On Saturday 10 October, people from across the country will come together for The BIG Mental Health Day in London to energise the conversation around supporting those experiencing a mental health problem.
The BIG Mental Health Day is a one-day conference hosted by Livability and Premier Mind & Soul at St. Paul’s Church in Hammersmith, London in response to the worrying discovery that one in four of us experience a mental health problem.
Almost a year after the launch of the Mental Health Access Pack developed together with Mind & Soul, the conference aims to equip and encourage churches to engage further with the issue of emotional wellbeing, through reflecting on our own emotional health, hearing the stories of those who with lived experience and learning how we can create a more mental health friendly community through churches.
Co-hosting the conference will be Mental Health Associate Katharine Welby-Roberts and Assistant Curate Haydon Spenceley from the Emmanuel Group of Churches in Northampton.
Katharine said:
‘I think The BIG Mental Health Day is a great opportunity for the Church to engage in how to better respond to those in their community and congregation with mental health problems.
‘I have seen so much change and growth in recent years in how the Church is responding in this area and as someone with my own mental health problems, who has often struggled in church, I am very excited to be able to be part of that change.’
Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Communications Corin Pilling will be giving a keynote on building inclusive church communities and Mind & Soul Director Will van der Hart will be giving a keynote on looking after emotional health whilst supporting others.
The conference will welcome talks by Livability’s Mat Ray and Dr Trevor Adams and Mind & Soul directors Dr Kate Middleton, Jonathan Clark and Rob Waller.
The issues that will be covered include dementia, stress and burnout, the church’s relationship with the NHS and mental health in children.
Corin Pilling said:
‘Mental health is something we all have so it’s vital that we learn how to identify and support those who are in need in our communities. We had a fantastic opportunity with Mind and Soul to explore the barriers to supporting people experiencing mental health problems and being able to maintain our own wellbeing.
‘There is a real appetite to drive change through churches and to build inclusive communities in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and inclusion and it’s a privilege to be a part of that.’