Our independent charity works tirelessly to help people with understanding their mental health, and staying in the ‘wellbeing’ part of the Mental Health Continuum.

To do this, we rely on the generosity of our fantastic volunteers, who play a key role in providing our services. You could help support wellbeing across our county by becoming a Suffolk Mind volunteer.

Jon Neal, our Chief Executive, says: “Our volunteers truly provide a magnificent contribution to Suffolk Mind and the people we support.

“Their selflessness allows us to reach more people in our communities and provide services which truly benefit them – from counselling to community groups.

“To reach our goal of making Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health, we need more support. If anyone is interested in volunteering for Suffolk Mind, learning new skills and making a difference, please get in touch.”

As we saw in our latest Impact Report, volunteers and volunteer counsellors donated a combined 8,000 hours last year. That’s absolutely amazing, but we need your support to do more and support more people.

Our Ipswich GreenCare allotment

The benefits of being a Suffolk Mind volunteer

Claire Stone, who started with us as a volunteer gardener in 2019 and recently became our new GreenCare and Ecotherapy Manager, says:

“Volunteering for Suffolk Mind has been such a rewarding experience for me. I have been able to watch people grow and I take great pride in being part of that. Whether it’s within GreenCare or another service within the charity, I strongly encourage people to volunteer for Suffolk Mind.”

Feedback from others shows how one volunteer “learned so much”, while another highlights the “chance to give something back”.

Would you like to join us?

Take a look at our current vacancies over on our Volunteering page, or contact our friendly team.

With Gala on the Farm drawing closer (and, we’re pleased to say, sold out!), we’re shining the spotlight on another of the event’s generous sponsors. This time, we’re putting the spotlight on StrategiQ: a Suffolk-born marketing agency whose ethos is rooted in a ‘people-first’ culture and a passion for helping their team achieve their goals.

When Andy and Sarah Smith founded StrategiQ almost ten years ago, their goal was to not only create a business which would become known for its award-winning work, but also one which would build a reputation as being one of the best possible companies to work for.

Almost a decade later, with awards such as Campaign’s ‘Best Places to Work’ and The Suffolk Business Awards’ ‘Employer of the Year’ under their belts, StrategiQ’s core values haven’t changed, and the founders say it’s “more important than ever” to look out for one another’s mental health and to give back to the wider community.

Sarah Smith, co-founder of StrategiQ

Sarah said: “It’s never been more important to put people’s health at the forefront, particularly given the amount of people that suffer with mental ill health and how difficult it can be to talk about this. It’s our responsibility as an employer to encourage the team to put their health and wellbeing first, and by working with a charity like Suffolk Mind, we’ve been able to learn more about how to best support our staff. It has encouraged us to access the services and training they offer to ensure that we’re being as proactive and progressive as possible in our approach to mental wellbeing.”

As part of the company’s continued commitment to employee wellbeing, StrategiQ recently held a training day for The Mental Health Toolkit: The Essentials. This was to ensure that all staff working in a managerial or mentorship role would be equipped to:

We will also be returning in May to deliver The Essentials to the rest of their team.

Alongside flexible working, an extended annual leave policy and company-funded counselling, StrategiQ also offers volunteering leave to all staff to give them the opportunity to support projects they care about.

As Chief People Officer of StrategiQ, Sarah often stands at the helm of the company’s ‘people-focused’ efforts; from arranging staff socials, to providing coaching and one-to-ones, to overseeing the business’ inclusion and diversity policy, and she said that sponsoring the Gala on the Farm was a no-brainer.

“The services offered by Suffolk Mind are an absolute lifeline to people, particularly after the last few years. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to look after our mental wellbeing. By empowering ourselves with the tools that Suffolk Mind provides, we’re able to take the best possible care of ourselves and others, which then ripples outwards into our personal and professional lives, and beyond.

“When sponsoring a charity like this, you gain as much as you give, because we take great pride in having the StrategiQ name associated with such a worthy cause. If we’re able to spread the word about the work they do, or push Suffolk Mind onto the radar of just one person who needs them, then we’ll have done our part in achieving what this is all about: helping people.”

Find out more about StrategiQ on their website.

Suffolk Mind is delighted to welcome our third patron Peter Basford, a long-term advocate for Suffolk Mind and a successful businessman.

Peter has been passionate about supporting our organisation and our work since he was first introduced to The Mental Health Toolkit, our workplace wellbeing programme, in 2015. At that point, Peter was Area Director, Commercial Banking for Suffolk at Lloyds Bank and used the learning to help his team and contacts.

Peter has since started the Business Growth Coaches Network and more recently, co-founded Innovation Labs, a business Jon and the team work closely with him on.

Peter meets with many companies through his coaching, mentoring and non-executive work. He is also an advocate of supporting business owners and their teams with both their mental health and their business growth plans. 

Peter’s patronage of Suffolk Mind is a perfect fit. He has seen first-hand how stretch can turn to stress at work through demanding situations and wants to prevent this happening to others.

Jon Neal, CEO at Suffolk Mind says: “Peter has been an advocate for Suffolk Mind for a long time, so we are delighted that he’s become our third official patron. His contacts, experience and knowledge from his many years operating in Suffolk will be invaluable in helping us to spread the word about what we do. We’re looking forward to continuing our work with Peter, helping us to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health.”

Wendy Sheppard, Corporate Relationships Manager at Suffolk Mind said: “I am thrilled that Peter has agreed to be our new patron at Suffolk Mind. I had the privilege of meeting and working with him recently, and could instantly see, hear and feel how passionate he is about supporting local business with their growth plans, while maintaining good mental health in the workplace. He really understands the importance that a healthy workplace brings in terms of retention, attraction, productivity and growth. He is very well connected, and has a ‘can do’ approach. So, I am really looking forward to working with Peter more in the future.” 

Visit our team, trustees and patrons page to find out more.

We are always grateful for the support we receive, and a number of businesses have generously supported our first Gala on the Farm that’s taking place at Jimmy’s farm this summer! Here, we’re shining a spotlight on MAD-HR to find out more about the company and its passion for mental health.

MAD-HR is an award-winning HR Support & Consultancy firm with offices in Ipswich, Chelmsford and Norwich, which recognises the importance of mental wellbeing. As a company that works closely with people across all ages and stages in their professional life, they see first-hand how critical good mental health is.

Not only do they recognise it with their clients, but they also ensure mental health is a priority within their business. Mental health is openly discussed with their team, which has adopted a healthy attitude to the topic. Recognising there is always room for improvement, they regularly come together to explore new ways to make their environment even more supportive. And it’s not just the team which benefits – they also work to create more supportive environments for their loved ones and communities.

The MAD-HR team

MAD-HR is proactive in its approach to mental health support, having completed our Emotional Needs Survey and The Mental Health Toolkit: The Essentials course, which has helped their team go beyond their previous Mental Health First Aid training.

They understand life isn’t all about work, so have developed a flexible working environment to allow the team to meet both their work and personal commitments. So, they’ve got more opportunities to see friends or go for walks, helping to meet their needs for Community, Movement and more. Self-care is celebrated and encouraged at MAD-HR – their “oxygen mask on” approach ensures the team take care of themselves, which in turn helps them look after others. As well as support within their own team, MAD-HR also works with a Business Psychologist and Coach, who helps build and maintain confidence, resilience, and the team’s wellbeing.

MAD-HR’s ethos aligns with Suffolk Mind, so it was an easy decision for them to support Gala on the Farm in July! Supporting charitable causes is at the core of MAD-HR and its team members, and we’re incredibly grateful at Suffolk Mind to have them on board.

You can find out more about MAD-HR on their website.

More than £8,000 has been raised for our charity by 30 brave ‘soles’ who took part in our Game of Thrones themed event.

A Walk of Ice and Fire took place at The Coddenham Centre, near Ipswich, on 1st April, giving thrill-seekers the chance to take on one or two challenges.

The fire walk involved people walking on a bed of hot coals smouldering at 600°C, while the ‘ice’ walk required people to walk across a stretch of broken (sterilised) glass.

Our Chief Executive, Jon Neal, also took part in the challenge. He said: “It was great to see so many people take on A Walk of Ice and Fire.

“We’ve been blown away by people’s generosity, despite the continuing cost-of-living crisis, and have certainly been impressed with the bravery displayed on the night.

“Events like this help raise important funds which allow us to continue our vital services, like making counselling available to people who can’t afford to wait for the NHS or to go private. They also bring people together and open up discussions around mental health.”

Walkers could choose to take part in one challenge or both if they dared, with money raised through sponsorships.

Guests also enjoyed live entertainment on the night, as well as ice and fire themed food.

In a special message to all of our Walkers, Julie, our Fundraising Manager, said:  “Watching you each complete your walk (some of you twice over) was fantastic. We hope you are already feeling an incredible sense of achievement and that this will grow when we tell you the event has raised over £8,000 to support us in our mission to make Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.

“£8,000 could support 145 free counselling sessions for people in need, or provide mental health education and training for 3 whole primary schools in Suffolk, so a significant result. Thank you!”

Jon added: “Everyone who took part in the event, including our sponsors Barker Gotelee solicitors and George Baker (Shipping) Ltd, and The Coddenham Centre who generously waived their hire fee as their donation, is helping us work towards that goal – and for that, we say a massive thank you.”

If you’re feeling inspired and would like to get involved, take a look at our fundraising events and challenges page, or contact the Fundraising team.

You can also view photos from the night via our Gallery page.

The NHS Staff Support Line, run by Suffolk Mind for NSFT (Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust), comes to an end at 4.30pm on 31 March 2023. The contract wasn’t renewed – however, there is still plenty of support available through Suffolk Mind’s website and other services.

Pressures on NSFT NHS staff, already high, rose during the Covid-19 pandemic often negatively affecting mental wellbeing. In response to this, the support line was requested by Diane Palmer, Associate Director of Nursing at NSFT, in mid-December 2020.

Suffolk Mind rose to the challenge and the NHS Staff Support Line Service, with our experienced Suffolk Mind call handlers, went live in January 2021 (despite the Christmas period intervening).

By mid-2021 the service had been so successful, working in partnership with a dedicated team of NSFT colleagues, that it was shortlisted for two separate National awards in the Healthcare/Mental Health arena. To be recognised after such a short period was reward in itself.

Our call handlers responded to over 1,100 calls, many lasting over an hour. 271 NHS staff members were referred to the dedicated NSFT Staff Support Team for clinical intervention and 225 were referred to other mental wellbeing services.

The team at Suffolk Mind are proud of what they achieved in this service, as well as the strong professional relationships they have forged with the NSFT Staff Therapy Service as a result of their liaison.

Fiona Samson, Service Manager of the Staff Support Service at NSFT said: ‘We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your hard work offering the support line for the Covid-19 Staff Support Service. Suffolk Mind and the team have been fantastic to work with, offering first-class care to the staff members calling for support. The team have been professional at all times and have adapted to the needs of the service as required.

‘The collaboration has been a great experience and this is testament to you and the team members involved.’

For staff seeking support, please take a look at our other services, our Resources hub for helpful articles, or our Help Directory for other support options.

Our first Gala on the Farm takes place at Jimmy’s Farm this July, and we’ve already received some fantastic support. So, we’d like to shine a sponsor spotlight on GLO – Generate Leads Online, who are generously supporting this event. We spoke to John Parnell, owner of GLO, to find out more about him, his company, and his passion for mental health.

John has always understood the impact of wellbeing – both physical and mental. His mother, Maureen, devoted many years of her life to the NHS’ mental health services as the head of Suffolk’s crisis team. As a result, he was raised with a strong appreciation for the importance of mental health in particular.

In 2022, this appreciation became a passion. Following the devastating loss of his best friend, Aine Kerlin, John has channelled much of his energy into supporting others – working through his award-winning digital marketing agency, GLO, to fundraise for Suffolk Mind. These efforts, from inflatable runs to skydives, have raised both awareness and more than £1,500 in funds – both of which we’re incredibly grateful for. Most recently, on 18 March 2023, GLO and Ipswich Rugby Club held a memorial day for Aine, as well as other people no longer with us. The day included a raffle in aid of Suffolk Mind, which garnered a further £700.

John Parnell, pictured centre, at the Ipswich Rugby Club Memorial Day event

GLO’s dedication to mental health doesn’t stop at fundraising. In fact, understanding and caring for it is a top priority both in and out of their offices. Whether creating open dialogues on social media with #MentalHealthMondays, or accessing the company’s dedicated mental health line (provided through private medical care), GLO staff know that they’re both seen and supported. John emphasises that prioritising employees’ mental health fosters a positive work environment, contributing to staff retention and increased productivity.

Based in Ipswich, GLO has been an avid supporter of Suffolk Mind for some time now, so it’s fantastic to have them on board for this event. They chose to sponsor this year’s Gala on the Farm to further their support of Suffolk Mind, and help raise awareness of mental health. In addition to supporting us, John also works to encourage people to talk about mental health through ice-breaking ‘loud’ shirts.

When asked what advice John would give other companies considering sponsorship, he said:

‘Do it! Not only are you helping Suffolk Mind in its goal of making Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health, but you’re also showing people that mental health matters to your company.’

There are still a few table sponsorships left for our Gala on the Farm event on 15 July. If you’re interested in sponsoring, please contact our Fundraising team.

We’re pleased to share that there was double glory for Suffolk Mind last month, as we won two East Suffolk Awards in recognition of our innovative ways to teach children and adults about their mental health.

We won both the Health and Wellbeing and Great Idea awards at the gala evening at Snape Maltings on Tuesday, 28th February.

The awards recognised and celebrated two of our key services:

Jon Neal (pictured left), CEO of Suffolk Mind, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won these awards.

“The demand for our services continues to grow, but it’s so important people in the county know support is out there.

“We are very proud of The Mental Health Toolkit and know it has the power to make a real difference – while Sammy’s story is helping inspire thousands of children to live happy and active lives.

“We are incredibly grateful to East Suffolk Council, and all the award sponsors, for their recognition and look forward to continuing on our quest to make Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.”

Earning Suffolk Mind the Health and Wellbeing Award, the free half-day training is available to anyone who registers as a Friend of Suffolk Mind, which is completely free.

It focuses on introducing people to their Emotional Needs & Resources, and equips them with the tools, skills and knowledge to look after themselves and those around them.

Sammy the Sea Squirt won the charity this year’s Great Idea Award, with the judges impressed by its effect on teaching children about the link between movement and mental health.

More than 8,000 copies of the book, written by the charity’s Head of Education Ezra Hewing and illustrated by local artist Emma Graham, have been donated to five-year-olds across the county since 2021.

The character also tours schools across Suffolk alongside children’s mental health trainer Louise Harris, delivering assemblies and workshops. Louise, pictured centre, said she was “so proud to be part of the amazing team at Suffolk Mind, making a real difference to the mental health of so many people.”

Wendy Sheppard – our Client Relationships Manager (pictured right), who helps organisations access the workplace wellbeing training offered by The Mental Health Toolkit by Suffolk Mind, said: We had a fabulous evening. It was a pleasure to meet lots of new people who are also making a big difference in their local communities – well done to everyone that attended.”

Those looking to become a friend of Suffolk Mind can do so for free via our application form.

You can also purchase a copy of Sammy the Sea Squirt on our website.

A sixth form in Suffolk has praised our wellbeing training, after we delivered a session to students for free to mark Children’s Mental Health Week (6th to 12th February 2023).

Suffolk Mind attended Stowupland High School’s Sixth Form to provide 100 teenagers with tips and advice on understanding their emotional needs and how to meet them.

This was part of our Life Hacks for the Teenage Brain session, which aims to teach young people how to manage their mental health and keep them on the wellbeing side of the mental health continuum.

Ashley Hailstone, Sixth Form Director at Stowupland High School, said: “The session was incredibly informative to the students. We live in an increasingly stressful and difficult society, and our students’ mental health and wellbeing is extremely important to us.

“The more knowledge and support our students have so they can help to self-manage and seek support is incredibly useful, and the Suffolk Mind session and other activities we arrange as a Sixth Form is testament to that.”

We have also just launched a range of Emotional Needs and Resources cards for Teenagers (which will be available to purchase from our Shop soon), as well as a wellbeing support guide for young people aged under 18.

The sessions were delivered by Louise Harris, our Children, Families and Young People Lead. She said: “It’s incredibly important we learn from a young age how to manage our mental health and meet our emotional needs.

“Teenagers’ brains experience significant changes as they grow older. And to ensure they are equipped to support their mental health into adulthood, awareness is key.

“These sessions are aimed at teaching young people to recognise the emotional needs they should meet to maintain positive wellbeing. By doing so, not only can they look after themselves, but they can also look out for their peers.”

Find out more about your Emotional Needs & Resources and how to meet them, or contact our Schools team to book your Life Hacks session.

We’re delighted to announce that, out of 48 nominees, Suffolk Mind came second in National Mind‘s first-ever Innovation Prize.

In Mind’s words, the prize – awarded earlier this month – was designed to:

Suffolk Mind won for our upcoming e-learning platform, which is soon to be unveiled as part of our new workplace wellbeing training programme: The Mental Health Toolkit.

This new service will enable attendees of any of our courses to continue their wellbeing development after their course ends.

To be among the first to find out when this exciting new project launches, sign up to our newsletter for organisations, or follow The Mental Health Toolkit on LinkedIn.

We’d like to send our hearty congratulations to:

An award-winning director of a haulage giant in Suffolk has been announced as patron for Suffolk Mind, the local independent mental health charity for the county.

Olly Magnus, Chief Executive Officer at Magnus Group, has taken on the role following his own struggles with mental health.

Olly hit the news in early 2021 with his viral ‘This Man’ post, highlighting the various pressures, struggles and worries he has experienced over the past 25 years.

He has since gone on to be named as one of Archant’s top 100 influential people in Suffolk, as well as winning Director of the Year at the Suffolk Business Awards.

Olly joins Lord Dennis Stevenson as one of Suffolk Mind’s two patrons.

On his new appointment, Olly said, “I’m delighted to be named as patron for Suffolk Mind and to help the charity’s mission in being open and transparent when it comes to mental health.

“Having faced my own mental health battles, I know first-hand how important Suffolk Mind’s services and training are to those in Suffolk and across the UK.

“I’m excited to help in the charity’s mission to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health.”

Suffolk Mind works throughout Suffolk delivering services and mental health training to people across the mental health continuum.

Chief Executive of Suffolk Mind, Jon Neal, was named alongside Olly in Archant’s top 100 influential people in Suffolk.

Jon said: “Olly’s openness around his personal mental health challenges, as well as his charitable work and Suffolk business connections, meant we felt that he would be a great fit for Suffolk Mind.”

Suffolk Mind’s Chair of Trustees, Ian White of Beckett Investment Management Group, said: “We need mental health advocates like Olly to help support our vital work and we’re delighted to see him join us as a patron.”

Introducing The Mental Health Toolkit: a new service from Suffolk Mind offering mental health training to businesses.

We’re launching on World Mental Health Day, at a time when wellbeing has worsened for more than two thirds of people in Suffolk.

The Mental Health Toolkit is a series of live virtual training courses to help businesses and organisations promote and support mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Our recent research reveals 65% of people in Suffolk are not meeting their emotional needs as of September 2022. This is compared to 50% at the start of the year.

Jon Neal, CEO of Suffolk Mind, said: “The reduction in people meeting their needs is concerning, and shows there is work to be done to highlight the ways we can support our mental wellbeing.

“As we spend most of our time in the workplace, whether that’s in person or remotely, it’s important to have a safe environment where our mental health is looked after.

“With The Mental Health Toolkit, employers can gain the skills needed to ensure their workforce is supported, as well as being able to identify when colleagues are facing challenges.”

The charity says people should aim to meet 12 emotional and physical needs for positive wellbeing. This includes sleep, movement, community and more.
Through The Mental Health Toolkit, businesses and individuals have access to various courses, including The Essentials, Supporting Colleagues’ Mental Health and Stress Management.

Each course is designed around helping people meet their needs and giving them the tools to support those arounds them.
Karen Holmes, Head of Development and Partnerships at Suffolk Mind, said: “The beauty of the training provided by The Mental Health Toolkit is it can be put into practice by anyone.

“Not only does it provide easily digestible skills to support us in our professional environments, but those skills can also be adopted to our personal lives, as well as being used to support our loved ones.

“It’s not just the people who benefit too. When a business has a happy and well-supported workforce, it will experience improved productivity and staff retention.”

Businesses and organisations interested in training from The Mental Health Toolkit can visit our new website or email us.

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