Becoming a Time to Change Young Champion has completely changed the way I live; it has given me the confidence to talk openly, without shame or fear, about my mental health. I no longer feel I need to lie about my experiences, or worry that conversations about my health will make others and myself feel uncomfortable. I have learnt a lot by sharing my experiences and I hope I have helped others too.

My name is Garrick; I currently live in Wirral, part of Liverpool city. Although I have lived here for over 25 years, I am not a native of this region; my UK roots are from South London. However, my original roots are from Jamaica; land of sunshine, reggae and Jerk – just one of many exotic dishes found on this island!

Paula and I have been going through the last few years fighting for the right to be heard and wanting the help from the council and the mental health services.

Three years ago, I lost my voice. I could still say what I was expected to, say what people wanted me to, say whatever I was told to, but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. I could say whatever anyone needed me to, anyone but me. My voice had been almost silenced by the people around me. I was made quieter by the people who called me selfish, the people who thought I was weak, the people who convinced me I wasn’t worth their time or energy, all because of my worsening mental health.

Everyone has a story, everyone has a journey, whether it's just starting or beginning there is a journey that had begun or is yet to begin. Once upon a time my experiences were detrimental. I was constantly attempting to hide what was beneath, beneath all the clothes and smiles and dance moves.

An interview with young Time to Change champion, Nikki Mattocks, at today's event with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge:

Q: So what have you been feeling run-up to today?

"I was a bit nervous about such high profile people being there, but I know that at the end of the day they're still just people like everyone else really... Just royal!"

Sitting in a board room full of heads of nursing and other patients and their representatives, I felt scared. In fact, I felt very scared. I don’t know where my courage came from but I felt I had to speak about what mattered to me.

So, I spoke up. It was time to talk. 

Even when those closest to me, people I trusted and loved, told me I needed to see a doctor I didn’t listen.

My name is Amy and I experience CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), anxiety and depression. I have lived with these issues for the last seven years: it mostly began at 16 during my college years.

Andy is one of the stars of our radio adverts. Listen to his advert here.

My name is Andy. I have been a Time to Change champion for five years. 

It was just a little more than a year ago year ago when people in this movement and many others used their experiences, voice and collective ‘muscle’ to stand up to two household names who were stocking offensive Halloween costumes with “mental patient” and “psycho ward” themes.

After so many years of working to improve public understanding and attitudes towards mental health problems and those of us with them, when the supermarkets withdrew the costumes, apologising and making donations this was an historic milestone.  Becki Luscombe was at the very heart of this.

Join me. 

February 1998. Shell-shocked after a nervous breakdown. I receive my mental illness diagnosis. I have bipolar disorder.

On the wobbly new-born legs of a new identity. I had crossed that big fat safe line between “us” - the sane, and “them” - the mad. I was one of "them". I lost my glamorous, well paid job in the West End of London managing A list celebrities. I was Mentally Ill. For life. I was only 25.

When I first joined Time to Change, I had absolutely no idea just how much it would change my life; I thought I was just volunteering my time, but it turned out to be so much more than that.

Time to Change has changed my life so much and in such a positive way. It all started in March 2012 when I heard about the campaign. Time to Change was holding an event at on the Southbank in London. I decided I wanted to find out more as I had experienced mental illness from a young age and never received the right amount of support.

Anjela, a Time to Change Champion, was inspired by the recent Time to Talk Day to make a film, "End Stigma", that used Anjela's poetry to bring together people of all races and ages. 

As a ‘Time to change Champion' you get to have many interesting conversations with lovely people, usually one to one, but every so often you get a wonderful opportunity to talk to groups. One of these opportunities led to potentially the best conversation of my life, and a critical moment in my recovery, all at a Time to Change event. There was a little issue with this group that I was stood in front of, besides my wife, her colleagues and friends, a former teacher of mine, and just over 200 year 9’s (13 and 14 year olds) in a large Comprehensive school.

In this video Will talks about his involvement with Time to Change, and how his friends have reacted to him coming out about his mental health problems.

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In the eulogy at my brother’s funeral I challenged everyone.  Would they stand with me to challenge perceptions of schizophrenia and especially the inappropriate and liberal use of the term ‘schizo’?  That was almost nine years ago.  I have made some contribution in the intervening years, continuing to volunteer at a mental health drop-in centre and then serving as one of its trustees.  Owing to cuts in funding I then presided over the closure of the c

I recently attended a Time to Change Champions' event and spoke for the first time in front of so many people about living with, fighting with, loving, hating and trying to recover from anorexia nervosa. After I'd spoken I was touched by the kind words of the other people attending the event and I felt proud that I'd managed to, in a small way, bring comfort or provide insight to other people.

I have for many years struggled with anxiety and depression. I'm in no doubt now that this is due to a very traumatic childhood. I am not complaining about this as this is a fact of life for many people.

I lost my father at about 11 years old and my mam re-married rather quickly to a very violent man. As I was growing up my mam was very fragile and consequently over the years I developed post traumatic stress disorder but this was not picked up on until very recently.

Shadey is a community champion on the Rafiki project.

Some people suffer from debilitating anxiety, others have a fear of buttons and some can’t get out of bed in the morning. Some people are straight, some are gay and others have no preference whatsoever. Some people have blue eyes, some people have brown eyes and some have one of each. Some people see the similarities in each other, some only see the differences and others are blinded by ignorance.

It was a wonderful day on 19th October 2013 as Time to Change took part in the Bloomsbury Festival in Russell Square, Central London.

When I was first diagnosed with clinical depression by my GP, I felt ashamed to tell people about my condition and did not talk about it. This was a feeling I got from people - the attitude that we do not tell people about having a mental health condition, and hearing people say “why is he telling people that he is depressed?”

I was nervous about volunteering at the Time to Change Village, I've experienced both anxiety and depression recently and wasn't sure if I was ready to talk to the public.

Well, Bristol Village where do I start…amazing weekend all round, albeit exhausting, but a rewarding exhaustion if you know what I mean! Bristol Harbour Festival has always been very well attended, figures of which have increased over the latter years.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend. Attending both days was both wonderful and exhausting! There were such a wide range of people visiting the Village, more varied than any Village I have done before.

On a warm summer Saturday, I had my first experience of visiting a secure hospital caring for people with mental illness. I arrived by taxi with Angela, the South East Regional Coordinator for Time to Change Champions, such as myself.

For a mental health activist like me it was but one short step to join Time to Change as a Champion. I'd been working at the cutting edge of the survivor movement since 2001, first as editor of a north-eastern mental health hospital's wellbeing magazine and then as chairman of an anti-stigma campaign in Sunderland.

I've been following Time to Change for just over a year and I've even done some promotional work for the cause at my workplace. I followed quite silently proud to support but unsure how to do more.

The evening of Friday 30th March 2012, I felt like a child on Christmas Eve who has gone to bed early just so that Christmas will come quicker; because the next day was the Time to Change Village, and I simply couldn’t wait.