Walk and Talk for Mental Health in Newbury

Volunteers chat about mental health issues

Brighter Berkshire raises profile with ‘walk and talk’ sessions in town centre

A ‘Walk and Talk for Mental Health’ through Newbury town centre helped raise the profile of Brighter Berkshire on Saturday.

Volunteers engaged with as many shoppers as possible to talk more about mental health through the Brighter Berkshire 2017 Year of Mental Health initiative.

Shoppers and shop workers were asked if they knew of the initiative and encouraged to make a pledge via the website.

Brighter Berkshire spokeswoman Alison Foster said: “Some of the commitments included promising to wear the Brighter Berkshire t- shirts for a few days over the year or having a fundraising coffee morning where people can talk about mental health.”

Parkway shopping centre backed the walk and talk and Waitrose in Newbury made refreshments for participants.

Brighter Berkshire is a community-led initiative, launched in January, working towards making a strong, positive and lasting impact on the opportunities and support for the people of Berkshire who may have a range of mental health needs.

This includes new mothers suffering from post-natal depression, children needing increasing support around resilience and emotional development in schools, men over age of 25, where suicide is the biggest cause of death, and those in later life suffering from mental health issues linked to loneliness, bereavement and dementia.

The organisation states it “builds on the desire by many to do something proactive and which would allow absolutely anyone to get involved.”

Newbury MP Richard Benyon has praised Brighter Berkshire in the House of Commons, winning a ringing endorsement of the initiative from Prime Minister Theresa May.