Mental health friendly communities is a project to support the challenges and issues around mental health and community work in our local area.

How do community groups welcome people with mental health challenges and neurodiversity? How can inclusiveness help improve volunteer recruitment and retention for community groups? How can volunteers support their own mental health and resilience?

Discussions with community leaders identified the following key issues which will be explored through a series of facilitated workshops:

• nature recover and mental health;
• understanding mental illness and trauma;
• developing inclusive environments;
• understanding neurodiversity;
• suicide awareness and prevention

Long term resources will also be added to the Toolkit during the project.

Workshops places will be initially offered to community groups in the project areas. If you’re a community volunteer in East Sussex and would like to find out more, please get in touch or join our mailing list.

The project is led by Recovery Partners, in association with Gardening In Action and the Growing Community Toolkit. The project is funded by the Sussex Community Development Association and the Ouse Valley Climate Action Fund.