Press Release

Making an appearance at this year’s multi-cultural Leicester Caribbean Carnival was a ‘pop-up village’ with a difference thanks to Time to Change, England’s biggest mental health anti-stigma campaign, run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

Visitors were treated to the usual eclectic mix of street performers, music and floats, as well as the Time to Change Village, which was staffed by volunteers with mental health problems including some from the Caribbean community.

A singing sensation, story-telling performances, an interactive game, and the live broadcast of personal stories about mental health problems amongst refugees are just some of the ways that local communities will be tackling mental health stigma discrimination after receiving funding totalling £533,600 from the national Time to Change programme.

Following on from the recent landmarks in mental health anti-stigma campaigning - when four MPs disclosed their mental illness in Parliament and the bold Channel 4 season ‘4 Goes Mad’ - a wide range of creative approaches will now be rolled

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Care Services Minister Paul Burstow have called upon employers to take three simple steps to improve the mental health of their staff, and will issue a call to everyone in society to play their part in reducing stigma.

Right now, one worker in six has a mental health problem – almost 5 millio

Channel 4 has become the first broadcaster in England to sign the Time to Change pledge to show their commitment to tackling mental health discrimination.