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We held our first ever ‘How Do We…?’ event on Monday November 18, to open up the conversation surrounding men and their mental health.
More than 80 guests attended the event, sponsored by Becketts Investment, at Ipswich Town Football Club and helped raise £1,200 to fund Suffolk Mind’s vital services.
Our Head of Education Ezra Hewing said: “People rightly point out that suicide rates are higher among men – although it isn’t as simple as men not asking for help.
“As many as 90% of middle-aged men who die by suicide have been in contact with frontline services in the three months before taking their life. These include mental health services, but also substance misuse services, probation, police and prison services.
“So if we know that there has been an opportunity to help the majority of men who die by suicide, we have to ask if we are asking the right questions, or if we can learn to spot the warning signs before a life is lost.
“Monday’s event was a great way to connect with men and women from different walks of life across Suffolk and hear more from our guest speakers about how mental health can affect us.”
Ashley, from online support group Blue Sole Shoes, spoke about his experiences with depression and panic attacks and the importance of meeting your 12 emotional and physical needs.
He also shared the benefits of daily journalling and running to improve his mental health.
The 12 emotional and physical needs were discussed further in the premiere of Suffolk Mind’s new short film, ‘How Do We…?’, which follows the lives of four men facing mental health challenges.
Ezra added: “Every person has the same 12 emotional and physical needs we need to meet to stay on the wellbeing side of the Mental Health Continuum.
“These needs include things like Sleep, Control, Emotional Connection and Meaning and Purpose.
“Taking the time to address each of these needs and consider the reasons why we may not be meeting them can be the spark which starts an upturn in wellbeing.
“We encourage anyone to consider: when life was hardest, which of your needs were unmet? How are you meeting your needs in the present? And when you imagine a healthy future, how do you see yourself meeting those needs?”
Ian White, Beckett Investment, said: “Beckett Investment were proud to support Suffolk Mind’s ‘How Do We…?’ event.
“Given the statistics around men’s mental health and male suicide, we know that bringing people together is a key to making a change in our community.”
Earlier this year, the Open Societal Challenges Programme at The Open University (OU) ran a Challenge Us! competition open to UK Charities to find the most exciting research ideas tackling real-world problems.
We are delighted to announce that Suffolk Mind’s proposal: ‘Addressing low response rates and under-representation of individuals with poor mental health in research and evaluation’ has been chosen as one of the winning challenges and will receive a baseline of £25,000 in funding to cover the direct cost of this research.
Suffolk Mind’s Research Team will also be given the opportunity for one of its employees, trustees, or volunteers with the research team to have a paid internship with the OU to help build research capacity.
Our research
At Suffolk Mind we regularly conduct research and evaluation to ensure our mental health services are representative of population needs.
However, clients and respondents sometimes describe participating in research as a “commitment” or “pressure”, leaving them feeling they’re “letting people down” if they’re not mentally well enough to contribute.
We know these individuals are incredibly driven to share their experiences and insights to support others, but challenges engaging with research and evaluation mean their views are under-represented.
With the support and funding from this programme, we will be able to undertake research which allows us to better understand – and develop guidance around – these challenges so those with mental ill-health feel better supported to effectively engage with research and evaluation.
Stay tuned to find out more about what we get up to. Thank you so much to the OU for this amazing opportunity.
Background: Lucy Goode, who had previously experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression, was working for social care when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Her poor prognosis left her feeling anxious and she was signed off on long term sickness. She was referred to Suffolk Mind’s Suffolk Work Well service, before later joining the charity as a co-facilitator for its training arm, The Mental Health Toolkit. Here, she talks about her experiences.
I first started experiencing anxiety and depression in the late 90s. It was up and down depending on what was going on in my life at the time. I felt I managed it well.
In 2016 I was diagnosed with eye cancer and needed to have my eye removed. It was a real double whammy, first finding out you have cancer and then that you’re going to lose half your sight. Of course it has a big impact on your mental health, too.
The doctors had also given me a likely prognosis of five years. They said the cancer had spread into my blood stream, and that I’ll require six-monthly scans for the rest of my life.
Because eye cancer is so rare, the treatment options are limited. I basically need to have a scan every six months to see if I am going to live or die.
In the early days I was really struggling and felt like I was living one scan to the next. It got too much for me and I couldn’t concentrate on my job in social care, so needed to take time away.
After spending a few months off work, my GP suggested I get in touch with Suffolk Mind and its Suffolk Work Well service.
I didn’t have to wait long and was soon assigned a worker called Laura Bullard. She put me at ease and didn’t ask to speak so much about my illness – she just wanted to hear about me.
She always made me feel really relaxed. I could see she wanted to get to know me so she could learn to help me in the best way.
She put me through a few courses – Anxiety Management, Get Ready Step Forward, and another about Emotional Needs. The latter was a real lightbulb moment for me.
The main thing troubling me was that I didn’t feel I had any control over my cancer – and I was just waiting for it to do whatever it liked. But after doing that course I realised the best thing I could do is think about each of my Emotional Needs.
I started to think about Food & Drink – and looked up anti-cancer diets, took supplements and put myself more in Control.
I then thought about Community – and got in touch with England’s only eye cancer charity to meet and chat with more people living with the same condition.
The charity later asked me if I’d like to give a talk about my prevention plan and that helped me meet my need for Status.
Suffolk Work Well continued to support me, and gradually as I continued to take more action to control my anxiety, I started thinking about getting back to work.
Laura liaised with my manager and came to meetings with me, making suggestions about the things they can do to help me on my return.
Because she was there, I felt justified in what I was asking for. She made me feel like I wasn’t asking for too much. After three months of her support, I was back to work.
All the support I received from Laura and Suffolk Mind as a whole, helped make me feel better.
Everyone was so supportive and understanding. Everything they did for me was tailored to my needs. They were non-judgmental too and were always happy go give up their time for me.
Because of my prognosis I later decided to retire. I thought, ‘if I have a short life, then I want to enjoy it’.
But I soon found myself missing coming home from work and knowing that I’d made a difference to someone’s life. I later realised that was me not meeting my need for Meaning & Purpose.
A friend of mine told me about a job available at Suffolk Mind and I went for it. And it’s filled that gap in my life – I really enjoy it.
I was given five years and I’m now in my ninth – and I feel like my prevention plan has made me stronger mentally. When you get depressed or anxious, your body fills with cortisol and affects your immune system – but because my mental health has been stable, I think it has helped keep me in remission.
Fashion lovers can get their hands on a bargain while supporting the county’s mental health services at our upcoming Fashion and Wellness Shopping Event in Woodbridge on Saturday, October 19.
The event will see various stallholders selling a range of one-off bargains, pre-loved threads, crafts and gifts in support of the charity. There will also different salon and wellness therapies available.
One of those taking part is local event partner Dot & Do-Dah – who are donating all monies raised from their stall to Suffolk Mind.
Gina Saunders, Community Engagement and Fundraising Officer at Suffolk Mind, said: “This is going to be a fabulous event – what could be better than uncovering pre-loved gems while benefitting such a great cause?
“Dot & Do-Dah have done some incredible work across the county for good causes, and we are delighted to benefit from their support for this event.
“Every penny we raise through the event will go directly to funding our mission of making Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health.”
Shoppers won’t have long to grab a bargain, with the event only running from 10am to 2pm at the Sports Dome at Woodbridge School
Lindsey & Alison at Dot & Do-Dah, said: “We can’t wait for this week’s event and the chance to share our recently donated loveliness to an even greater audience.
“We have donated almost £33,000 to our chosen charities since August 2021 – a figure we’re looking forward to increasing further for Suffolk Mind this weekend!”
Entry to the event is free, although donations to Suffolk Mind are encouraged at the door.
Picture credit: Claudia Gannon
Almost 500 runners doused themselves in colour during Suffolk Mind’s biggest ever fundraising event.
A total of 480 runners took to Trinity Park on Saturday, October 5 to take part in the charity’s first ever Colour Rush event.
The family-fun day saw adults take on a 3km run awash in various bright colours, with children taking on a shorter 1.5km course around the showground.
In total, the event raised more than £12,800
Julie Long, Fundraising Manager at Suffolk Mind, said: “It was absolutely amazing to witness the flash flood of colour as our runners started their run.
“This was a brilliant, family-friendly event which perfectly captured how you can put the ‘fun’ in fundraising.
“The best thing is that on top of all the fun, together our runners have raised a huge sum of money that will go directly to supporting people here in Suffolk with their mental health.”
Volunteers were on-hand throughout the route to spread even more colour at dedicated paint stations – making for an even more dazzling day in the autumn sunshine.
Grace Cook, 6, took part in the run with three generations of her family – joined by her mum and grandparents, alongside her auntie, cousin and two brothers.
She said: “The colour rush was really fun – I really enjoyed it.
“I loved all the colours and how happy everyone was. My family had lots of fun too.”
Suffolk Mind hopes to host more mass-participation events in the future
Julie said: “Big events like these are hugely important on the path to achieve our mission of making Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health.
“A huge thank you also goes to our amazing sponsors for making such an incredible day possible.”
Vital businesses sponsored the colour stations and registration desk on the day, including Baker Transport, GBS Builders, East Suffolk Council, Secure Stores, Knights Lowe, Churchmanor Estates, Prominent PR and Bates Wells & Braithwaite.
Sophie Proctor, who volunteered on the day, added: “It was a privilege to support Suffolk Mind on such a vibrant day.
“It’s not every day that you’re asked to douse people in colour, so it was definitely a day to remember!
“What better way could there be to raise money for such an important cause?”
View the photo gallery for Colour Rush.
A new initiative helping people living with borderline personality disorder get out into nature has been praised by its clients.
Groups of people using Suffolk Mind’s Waves service have visited Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Martlesham Wilds site in September, providing a peaceful setting to experience nature and speak about their wellbeing.
Our Community Services Manager for Waves Kym Hackett said the Waves in the Wilds initiative is helping clients open up about their own experiences.
She said: “As we walk alongside our clients in nature, we have been able to work in a different way to the normal group setting as client’s have opened up and shared their experiences and stories.
“It has been amazing to clients looking around in childlike wonder as they’re connecting and learning about nature, enjoying the long walks, away from the stress and noise of daily life.
“We talk to people in group about the importance of being around nature to help support their mental health and emotional needs, so to have the opportunity to be able to give clients this opportunity has been fantastic.”
Dawn, one of the clients to visit Martlesham Wilds earlier this month, praised the initiative for the way it encourages people to talk.
She said: “Waves in the Wild opened the door to a new therapy for me.
“It’s easier to walk and talk when you’re in an environment like this. It’s not all focused on you – it’s a different way of working.
“You can walk without it being so emotional and raw. It’s different.
“I suddenly realised I wasn’t churning a hundred thoughts around my head. I found peace and harmony in myself by noticing the world around me.
“The experience was informative, fun and something I would certainly do again.”
Another client added: “The walk was relaxing and calm.
“My inner child felt free when with nature.”
Only available to those living with borderline personality disorder or emotionally unstable personality disorder, Waves is a 12-week programme which helps people learn new skills to help manage and understand their diagnosis, building confidence and self-esteem.
Further visits are due to take place at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Bradfield Woods nature reserve in the spring – all made possible due to a successful application to the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths’ Landscape for All Fund.
Charlie Zakss, Engagement Officer at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, added: “Nature is really struggling and this reserve is like a beacon of hope.
“Suffolk Mind is a really nice fit to work with because everyone needs hope – and so does nature.
“Nature can recover and nature can help you recover.”
This project has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape.
We’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of these fantastic businesses and individuals who have helped us raise vital funds for Suffolk Mind in October.
CIBSE
Thank you to CIBSE and Neil Fordham (Johns Slater and Haward) who have have chosen Suffolk Mind as their charity of the year for the second year running. They held a golf day earlier this year and hosted a gala on Friday 25 October which our Chair of Trustees Ian White attended. £3,000 has been raised to date, with the total for the year still being tallied!
Colour Rush
Thank you to everyone who is involved with our first ever mass participation run, Colour Rush! Thank you to our station supporters Baker Transport, GBS Builders, Secure Stores, East Suffolk Council, Knights Lowe, Churchmanor Estates, Prominent PR and Bates Wells & Braithwaite.
Thanks also goes to Suffolk Coffee Pod, The Coffee Mod, Suffolk Face Painting, Bumble & Bloom Event Styling and Breeze Events. Plus, thank you to Thomas Ridley who donated the water for our rehydration station.
Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon
Congratulations and thank you to all 57 of our Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon finishers, who completed the run on Sunday 22 September. Thank you also to Orwell Fitness, who sponsored our beautiful running vests! Take a look at our gallery for pictures from the day.
Skydive
Congratulations and thank you also to our 22 brave skydivers who took to the skies on Saturday 21 September! Take a look at our gallery for pictures from the day.
The Marmalade Club
Thank you to The Marmalade Club, and to this year’s commodore Mark Hopkins. Mark chose us as his charity of the year for this year’s Marmalade Ball, which we are delighted to say has resulted in a huge donation of £12,537. This sum will have a significant impact in helping us deliver services in our county!
Fancy fundraising yourself? There’s all sorts you can do on our events page or, if you have your own fundraising idea, get in touch with the team.
Dozens of fundraisers have raised tens of thousands of pounds for Suffolk Mind during a daring donation double header.
More than 75 fundraisers took part across two fundraising events for us on the weekend of September 21 – our annual skydive followed by the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon the following day.
The two separate events raised £33,193
One brave sole, keen runner Oliver Watson, even took on both challenges – raising more than £1,100.
Oliver said: “I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the skydive and Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon for Suffolk Mind.
“It made for a busy weekend, but I would recommend it to anyone – and would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated.
“Suffolk Mind are a brilliant charity who do brilliant work all year round!”
In total, 57 runners took on the Larking Gowen Half Marathon, while 22 took to the skies over Beccles Airfield
Wendy Sheppard, our Head of Income Generation, said: “The only thing more amazing than the performance of our awe-inspiring runners and skydivers was the huge amount of money they raised.
“It was great to be joined by so many supporters across both days, including at the official Suffolk Mind cheer point during Sunday’s race. The atmosphere was electric.
“Every penny they have raised will go directly to supporting our mission of making Suffolk the best place in the world to talk about and take care of mental health.
“All of us at Suffolk Mind are hugely thankful to our fantastic fundraisers and super sponsors for making this possible.”
Fundraisers running the half marathon for Suffolk Mind did so in style thanks to specially designed vests kindly donated by our sponsor, Orwell Fitness
Darren Hotten and Kirsty Turner, founders of Orwell Fitness, completed the race together.
He said: “It was an absolute pleasure to support Suffolk Mind on another memorable event.
“It was brilliant to see so many runners donning the Suffolk Mind vests too. There was a real sense of community and it was great to meet everyone before celebrating together at Portman Road afterwards.”
Sian Taylor, another runner taking part at the event for Suffolk Mind, added: “I ran for Suffolk Mind as I strongly believe that mental health needs more focus and support throughout our community.
“I support young people on a day-to-day basis within the specialist education sector and it’s heartbreaking to see how mental health can impact the overall health and happiness of so many.
“I have also had many personal experiences of friends, family and myself struggling with mental health and I felt contributing in this way could be invaluable to some.
“The day of the race was tricky but I’m incredibly proud of all the training and investment I dedicated to the race. The pain may last a few days after, but it all felt worth it for such a great cause.”
Take a look at our gallery to see pictures from the weekend.
Those looking to take part in the 2025 Larking Gowen Ipswich Half can sign up now.
It’s International Day of Charity on 5 September and as a local independent charity, Suffolk Mind relies on the generosity of people giving donations, grants and time to fund our vital services. Here, Fundraising Manager at Suffolk Mind Julie Long, discusses what charity means to her and the importance of it.
Someone once told me that charity is not about ‘not for profit’ but rather it is about ‘profit for a purpose’.
Charity is not just about asking people for a cash donation. Any act of kindness or support is beneficial to our aims.
As a charity whose mission is to help make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health, cash donations are vital to help keep our services running.
But also, volunteering through our various services and events, or donating time elsewhere is just as precious.
Suffolk Mind’s vital work in the county
If giving to charity is the act of giving back to society, then giving to a local charity is the act of giving back to our county.
Every day we try to remind people that as a local Mind, we are responsible for our own fundraising, and it is this fundraising which plays a crucial role in supporting our mental health services in Suffolk.
To know we are fundraising to ensure our Suffolk Mind Helpline can operate and potentially reach 100 people a day, or give counselling to someone who might not otherwise be able to afford it (or wait for it), is so inspiring.
It helps the fundraising team get out of bed in the morning and I really hope it makes every one of our fundraisers/donors very proud to have played their part.
How your donation could make a difference
Even £2 can help us connect with someone through our Helpline and as such, is potentially life changing or even saving. That’s the cost of a cup of coffee!
Of course, we have many wonderful donors, fundraisers or corporate supporters who are able to give more.
£50 could fund a counselling session, £200 could run our Helpline for a day, £1,000 could run our Helpline for a week and £2,500 could enable us to go into a local primary school and deliver mental health training for pupils and staff.
How you can get involved
We have lots of free ways to engage with us and support fundraising, from signing up for ink cartridge recycling through to signing up to easyfundraising and donating as you shop (with no extra cost to you). You can also like and follow our social media pages and share the messaging we put out.
A huge proportion of our fundraising comes from our amazing fundraisers who engage with their own challenges and events, everything from braving the shave, to holding retro party nights or golf days.
In addition, we also have a range of Suffolk Mind events, where fundraising comes to us both through ticket sales and also sponsorship opportunities. We also welcome volunteers who can help us to steward these events.
Plus, you could become a regular donor and donate from just £2 a month to help someone in need through the Helpline.
A little goes a long way: 200 regular donors offering £2 a month over the course of a year could raise enough to fund our Helpline for a whole month!
Finally, our corporate and community fundraisers are so important and there are always opportunities for teams to engage, or for businesses to get behind our networking club or events.
We’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of these fantastic businesses and individuals who have helped us raise vital funds for Suffolk Mind in September.
Bardwell Tractor Run
Thank you to everyone who helped, supported and ran with the Bardwell Tractor Run on 1 September! The event was a huge success, with more than £9,300 being raised and split between Suffolk Mind and East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH). And a special thank you to Lee Maddox who was the driving force behind the event.
Rob’s Brave the Shave
Thank you to Rob, who has has ‘Braved the Shave’! How much he raised decided how much hair he would cut off. He’s raised more than £1,150, which means he has shaved to a grade 1!
Fancy fundraising yourself? There’s all sorts you can do on our events page or, if you have your own fundraising idea, get in touch with the team.
We’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of these fantastic businesses and individuals who have helped us raise vital funds for Suffolk Mind in August.
Christmas Big Give pledgers
Thank you to everyone who has pledged to our 2024 Christmas Big Give campaign so far including MAD-HR, Bad Shirt Company, DPO Centre, Wyards Removals and Knowles Fleet. Our pledge form is still open, so if you are able to help, please do get in touch with our fundraising team.
East Suffolk Council
Thank you to East Suffolk Council who held a football match in aid of Suffolk Mind on 19 July. They raised a fantastic £354.46!
Sunset Barn Care Farm
Thank you to Melanie and the team at Sunset Barn Care Barn who have donated £400 following an open day. Melanie said “We raise monies each year to help support charities that are identified by our attendees who are making a difference in the community for animals, adults or children and this year you have been chosen as one of those charities. We have people who have directly benefitted from your services who attend the farm, and they very much wanted to give something back.”
Knights Lowe
Thank you to our corporate supporter Knights Lowe, who have now concluded the fundraising from their wonderful July Golf Day at Dunston Hall. We are thrilled to have received £3,000 from this event and thank everyone involved. Knights Lowe continue their valuable fundraising with an upcoming team skydive in September – good luck to all involved.
TMJ Interiors and tp bennett
Thank you to our long-standing supporter TMJ Interiors, who frequently fundraise for Suffolk Mind. In August however, they took on a more adventurous challenge – a skydive along with the team at tp bennett! The brave team including Sam, Joshua C, Brandon, Stephen, Freddie, David, Barry, Ilaria, Reece, Ben R, Jonathon, Joshua D, John, Harvey, Andrew, Ben M, Callum, Mel, and Maria fundraised for both Suffolk Mind and Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue and raised a fantastic £15,000! Thank you to everyone who undertook this challenge and to all those who sponsored. A huge congratulations to you all on such a great achievement.
Fancy fundraising yourself? There’s all sorts you can do on our events page or, if you have your own fundraising idea, get in touch with the team.
Suffolk Mind is celebrating after this year’s midsummer gala raised more than £23,000 to help support people across the county.
We hosted the event at Fynn Valley Terrace with Georgy Jamieson as Master of Ceremonies and featured a star raffle prize of a luxury 6-night European Christmas market cruise, kindly donated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
The celebration was held to help generate vital funds and raise awareness of our important work, raising a total of £23,339
Our CEO Jon Neal, said: “We are extremely pleased with the success of this year’s gala.
“The support we have received from sponsors and attendees has been fantastic. It shows our goal of making Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health is shared by many.
“Fundraising makes a huge difference to our ability to deliver services across the county, so we are extremely thankful to everyone who helped us raise such an amazing amount of money.”
The midsummer celebration saw people enjoy food, drinks and live music, including a surprise performance by singing waiters, Tailored Tenors.
Fundraising activities included garden games, a grand prix, heads or tails, golden envelopes, a silent auction, a live auction and a raffle.
Items up for grabs included a signed photo of Sir Bobby Robson, a unique ‘vintage car’ office chair designed and made exclusively for the event by Newton Commercial, and a two-course home delivery private dining experience for four people courtesy of Noble Prawn, as well as other experiences from local businesses.
The event was headline sponsored by Suffolk-based global natural extracts and ingredients manufacturer, Treatt
Jaynie Vincent, Interim People Director at Treatt, attended the gala and said: “We are so proud to have sponsored this event for the second year in a row.
“Suffolk Mind’s mission resonates with us, so we are huge supporters of the charity and take great pride in the relationship we’ve built with the team.
“At Treatt, we are committed to supporting wellbeing and have enlisted a Wellbeing Team across all our locations to help support staff with their mental health.
“The chance to sponsor this year’s gala was an easy decision for us and we’d like to thank Suffolk Mind for organising such an enjoyable and important event which has raised an amount of money that will make a difference across the county.”
Jon added: “We’d like to share a heartfelt thank you to Fynn Valley Terrace for hosting us, our headline sponsor Treatt and other sponsors VirtualGo, MAD-HR, Larking Gowen and Ellisons Solicitors.”
Looking forward to 2025?
Early bird tickets for our 2025 black tie gala at Seckford Hall are now on sale. Friday 27 June 2025 promises to be a fantastic evening with ‘big band’ live entertainment and three course dining. Get your tickets.
