COMMUNITY IMPACT BUCKS SIGNS PLEDGE TO CHANGE HOW WE THINK AND ACT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

Community Impact Bucks signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge at a signing ceremony held at place at the Charity’s office in Monks Risborough on 3rd September 2019.

By signing the Time to Change Employer Pledge, Community Impact Bucks has committed to changing the way we think and act about mental health in the workplace, joining a growing movement of over 1000 organisations including Tesco, E.ON, British Gas, Ernst & Young, Transport for London, Stagecoach UK, Barclays, Shell, Pepsico, Marks and Spencer, and many NHS trusts, universities and local authorities.

Since 2009, Time to Change, run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, has been supporting employers to a create a more open and understanding culture around mental health problems in the workplace, assisting employers to develop their workplace wellbeing interventions and action plans and providing a range of free resources, training and networking events. Time to Change’s pledged organisations employ over two million people.

Katie Higginson, Group CEO, Community Impact Bucks said: “I have struggled with depression in the past, I support several close friends and family members who experience chronic depression, anxiety and OCD, and I have seen how simple adjustments at work can make all the difference in how they are able to manage their conditions.  This is why I’m really pleased that we’re signing Community Impact Bucks up to the ‘Time to Change’ Employer Pledge. I want to work somewhere where people feel safe to share their challenges and seek support from their colleagues.”

Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change said: “We’re delighted to see Community Impact Bucks take the Time to Change Employers Pledge. By signing the pledge and introducing mental health awareness training for all staff, and taking up suggestions arising from a staff champions group, Community Impact Bucks are demonstrating a real commitment to changing the way we all think and act about mental health in the workplace.”

“We know it can be hard to talk about mental health, which is why we work with employers to encourage staff at all levels to open up; to talk and to listen. Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, ashamed and worthless, but with the right support, those of us with mental health problems can recover and have equal opportunities in all areas of life. Everyone’s attitude makes a difference and it’s fantastic to see organisations like Community Impact Bucks taking the lead.”

The cost of poor mental health to UK employers has been estimated to be between £33 billion and £42 billion, according to the Thriving at Work Report published in 2017 and stigma around workplace mental health remains a key issue.

In a survey of UK adults undertaken by Time to Change in 2009, 56% said they would not hire someone with depression even if they were the best candidate for the job. Whilst 35% of people in the British Social Attitudes Survey (2017) think they would be less likely to get promoted if they had depression.

Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change added: “Many leading employers have found that making a strategic commitment to the mental wellbeing of their workforce not only benefits their staff but also their bottom-line, improving productivity and staff retention. With one in six British workers experiencing mental illness it’s time for businesses to make a change and start creating more mentally healthy workplaces.”

Time to Change is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, Comic Relief and the National Lottery Community Fund. Set up to create a positive shift in public attitudes towards mental health problems, Time to Change supports communities, schools and workplaces to open up to mental health problems; to talk and to listen. Between 2008 and 2016, our national surveys show an overall 9.6% change, equivalent to an estimated 4.1 million people with improved attitudes.

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For media enquiries, additional photos or to arrange an interview, please contact

Rachel Fisher or Anne Burton

E: rachel@communityimpactbucks.org.uk ; anne@communityimpactbucks.org.uk

T: 0330 236 9350

Notes to Editors

  • For access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories please visit: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the National Lottery Community Fund.
  • Time to Change: We are Time to Change, a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. Our voice is stronger and louder thanks to funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, Comic Relief and the National Lottery Community Fund. Our campaign is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and thousands more organisations have joined us to make change happen. For more information, go to time-to-change.org.uk
  • Community Impact Bucks: We are an independent charity that supports people and groups to get involved and make a difference in Buckinghamshire communities. We offer expert advice and training, help people to find volunteering opportunities, and help charities and not for profit groups to get started, be effective and grow. For more information, go to communityimpactbucks.org.uk
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