This is Me

This is Me provides employers with the tools to change cultures around mental health.

The West Midlands Combined Authority is working in partnership with the Lord Mayor’s Appeal (a registered charity) to deliver the pioneering This is Me campaign. This is Me supports organisations to change attitudes and build inclusive workplace cultures by encouraging employees to share their experience of mental health challenges.

Encouraging employees to be open about their mental health is important, and storytelling is a powerful way to help achieve this. See on the webpage employees in the West Midlands who have already shared their story and started to #endthestigma in their workplace.

The campaign is now in its 4th year where over 600 organisations have signed up nationally so far, potentially reaching over one million employees. Working in partnership with The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, we are now bringing this initiative to organisations across the West Midlands.

Find out more below and see how your organisation can sign up and #endthestigma in your workplace with the help of This is Me.

Quotes

Click on the buttons to see how workplaces and employees have found the campaign.

In addition to sharing stories, This is Me is partnered with:

Green Ribbon - A campaign which takes place every May, and aims to get people talking openly about common mental health problems through wearing a green ribbon, acting as a visible sign of support.

Samaritans Wellbeing in the City - A free online resource which teaches employees the skills to confidently support one another. In as little as five minutes, you can learn skills that will help build confidence to reach out to a colleague, friend or family member who might be struggling to cope

Sign up

Click below to find out more and sign up to This is Me and get your free This is Me West Midlands Guide.

You will be transferred to the Lord Mayors Appeal website where your registration will be completed.

Find out more & Sign up

You will also be able to find out more about the Green Ribbon and Samaritans Wellbeing in the City.

For any further queries, please feel free to get in touch via thisisme@wmca.org.uk and we will be happy to help.

FAQ's

What does This is Me involve?

This is Me involves:

Storytelling:
- Encouraging and supporting employees to share lived experiences about mental health through video, blogs or other medium. A supporting guide will help employers and employees to achieve this.

This is Me is also partnered with the Green Ribbon and Samaritans Wellbeing in the City which involves:

Green Ribbon Campaign:

Inviting employees to wear the Green Ribbon during Mental Health Awareness Week to get employees talking openly about common mental health problems.

Samaritans Wellbeing in the City

Sharing the Samaritans Online Learning Resource with employees to teach people skills to manage their own emotional health and look out for others, before they reach crisis point.

Will my organisation get support?

Organisations who register to This is Me are supported every step of the way with a free ‘How to’ guide and are also able to connect with organisations who have already signed up to the campaign who can provide advice and support.

I’m already signed up to a mental health campaign

This is Me is an umbrella campaign that brings together key mental health initiatives, including but not limited to:

Time to Change (Mind, Rethink mental illness)
Green Ribbon (Mental Health Foundation)
Wellbeing in the City (Samaritans)
Thrive at Work (West Midland Combined Authority Mental Health Commission)

This is Me will help your organisation meet goals of other initiatives you may already be signed up to, such as the Thrive at Work Wellbeing Programme or the Time to Change Pledge.

Why join the campaign?

Joining the campaign helps demonstrate to employees that your organisation is committed to building a supportive culture that is fighting to reduce mental health stigma in the workplace. 97% of organisations with registered This is Me believe the campaign has had a positive impact on reducing the stigma.

This is Me helps organisations look after employee mental wellbeing, which can help improve levels of engagement, staff morale, loyalty and productivity, leading to more profitable workplaces.

Partners