Community: what it means to our partners

Why is being part of a safe, positive community so good for your organisation?

Being part of a supportive and positive community is at the heart of everything we do at MHFA England®. From 12 May – 18 May we will celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme “Community”.

Being part of a safe, positive community can be vital for our mental health and wellbeing. People and workplaces thrive when there are strong connections between teams. Communities can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support, and give us a sense purpose.

MHFAiders® are often the ones offering a listening ear to others, so it’s important they also feel connected, understood, and part of something bigger. A strong community gives them confidence in their role and reminds them they’re not alone.

That sense of belonging makes a real difference – it helps people feel valued and supported in return. A strong community of Mental Health First Aiders or Champions can transform the culture of an organisation and should be a key component of any mental health and wellbeing strategy.

How do you maintain a mentally healthy community?

We keep our community mentally healthy by making sure MHFAiders are supported long after they complete their course.

Through the Association of Mental Health First Aiders®, we provide access to tools, learning, and connection – from the MHFAider Support App® and monthly emails to expert-led webinars, downloadable resources, and peer learning opportunities.

This support helps MHFAiders feel confident, skilled, and cared for in their role and helps people stay well while they’re supporting others.

How has Shout contributed to your community?

Shout plays an essential role in supporting MHFAiders with their own wellbeing.

Sometimes a conversation can feel emotionally heavy, or other things in life might be affecting how someone feels. MHFAiders can text Shout using a dedicated keyword service commissioned by MHFA England. This gives them a 24/7 confidential and anonymous resource to turn to for support at any time – day or night.

It’s a simple but powerful reminder that those who are there for others also deserve support themselves.

What is your one top tip for cultivating a strong sense of community?

At MHFA England, we believe that cultivating a strong sense of community begins with creating safe, inclusive spaces where people feel able to show up as themselves.

Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us that community gives us a sense of belonging and purpose. It’s where we feel safe, supported, and understood.

We also believe that we can all be the reason someone feels supported. This means taking small but meaningful actions like checking in, listening without judgement, and making space for honest conversations. These simple gestures, when done consistently, help build trust and connection.

Founded in 2011, Navigo is a not-for-profit social enterprise in North East Lincolnshire. It provides all-age mental health services to nearly 170,000 people as part of the NHS and runs several trading arms, including a community hub and The Potting Shed garden centre and café, which offers training and work opportunities.

As a Shout partner, Navigo has successfully used the keyword ‘ORANGE’ to reach new demographics and double the number of people supported through a creative local marketing campaign.

How do you maintain a mentally healthy community?

Mental health is our whole bag at Navigo. We provide a wide range of mental health services across North East Lincolnshire — from inpatient support in our state-of-the-art lodges to green and blue social prescribing opportunities through activities like paddle boarding and foraging!

It all starts with being there when people need us. Our 24/7 Single Point of Access means anyone in crisis can speak to someone straight away. Or if they’d rather not talk on the phone, they can of course text 'ORANGE' to 85258.

But we aim to focus on prevention and connection rather than waiting until that moment of emergency, encouraging people to become part of our membership and join social groups based in the community. We work with people to put them in control of their own journeys, helping them feel a sense of belonging rather than a course of treatment.

How has Shout contributed to your community?

Shout has helped address a blind spot in our service provision for people who didn’t want to talk on the phone (or were unable to) — especially in a time of crisis. Through Shout, anyone in North East Lincolnshire can now text 'ORANGE' to 85258 and get immediate, confidential help from trained volunteers, 24 hours a day.

It’s had excellent feedback from our community members and has helped reach people who maybe didn’t feel ready to access traditional services, or maybe weren’t comfortable doing so. Navigo became an all-age mental health service in 2023 and Shout has helped our services become more accessible to children and young people, too. It’s also helped to increase our overall capacity to support our local population, with demand on mental health services in North East Lincolnshire continuing to increase. Overall, it complements our other core services really well.

What is your one top tip for cultivating a strong sense of community?

Our top tip would be to be open to different ideas and ways of thinking. At Navigo, we give our community a genuine voice, at all levels of the organisation; every two years, our members and service users choose who they want to represent them at board level. This gives everyone a genuine opportunity to ensure our decision-making is always rooted in the community.

When people feel listened to, they feel valued. And when they feel valued, they engage more. Trust your community and let them take a role in how you move forward!

The George is an 18th century pub in bustling central London, which partners with us as both a corporate and keyword partner. The team has supported our service through some fantastic fundraising events, raising money for our service with employees doing a 'No Shave November' challenge, and through £1 on the bill donations over Christmas. They have a keyword 'THEGEORGE', which customers and colleagues can text to get support.

For many people, pubs can act as a real hub of the community, bringing people together through social events and providing a physical space to meet.

Here's what their General Manager Nicole told us about community and what it means to her to work as part of a supportive community at The George:

Why is being part of a safe, positive community so good for your organisation?

I love being part of a safe community because feelings of anxieties are removed. There were feelings of dread going into work in the past, in other jobs, walking on eggshells. But having a welcoming and stable environment means we can have a predictable place of work, where we don’t need to feel anxious in walking into.

How do you maintain a mentally healthy community?

By maintaining standards. You show respect you should get respect in return. In past jobs I would acknowledge managers and bosses with Hello How are you? Only to be greeted with nothing. I want all managers on shift to be working with the team at all times, acknowledging everyone, knowing their names and asking how they are doing.