Isle Listen announces plans for Mental Health Awareness Week in May, and return of symbolic island-wide building light-up

Isle Listen announces plans, with the support of Cains and Conister Bank, for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) which runs from 9^th to 15^th May. The week includes the return of the symbolic building light-up, which this year will be even bigger. Many businesses and notable buildings around the Island will be illuminated green, to send out a strong visual message to the local community and internationally, of their support for Isle Listen and the importance of mental health. As one of the Island’s leading mental health charitable organisations, Isle Listen wants to ensure mental health receives the attention it deserves.

MHAW is an annual event founded by the Mental Health Foundation, and held during May, as a way of highlighting the importance of mental health and helping to remove the stigma that still surrounds it. The week has become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally. This year the theme is loneliness, as it’s something that has affected more and more of us since the start of the pandemic; and our connection to other people as well as our community has never been more important.

With the generous support of locally based Event Management Solutions and led by Zurich International, buildings and notable landmarks that will be lit-up green on Monday 9^th May will include,

Barclays Bank, Bespoke Motors, Boal & Co, Canada Life International, Celton Manx, Cycle360, Douglas Town Hall, IFGL, the Isle of Man Government’s Legislative Building better known as ‘The Wedding Cake’, Isle Listen at Skanco Court, Jacksons, Lloyds Bank, Manx National Heritage’s Castle Rushen, Manx Telecom, Microgaming, Pulrose Power Station, Ramsey Swing Bridge, Stonehage Fleming at Falcon Cliff, Strand Street and Douglas Promenade, Tower of Refuge and Zurich International. And there’s still time to get involved and light-up green to show your support.

There is a whole host of ways that the community can get involved throughout the week to show support for Isle Listen, whose vital services support young people in schools that are struggling with their mental wellbeing. Whilst there is a growing awareness of the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing on the Island, there are still many issues in identifying those who require support. The ways the community can get involved with the week include:

• Join Isle Listen for a ‘brew and a bun’, or host your own coffee morning, whilst catching-up with old friends, or creating new ones.
• Sea Dip for your Sanity in Ramsey.
• Special offer mental health awareness training.
• Primary School poetry competition about loneliness.
• Turn your organisation’s logo green as a show of support.
• Wear something green for a dress down day.
• Attend a social prescribing event to try new things and meet new people.
• Host one of Isle Listen’s Merchandise Boxes to help raise vital funds.
• Or simply make the gift of a donation.

Talking about their support for Isle Listen, Peter Clucas, Managing Director at Cains said, “We at Cains are committed to promoting good mental health and wellbeing, both in our organisation and throughout our local community. We have seen at first hand the invaluable work that Isle Listen carries out in this respect, especially for children and young adults. We are proud to partner with Isle Listen this Mental Health Awareness Week to send out a strong message to our colleagues, clients and the local community about the importance of mental health. The week is an opportunity for us all to work together to show support to people who may be struggling with their mental health. Although we have made some strides, there is much more to do to reduce the stigma around mental health.”

Kerry Waddington, Marketing Manager at Conister Bank, who are supporting Isle Listen’s school activities during MHAW added, “We’re proud to be involved with Isle Listen and their work in schools, encouraging our Island’s young people to use their creativity and explore important mental health themes. We were keen to support Isle Listen’s vital early intervention work, giving younger children new ways for them to familiarise themselves with common feelings and emotions, which is key in developing emotionally healthy young adults”.

The work Isle Listen does to provide education, prevention and early intervention aims to alleviate pressure on the statutory health services and to avoid the unnecessary escalation of mental health problems which can make recovery more difficult the longer they are undiagnosed.

Andrea Chambers, Isle Listen Chief Executive added, “Mental Health Awareness Week highlights to all those in our community who might be struggling with their mental health, that they are not alone, that support is available, and they will be understood if they reach out. However, to make a real and lasting difference, we need to ensure these principles are embedded within society all year round, and that occasions such as Mental Health Awareness Week are used to help remove the stigma.

“We could not continue to do what we do without the amazing support of our Island community, and I’m delighted that so many local organisations want to show their support of our work and the importance of mental health. There are so many ways people can help remove the stigma and I hope as many people as possible will want to get involved. You can find out how on our website islelisten.im/mhaw”.

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