity Support in Mind Scotland, to help build mental health awareness and address isolation in areas like rural Scotland. We spoke to Iona from Creatomatic, a web design and development agency in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, about their experience of the programme.

Our valued supporter, Darren Drudge, works as Customer Services Assistant for our partner Lloyds Banking Group. Sophia from our Communications team spoke to him about his experiences of the pandemic and how his dad’s mental illness affected his own mental health and led him to feel alone. His recent participation in March Around The World, a work fundraising event, enabled him to expand his network locally and get things back on track.

New research by Mental Health UK explores British workers’ experiences of loneliness in the workplace and how it can impact on our mental health.

Eurest, the nation’s food service and contract catering solution for workplaces, has been working to promote better mental health for consumers up and down the country. Rees, who is senior nutritionist and a keen mental health ambassador at Eurest, explains the impact of their work, including how staff now feel more connected and more confident to talk about mental health.

With reports in 2021 stating that only 51% of people felt a sense of belonging at work, how can we look to create, and re-create a sense of community and belonging within the workplace to tackle loneliness and exclusion?

We sat down with Karl Wilson, Group Mental Health Lead and Razna Ahmed, Engagement Manager at our partner Lloyds Banking Group to talk about reducing loneliness, connecting people and speaking openly about mental health in their workplace. They shared insight into how their Mental Health Advocates programme is helping to establish a mentally healthy work environment.

Clic is an online community of likeminded people where members can speak safely and openly about how they’re feeling. Clic moderators, like Declan, act as a safeguard to people who are struggling – they are there to keep you safe and connected.