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Social Contact Event Toolkit
About this toolkit
Contents
Thefollowingpageswillhelpyou:
• Decidewhateventyouwouldliketorun
• Planandrunyourevent
• Recruit,trainandsupportyourvolunteers
Thetoolkitisdividedintofivesections:
• ThefirstsectionintroducesTimetoChangeandlooksathowyourcommunity-runeventcanmake
adifference
• Thesecondsectionoffersadviceandsupportwiththeplanningandevaluationofyourevent
• ThethirdsectionhasinspiringcasestudiesfrompeoplewhohavealreadyrunTimetoChange
events–togiveyouideas
• Thefourthsectionlooksatinvolvingvolunteerswhohaveexperienceofmentalhealthproblems
• Thefifthsectionlistsplacesyoucangotofindmoreinformationandhelpwithorganisingyour
event,andincludessometemplatesforyoutouse.Italsoincludesaglossary,whichexplainssome
ofthekeytermsusedinthistoolkit
Someoftheinformationinthistoolkitmaynotapplytoyourevent.Thisisaguidetogetyoustarted.
Ifyouhavedownloadedthistoolkit,youcanaccessthetrainingfilmsonlineontheTimetoChangewebsite
atwww.time-to-change.org.uk.
Ifyourorganisationorgroupisplanningalarge-scaleevent(aimingtoengageover500peopleperday)
andafterreadingthistoolkityouwouldlikeadditionalsupportoradvice,pleaseemailtheTimetoChange
communityengagementteamon [email protected].
This toolkit will help you to plan and run a social contact event that helps to change the way that people in your community think about, and behave towards, people with mental health problems.
Page 3About this toolkit
About this toolkit 3
Introducing Time to Change 4
Your Time to Change event 9
How they did it 18
Working with volunteers 26
Help & support 43
Page 2 Contents
????
What is Time to Change?
TimetoChangeisEngland’sbiggesteverprogrammetoendthediscriminationfacedbypeoplewith
mentalhealthproblems.Itisledbyapartnershipbetweentwonationalmentalhealthcharities,Mind
andRethinkMentalIllness.
Wehavebeenrunningsince2007,andsincewestartedwehaveseenarealchangeinthewaythat
peoplewithmentalhealthproblemsareperceivedbyandtreatedinsociety.Inrecentyearstherehas
beenagrowingmovementofpeoplewillingtospeakoutabouttheirmentalhealthandletothersknow
whatitreallymeanstolivewithamentalhealthproblem.
Thereisstillalongwaytogothough.Wehavemuchmoretodotoreducediscriminationagainstpeoplewith
mentalhealthproblemsinthiscountry.ThroughrunningaTimetoChangesocialcontactevent,youcan
playabigpartinthis.
TimetoChangeisfundedbytheDepartmentofHealth,ComicReliefandtheBigLotteryFund.
How does Time to Change work?
First and foremost, Time to Change is about talking. It aims to change attitudes and behaviour
byencouragingpeopletoopenupandhavehonestconversationsaboutmentalhealth,inavariety
ofways.
TofindoutmoreabouthowTimetoChangeworks,visitwww.time-to-change.org.uk/about.
Introducing Time to Change
?
?
?
Time to Change social contact community events
TimetoChangerunsandsupportseventsincommunitiesacrossEnglandthatraiseawarenessaboutmental
healthandchallengethediscriminationfacedbypeoplewithmentalhealthproblems.
In2009and2011weranaseriesofroadshows,inwhichvolunteerswithexperienceofmentalhealthproblems
wentouttotowncentresandfestivalsacrossthecountrytotalktothepublicaboutmentalhealth.Wehave
builtonthesuccessoftheseeventsandcontinuedtorunmoresocialcontacteventsandactivities.
We’vealsoseenhundredsofgroupsandorganisationsputontheirownsocialcontacteventsusingTime
toChangematerials–andwewanttoencouragemanymorepeopletodothis.
FromNHSTruststouniversitiesandcolleges,localauthoritiestocharitiesandvoluntary/communitygroups,
awholerangeoforganisationsandindividualshaverunTimetoChangeeventsincludinglocaladvertising
campaigns,roadshowsand‘HumanLibrary’events.
“The best moments for me personally were when the people that I was speaking with actually began to speak about either their own personal experiences of mental health challenges or about their friends/family who had experienced this. The fact that they felt comfortable with me and were able to have an open and frank conversation, it was an honour. There was nothing negative about anything on the day and I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t want to leave. Everyone made us feel welcome and supported and truly valued. Well done again to all the team for all their hard work and for bringing everyone together, an amazing event!” Linda,volunteer,CambridgeRoadshow2011
“The atmosphere was very friendly and supportive. It was good to speak to so many people about mental health issues and hear about different experiences. It also made me think about how much stigma there still is around mental health. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to volunteer - I really enjoyed it!”Layla,volunteer,Durhamroadshow2011
Page 4 Introducing Time to Change Page 5Introducing Time to Change
Talking about mental health
YourTimetoChangesocialcontacteventwillneedtobringpeoplewithandwithoutmentalhealthproblems
together, so that they can have meaningful conversations. We are looking for people to run events that
cancreaterealchange,bycreatingsituationswherepeoplewhodon’thaveexperienceofmentalhealth
problemscanlearnabouttheissuesfromthosewhodo.
There’sagrowingbodyofinternationalevidencethatthisisoneofthemostpowerfulwaysofbreakingdown
thestigmathatsurroundsmentalillness.Wecallitsocialcontact.
Why is talking about mental health important?
Talkingaboutmentalhealthhelpstoreducestigmaanddiscrimination.Hearingwhatit’sliketohaveamental
healthproblemfrompeoplewhohaveexperiencedtheissuesfirsthandcanhelpbreakdownthenegative
stereotypes that exist around mental illness. When people with mental health problems feel more able
to be open and honest about their experiences, it becomes easier for them to seek help when they are
feelingunwell.
“My depression was like a distant relative...my family knew about it but rarely spoke about it. Through this campaign, I’ve now had the courage to speak to them openly and make them aware that depression is part of me and my life. Knowing that they now appreciate this is such a weight lifted from my shoulders. I feel like I can manage things better now and I’m unashamed to admit when I have a bad day. Brilliant campaign!” Facebooksupporter
“I’m not a mental health expert at all, but at the same time, as a friend, there’s nothing to stop me saying ‘Hey, how are you doing?’”TimetoChangesupporter
How your event can make a difference
Tomakesurethatyoureventhelpstostartconversationsthatwillchangeattitudesandbehaviour,itwill
needto:
• Bringpeoplewithandwithoutmentalhealthproblemstogetheronanequalfooting
• Makesurethatthesepeoplecangettoknoweachother,sothosewithoutmentalhealth
problemscanfindoutmoreaboutthepeoplebehindthementalhealthproblems
• Provideinformationtothepeoplewithoutexperienceofmentalhealthproblemswhich
challengesnegativestereotypestheymighthold
• Encouragepeopletoworktogethertoachieveacommongoal.Thiscouldbethroughajointactivity
thatisfunandengaging,suchasputtingonamusicperformance,producingapieceofartorcrafts,
oranoutdooractivitysuchasgardening
Themostimportantpartofyoureventwillbeyourvolunteers.Theywillknowhowitfeelstohavepersonal
experienceofmentalhealthproblems,andifyougivethemtherightsupport,theycanusethisexperience
tohelpendmentalhealthdiscrimination.
Goto Section4Workingwithvolunteerstofindoutmoreaboutrecruitingandmanaging
avolunteerteam.
Page 6 Introducing Time to Change Page 7Introducing Time to Change
Planning your Time to Change event
1. PLAN THE ESSENTIALS
2. FIND PEOPLE TO WORK WITH
3. PLAN YOUR BUDGET
4. CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION AND VENUE
5. RECRUIT YOUR VOLUNTEERS
6. PROMOTE YOUR EVENT
7. KNOW YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
8. REGISTER YOUR EVENT
9. ORDER YOUR TIME TO CHANGE RESOURCES
10. EVALUATE YOUR EVENT
11. CELEBRATE AND SAY ‘THANK YOU’!
Your Time to Change event
Planning your Time to Change social contact event
Putting on an event can be time consuming and can seem daunting, so we’ve put together a nine-step guide to get you started. The following steps cover some of the key things you’ll need to think about when you’re planning your event.
Plantheessentials Beforeyoustart,youwillneedtodecide:
• Event activity – what are you going to do?
Goto Section3:Howtheydiditforsomeideas
• Dateandtime–findoutaboutwhatishappening
locally and plan the best day, working around
otherlocalevents,cultural/religiousdays,school
holidaysandsoon
• Venue – there isa lot toconsiderwhenchoosing
yourvenue, and moredetailswill begiven in the
followingpages
• Materials-whatyou’llneed,wheretohavethem
deliveredandwhethersomeonewillneed tobe
theretoreceiveanydeliveries
• Your audience - how many people you are
expectingtoattendoraimtoreach
• Volunteers-Goto Section4
for advice on how to calculate how many
volunteers you’ll need for your event and how
youmightrecruitandsupportthem
Findpeopletoworkwith Planning and delivering an event on your
owncanbeoverwhelming.Youmightwant to look
forlike-mindedpeopletoruntheeventwithyou.This
couldbeafriend,colleagueoralocalorganisation.
As part of a group you can share resources and
facilities,pooltogetherbudgetandhelpeachother
tocomeupwithideas.
Youshouldinvolvepeoplewithpersonalexperience
of mental health problems from the beginning in
planningandparticipatingintheevent.
You can find all upcoming Time to Change events
onourwebsite–www.time-to-change.org.uk/take-
action/events-search
Youcouldalsoseeifyoucouldteamupwithyourlocal
NHS trust, or other voluntary sector organisations
orcommunitygroups.
TOPTIP:
* Find out about other events in your
area and see if you can join with them
– if you already work in an
organisation, partnering with others
could help you reach more people or
access more resources
1 2
Page 8 Introducing Time to Change Page 9Your Time to Change Event
Planyourbudget Whetheryouareplanninganeventtospeak
to20peopleoraimingtoreachhundreds,it’sagood
ideatoplanyourbudgetbeforeyoustart.You’llneed
toworkoutinadvance:
• Howmuchisavailable
• What you can afford with the amount that
youhave
• Whetheryoucangetanysupportinkind(people
donatingtimeormaterialsratherthanmoney)
Youmightalsowant to thinkabouthowyoumake
decisionsaboutspending.Forexample,youcouldset
upaplanninggroupandmakesurethatpeoplewith
experienceofmentalhealthproblemsarecentralto
theplanningprocess.
TOPTIPS:
* Try asking local businesses
for sponsorship. They are often keen
to support good causes to improve
their image in the local area
* Remember that you don’t always need
money to get hold of resources. Think
about what you can access for free
and include this in your plan. Giving
out freebies and refreshments on the
day helps to attract people!
* You can order a limited amount of Time
to Change materials them when you
register your event on our website
(see step 7 of this section)
3 Chooseyourlocation andvenueThelocationofyoureventiskeytogettingpeople’s
attention.Sometimesthebestwaytoengagepeople
inaconversationaboutmentalhealthiswhenthey
are leastexpecting it–thinkaboutwhereandhow
youcouldmakethishappen.
Thevenueyouchoosewillhaveabigimpactonyour
event’ssuccess.
Outdoorpublicspacesaregreatforattractingnew
audiencesandraisingtheprofileofyouractivity,but
you might need to think about facilities and what
you’lldoiftheweatherisbad.Outdoorvenueswill
need agreement from the person who owns the
land.Gettingpermissioncansometimestakeseveral
months, for example some local authority events
planningcommitteesonlymeetquarterly.Ifpossible,
ask someone from the local authority to join your
planninggroup.
Indoor venues are weather safe and have built-in
facilities (and event manager support sometimes)
butmightcostmoreandneedmoremarketingtoget
peopletocome.
Wherever you choose, your venue should be
wheelchairaccessible,easytogettoandsuitable
foryourevent.
If you are hiring a venue yourself, when you make
yourbooking,it’simportanttoaskforconfirmation
detailing:
• The times of the event and the area available
toyou
• Hirecostsandpotentialcosts(e.g.ifyouoverrun,
ifdamageiscaused)
• Access to the venue (both on the day and for
deliveriesbeforehand)
• ‘Closingup’ofthevenue
• Siteplanoftheeventlayout
• Facilities(toilets,accessibility)
• Venuecontacts(whowillbeavailableontheday).
• Fulltermsandconditions
• Securityovernightifneeded
You should get all this information in writing
wherever possible. Keep a copy of any signed
agreement.
Bearinmindthatyoumayhavetopayadepositfor
avenuewellinadvanceoftheeventitself.
Recruityourvolunteers Volunteerswhocantalkabouttheirmental
healthexperienceswillbevital.Foradviceabouthow
torecruitandtrainateamofvolunteerstohelpyou
ontheday,Goto Section4Workingwithvolunteers.
TOPTIPS:
* Local organisations may have a
venue you could use so it is worth
asking early on
* Look for venues that attract a high
number of local people who would not
normally come to a ‘mental health
event’, e.g. shopping centres,
gyms/leisure centres, or community
festivals
4
5
Page 10 Your Time to Change Event Page 11Your Time to Change Event
Promoteyourevent Thereare lotsofways to tellpeopleabout
youreventandwhatyouareupto.Herearejusta
fewideas:
• Socialmedia(e.g.settingupapage,orpromoting
throughexistingpagesonFacebook,Twitter)
• Onlinelistings,e.g.localemployers’websites,or
event listing sites. For example, you could send
yourevent informationtohttp://www.gumtree.
com for inclusion in the community section
and the free event listing site http://www.
wherewecango.comwhichgetslotsofhits!
• Postingonpublicnoticeboards
• Flyersandposters –puttingthemup inshops,
libraries or GP surgeries (and everywhere else
youareallowed!)
• Askyourlocalmediatolistorfeaturetheevent
– they might be able to send a reporter and
photographeralongontheday.Localandregional
newspapers like running “personal interest”
stories. You could ask one or two volunteers to
sharetheirstorywiththepaperandexplainwhy
eventslikeyoursareimportant
• Ask community organisations to include your
eventintheircommunications
Goto Section5UsefulTemplates
fortemplatepressreleases
Totry toreachasdiverseanaudienceaspossible,
thinkabouthowandwhereyoupromoteyourevent
includingfaithorganisations,communityvenuesand
localshops.
Rememberthatnoteveryonehasaccesstocomputers
ortheinternet,sotrytofindarangeofdifferentways
of getting information about your event out there.
YoucandownloadtheTimetoChangeeventlogo,to
usewhenyouarecreatingyourposteroremailing
peopleaboutyourevent,fromourwebsite:
www.time-to-change.org.uk/shop/branding-and-
logos
Whenyouregisteryoureventonourwebsitewewill
also help with promotion by showing the event on
our‘upcomingevents’page.
TOPTIPS:
* If you do not have internet access,
perhaps you could visit a local library,
college or internet cafe
* You could work with other
organisations in your area who
can bring a wider audience so that
both people with and without
experience of mental health problems
are involved
6 Makesureyouareclearabouthealthandsafety Ourhealthandsafetychecklistwillhelpmakesureyoureventissafeandinclusive:7
LegalresponsibilitiesMakesureyouareawareofyourresponsibilities
as an organisation. All private and public
organisations are legally responsible for the
welfare and safety of their participants, and
voluntary organisations have a ‘duty of care’
nottoharmorendangeranyoneasaresultof
theiractivities.The term ‘dutyof care’ isused
to describe the legal obligations of a service
provider (e.g. a club) towards its customers
(e.g.clubmembers).
MethodstatementAmethodstatementisasequenceofstepstaken
to complete a work task in a safe manner. The
method statement should outline the hazards
involved and include a step by step guide to
explainindetailtheactionsthatmustbetakento
makesurethetaskiscarriedoutsafely.Include
all relevantdetails in theorder thatyouexpect
themtobecarriedoute.g.unloadingyourvan,
puttingupmarquees,arrangingtables,chairsetc.
Goto Section5Usefultemplates
fora generalriskassessmenttemplate.
RiskassessmentWriting a risk assessment in advance of your
eventcanhelpyoutoidentifypotentialrisksand
think about how to minimise them, making it
saferforeveryoneinvolved.Theriskassessment
looks at the risk associated with each area of
your event including equipment, participants,
emergencypointsandsafetyinformation.
Goto Section5Usefultemplates
fora generalriskassessmenttemplate.
InsuranceIt is likely that your organisation or the venue
whereyouareholdingyoureventalreadyholds
public liability insurance, however you should
check this early on and make sure that the
insurancepolicy fullycovers theactivities that
willtakeplaceatyourevent.
Page 12 Your Time to Change Event Page 13Your Time to Change Event
TOPTIPS:
* Make sure there is plenty of drinking
water available - try asking a local
shop or supermarket to donate water
* Find out if your venue has
a water supply
HealthandfirstaidIt is important that you have qualified first
aidersatyourevent.Themaineventorganiser
or venue owner should have their details, but
makesureyouconfirmthisbeforeyourevent.
Tofindthenearestmedicalemergencyservice
gotowww.nhs.uk/servicedirectories.Ifyoudo
want to hire medical support, you can contact
theStJohn’sAmbulance–visitwww.sja.org.uk
orcall07000633427.
MentalhealthHowwillyoureventsupportpeoplewithmental
health problems? Here are some things you
couldconsider:
• Havingaquietareawherepeoplecangoif
they’refeelingoverwhelmed
• Your volunteers could carry a crisis card
attheevent
• Encourage your volunteers to take breaks
anddiscussanyconcernsaround theirown
mentalwellbeingwiththegroup.Youshould
haveadesignatedco-ordinatorthattheycan
talktoontheday
• Intheunlikelyeventofsomeoneindistress,
havethecontactdetailsofyourlocalmental
healthcrisisteamavailableatyourevent
Goto Section4Workingwithvolunteersformoreinformationabouthow
to work with people with experience of mental
healthproblems,and fordetailsofhow tomake
acrisiscard.
Goto Help&SupportInformationfor contact details of organisations that support
peopleincrisis.
ChildprotectionAlladultswhohavedirectcontactwithchildren
or vulnerable adults (who are not being
accompaniedbyaparent/carer)willneedavalid
DBS(disclosureandBarringService)check.For
more information go to customerservices@
dbs.gsi.gov.ukorcall03000200190.
AccessibilityWhenyouplanyoureventyoushouldmakesureyouarebeingasinclusiveaspossibleforpeoplewith
disabilities. It isgoodpractice tomakesurearound 10%ofyourbudgetgoes towardsmakingyour
eventaccessible.
Remember,accessibilityisnotjustaboutmakingsurepeoplewithdisabilitiescancometoyourevent.
Youmightalsowanttoconsiderthingslikedietaryneeds(ifyouareservingfood),providingsupportfor
peoplewithmentalhealthproblemsorwithlearningdifficulties,andlanguage.SomeTimetoChange
materialsaretranslatedintodifferentlanguages–seestepnineofthissectionformoreinformation.
Youcanuseouraccessibilitychecklistbelowtomakesureyoureventismeetingaccessibilityneeds
asmuchaspossible.
AccessibilityChecklistTheremaybeoccasionswhenitisnotpossibletotickalloftheboxesonthislist,ortheymightnot
allberelevanttoyourtypeofevent,butthislistwillhelpyouthinkaboutwhetherthesethingsare
possible.Ontheoccasionswhenitisn’tpossibletoachievepoints1and2werecommendyoumakethis
clearonyoureventpromotioninformationtoavoiddisappointmentordistress.
1 Doestheeventhavefullwheelchairaccessto
allareas?
2 Doesthelocationhavefullyaccessibletoilets?
3 Arethereplannedspacesforpeoplewhouse
wheelchairs/powerchairsduringanypresentation
orperformance?
4 Istheeventarealargeenoughandhasitbeen
arrangedtoallowpeopletomovearoundeasily?
5 Havepeoplewithdisabilitiesbeenconsideredin
caseofafireemergencyandhasthisbeenmade
cleartostaffandvolunteersaswellaswhen
doing‘housekeeping’?
6 Istheregoodlighting(brightwithoutglare)?
7 Doyouhavepapercopiesofanypresentations
availableinanaccessibleformatforpeopletoread
duringanypresentations?Seethetoptipsbox
belowforadviceonmakingyourwrittenmaterials
accessible.Areallotherhandoutsandmaterials
availableinanaccessibleformat?
8 Doyouhavesignsforyourevent?Aretheyclear?
9 Doyouhaveahearingloopandisitworkingand
switchedon?Istheresomeoneavailablewhocan
usethis?
10Willyoureventincludespeechesorperformance?
Ifso,willtherebesigningforpeoplewithhearing
difficulties?Doallspeakersknowtheyneedtospeak
clearly,nottooquicklyandfacetheaudience?
11 Wherepossiblehaveyoueliminatedorreduced
backgroundnoiseduringtheevent?
12 Isthereaquietareaforpeopleneeding‘timeout’?
13 Ifyouhaveproducedflyers,haveyouaskedabout
specificrequirementsonanybookingformsand
activelywelcomedanyqueriesaboutaccess?
Dotheyincludeamapand/orpublictransport
information?
14Ifpeopleneedassistance,willtheybeabletofind
staffeasily?
15Doesthescheduleforthedayallowforbreaks?
TOPTIPS:
* When you are putting together written
materials for your event, use white/off
white/cream paper, a font size of Arial
14 or more, with the text aligned to the
left, and avoid writing things in bold.
Avoid printing text over photographs
and using background washes etc
* To be truly accessible, invite people
to contact you with their access needs
so you can make sure you meet these
needs on the day
Page 14 Your Time to Change Event Page 15Your Time to Change Event
Registeryourevent Now that you have finished the planning
stage of your event, you are ready to register
the event with Time to Change. When you have
registered, your event will appear on the listings
pageoftheTimetoChangewebsite,andwe’llsend
youmaterialsforyoutouseontheday.
First, you will need to create an account on the
website:
www.time-to-change.org.uk/user
Thenyoucancompletetheonlineregistrationform:
www.time-to-change.org.uk/take-action/run-an-
event
OrderyourTimetoChange resourcesWhenyouregisteryoureventwithTimetoChange,
you can order free campaign materials including
postcards,postersandleaflets.
MakegooduseoftheresourcesTimetoChangehas
available.Runningabrightlycolouredeventusing
ourcampaignmaterialsisagoodwayofattracting
people and creating a talking point to kick-start
conversations.
We also have some other resources available,
includingmaterialstranslatedintolanguagessuch
asUrduandGujarati.Youcandownloadthemhere:
http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/shop/translated-
materials
Othermaterialsyoucouldorderinclude:
• Pledgepostcards
• Myth/Factinformationaboutmentalhealth
• Celebritypostcardsandposters
• “It’sTimetoTalk”postcards
Youcanemailtheteamatcampaign@time-to-change.
org.ukorcalluson03005000927tofindoutmore.
Goto Section5:UsefulTemplates
forfurtherresources
TOPTIP:
* If you do not have internet access,
you could ask a volunteer to help,
or perhaps any friends or family
who do have access to the internet.
You could source local access points
such as libraries or community
centres for example
8 9
It’salsoimportantforustoknowabouttheimpactof
yourworksothatwecanpromotewhatyou’redoing
andimprovethesupportwecangiveyou.
Therearetwowaysinwhichyoucanhelpusmeasure
theimpactofyourevent:
1. Completea feedback formthatwewillemail to
youafteryourevent.Onthiswewillaskyouto
tellushowmanyconversationstookplace,how
usefulthe ‘Event inaBox’was,whattookplace
onthedayand(ifpossible)foryourvolunteers’
emailaddresses.
2. Priortoyoureventdaywemaysendyoumaterials
to enable you to perform a more detailed
evaluation on the day, by asking attendees for
theirfeedback.Wewillthenbeabletosharethese
resultswithyouoncewe’veprocessedthem.
CountingmeaningfulconversationsA meaningful conversation is when someone with
experience of mental health problems shares their
experiences with a visitor to your event and feels
theyhavehadanimpactonthem,howeversmall.
Every conversation is different and a meaningful
onemightbelongorshort,intenseorlight-hearted.
However, for a conversation to have a real impact,
itmust involveagenuineexchangeof information.
For example, handing out a leaflet about mental
health to a member of the public does not count
asameaningfulconversation,butgivingthatsame
leafletandtalkingtothepersonaboutmentalhealth
doescountasmeaningful.
Werecommendthatbasedonthisinformation,your
volunteers judge for themselves when they feel
ameaningfulconversationhastakenplace.
To recordnumbersof conversationsatourevents,
weprintoffandplacesimpletallysheetsintheevent
area.Wethenaskvolunteerstomarkonthesheet
every time they’ve had a meaningful conversation,
countinghowmanypeopletheyspoketo.
Go to the back of the toolkit to the
TemplateIndexandsee‘Conversationrecordtallysheet’
You will be contacted by email after your event
to complete a feedback form (on the usefulness
of the box, this toolkit and feedback on what took
place,includinghowmanyconversationstookplace
ontheday).
Wealsowant toseeanyphotosyouhave takenat
yourevent–pleasesharethemwithusbyuploading
them to our flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/
groups/timetochangeevents/(you’llneedtocreate
anaccountfirstifyoudon’talreadyhaveone–please
contact us at [email protected]
ifyouneedanyhelpgettingstarted).
NextstepsWe may contact you to discuss a more in depth
evaluationtomeasuretheimpactandeffectiveness
of your event. If we contact you, we will arrange
forall the data to beprocessed andwill share the
resultingevaluationreport.
Evaluating your social contact event
A good evaluation will help you measure the impact of your event and build on your success, making future events even more successful. It can help you raise the profile of your organisation and your work after the event and may help you get support for future events.
Page 16 Your Time to Change Event Page 17Your Time to Change Event
Examples of Time to Change events
Feeling stuck for ideas about what to do at your Time to Change event? Read on to find out how three very different groups of people made a difference in their communities.
Section three:
How they did it
Page 18 How they did it Page 19How they did it
Page 20 How they did it Page 21How they did it
Whathappenedontheday?
Maddi
A small but perfectly formed team of two
Championswhoidentifiedastrans,withathird
LGBT champion and myself, went to various
cafesaroundNorwichduringtheweekofTime
to Talk day. We spent a couple of hours in
eachcafé.
The Champions were able to discuss general
mental health stigma, and talk about trans
issuesonlyifitcameupinconversation.
Poppy
Although we engaged in many conversations
with people during all the events and made
manycontactsasfarasnetworkinggoes,Ihave
tosaythat therewasone lady inparticularat
thePlayhousetowhoselifeandsituationIfeel
we really made a difference, simply by talking
toher.Idonotthinkthatitwouldbetoomuch
ofaclaimtosaywemaywellhaveofsavedher
fromhavingabreakdownover the issuesshe
wasfacing.
Ashley
Ithoroughlyenjoyedthecafé…Iwasdelighted
thattwotransgenderwomenwereclearlyableto
engagemembersofthepublicinconversations
aboutthebarriersthatthosewithmentalhealth
issueshavetocontendwith.
Howwerepeoplewithexperienceof mental health problemsinvolved?
Maddi
Astheregionalcoordinator,Iwantedtodevelop
a small-scale project working with Champions
from the transgender community. I met with,
Poppy,aChampionwhohadworkedwith local
TimetoChangegrant-fundedprojectsandother
events.OncePoppyhadcomeupwiththeplan,
sherecruitedtwofurthernewChampionsfrom
thelocaltranscommunity.
The small team of Champions that has grown
outoftheseeventsnowplantoorganisemore
events, including working in partnership with
oneofthevenuesthatisparticularlyinterested
insupportingthecampaign.
Café Project – Join our conversation
MaddiThe Café Project originated from an idea to
develop a small-scale project working with
Champions from the transgender community
and was called ‘Join our Conversation’. Three
Championswererecruitedtoparticipateinthe
project and from them came the idea to hold
conversationsaboutmentalhealthandstigma
inlocalcafés.
Poppy,anexperiencedChampionwhocameup
with the idea of speaking in a café, along with
AshleyandJaison,newChampions,werethesoul
of the Café Project. Poppy, Jaison and Ashley
wereproactivelyinvolvedineveryaspectofthe
CaféProjectfrombeginningtoend.
What did you do – and why didyoudoit?
Poppy
Weengagedinalargenumberofconversations
withpeopleduringalltheeventsandwereableto
makemanyusefulcontactsthroughnetworking.
Ashley
This was an important milestone for me. My
Samaritansworkhaslargelybeenoverthephone
- to be able to participate in a related activity
face-to-face was a heartening demonstration
thatIcanbejustasengaginginperson.
Maddi
Champions were bought a hot drink at each
eventaswedidnotwanttoexcludethoseona
limited income. This was because some of the
venuesrequiredthateachparticipantboughta
drinksothatwedidnothavetopayafeetouse
the space. Apart from the event packs, these
weretheonlyexpensesoutsidetravel.
What other resources did youneed?
Maddi
“Resources that we used were mainly cafés
in various venues such as The University of
East Anglia Student Union Café, Caley’s Café,
PlayhouseBar,andMarzano’sCaféBar.
A budget was provided to pay for teas and
coffees that were used as starting points for
conversations with members of the public
aroundmentalhealth”.
Champions used cards and leaflets from the
eventpack,butfoundthepapergamethemost
usefulforstartingconversations.
Poppy
Ifoundthat‘JoinourConversation’andmeeting
peopleovercoffeewasanextremelygoodwayof
gettingpeopletoopenupandtalkaboutmental
healthissuesinaninformalenvironment.
Page 22 How they did it Page 23How they did it
The Amesbury roadshow
After volunteering on a Time to Change roadshow, Ruth liked the idea so much, she decided to run her own version with two of her friends. Here’s how she did it.
Whatdidyoudo–andwhydidyoudoit?I volunteered at a Time to Change roadshow
with two friends and I was very struck by the
décor,Ilikedthefunkysofaandcushions.Ikept
sayingI’dreallyliketobeabletodothiswhere
I live,but theschedule for theTimetoChange
roadshowswasalreadyset.
IknewTimetoChangedidaneventinaboxand
TimetoChangestafftoldmeIcoulddomyown
eventwiththosematerials.So,togetherwiththe
twopeopleIwenttotheTimetoChangeroadshow
with,Idecidedtoputonaroadshowinmytown.
ItwasinspiredbytheTimetoChangeroadshow
andwedidourowncheapandcheerfulversion!
Howlongdidittaketoplanyourevent?We planned at the beginning of August and
we did the volunteer training at the beginning
of September, just before the event itself. We
plannedmostoftheeventoversixweeks.
Did you work with any otherteams,groups,ororganisations?We made links with local branches of different
supportgroups. Ialsomadeapartnershipwith
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership
NHS Trust, which covers a big area. The
membership manager came with a collection
of literature on depression and anxiety, with
information about local facilities and the self
referral therapies project they were setting up.
WiltshireMindalsocamewithmaterials.
ThetownMayorandcouncillorswereparticularly
supportive - I invited the Mayor and he came
along and we photographed him in a Time to
Changet-shirt.
A couple of local businesses gave us things to
giveout-localbakersgaveussomecakes,and
theownerofthesitewhereweheldtheroadshow
gaveusbiscuits.
HowdidyouuseTimetoChangematerials?Weputloadsofgoodiebagstogethersowecould
giveawaynicethings.Wedecoratedthesitewith
Time to Change balloons and bright materials
and itmadeabigsplash.Weputuppostersof
Ruby Wax and Stephen Fry, which looked very
impressive.
Thematerialshelpedtogetconversationsgoing
- when I was putting them up a woman came
up tomeandasked if I hadhadmentalhealth
difficultiesmyself,andshestartedtoopenup.
What other resources did youneed?I booked our local church hall for the training
evening, and we showed the video and gave
themthet-shirts.
Onthedayitself,Igotholdofsometrestletables
andwetooksomegardenchairssopeoplecould
sitdown.Becauseitwasahotday,wegotbottled
waterandplasticcupsandtherewasacovered
areawherepeoplecouldsitdown.
Whathappenedontheday?Theeventwentonalldayandwehadabouta
dozen volunteers. We talked to lots of people
andhadareallypositivereception.Professionals
camealong,peoplefromtheCommunityMental
HealthTrust,apsychologist-theyallseemedto
justwalkpastbycoincidence!
Wealsopromotedtheroadshowbygoinground
local shops and giving out leaflets. My friend
wenttothebusstationwheretherewasacaptive
audiencebecausepeoplewerewaitingforbuses.
Howwerepeoplewithexperienceofmentalhealthproblemsinvolved?Someofthevolunteershadtheirownexperience,
some had been carers. They were all people
who had a sympathetic disposition and were
interestedinmakingacontribution.Theperson
who trained the volunteers had experience
of mental health problems. I’ve had my own
experienceofdepressionandanxiety so itwas
importanttometoputontheevent.
Page 24 How they did it Page 25How they did it
Whatotherresourcesdidyouneed?We had Mind publications and a DVD player
showing a couple of our films (Sybil runs a
community filmmaking company called Flexible
Films – www.flexiblefilms.co.uk). We showed
afilmwhichincludesallsortsofcolourfuldifferent
images. People were curious and didn’t know
what the films were about – it’s a conversation
starter and it looked nice as well. If something
isn’tstatic,itdrawspeoplein–it’saboutstarting
conversationsinalight-heartedway.
Whathappenedontheday?We had some really useful conversations. With
differentaudiencesyouhavetothinkaboutwhat
languageyouuse.It’simportanttodoalittlebitof
researchtofindoutwhoyouraudienceis,finding
outkeywordstouseandrepeatingthem.Using
someoftheirterms–forexampleIrishtravellers
say nerves rather than mental illness - helped
people to connect more easily with me and to
openupabouttheirownexperiences.
Howwerepeoplewithexperienceofmentalhealthproblemsinvolved?It really helped when I was able to tell people
that I had personal experience of mental health
problems. It was a good conversation starter,
becauseitmeantthattheyopenedupaswell.
Flexible Films at the Irish Travellers’ annual conference
You don’t have to run your own event to make use of Time to Change materials – you can take them along to an existing conference or festival. When film-maker Sybil Ah-Mane was invited to the Irish Travellers’ Movement in Britain’s annual conference, she used the opportunity to run a stall with Time to Change materials.
Whatdidyoudo–andwhydidyoudoit?We went to the Irish Travellers’ Movement in
Britain’s (ITMB) annual conference in London.
They give people the opportunities to run stalls
on the day. Lots of travellers went there to talk
abouttheirbooksandpoems,butwedecidedwe
wantedtotalkaboutmentalhealth.We’reaboutto
startafilmmakingprojectonmentalhealthwith
theIrishtraveller’smovement,andwewenttothe
conferencetointroduceourselves.
WerealisedfromtalkingtoITMBthatthere’squite
a lotof stigma,andwewanted to introduce the
subjectgentlyandfindoutifanyoneisinterested
injoiningtheproject.
Howlongdidittaketoplanyourevent?ItdidtakealittlewhiletoplanwhatIwantedon
the stall – I used Time to Change materials and
webroughtMindbookletsaswell.Iknewsuicide
and self-harm were real issues in the traveller
communityandweneededsomethingtogiveout.
Itwasreally importantformetobeabletogive
them something substantial that they could go
awaywith.
Did you work with any otherteams,groups,ororganisations?We’d had a meeting with the ITMB Director and
we’didentifiedfourkeyissuesforthecommunity
thatwedecidedwe’dfocusonfortheDVDproject.
Thishelpedustoplanthestallcontent.
HowdidyouuseTimetoChangematerials?Weusedthebunting–itwasareallyusefulprop,
because you can fit it to the dimensions of the
stall.Thepenswerereallyusefulbecausepeople
like free things. We had various things we gave
to people for free which are great conversation
starters.Everyonesaidthatourstallwasthebest
looking stall! Some people would come up not
knowingwhat thestallwasaboutbut theywere
drawntothecolours.
Section four: Working with volunteers
Your team of volunteers will play a key role in making your Time to Change social contact event a success. Through being open about their mental health and sharing their experiences, they can help change how the general public think about and behave towards people with mental health problems - just one short conversation can make a real difference. By taking part in your event, they might find that they become more confident to talk about their experiences in future.
This section of the toolkit looks at how to recruit, train and work with volunteers on the day, in five short steps.
Step 1 - Before you start
Before you recruit your volunteers, you will need
toconsider:
Numbers.Howmanypeoplearegoingtobeatthe
event?Howmanyvolunteerswillyourequiretobe
abletospeaktoasmanyofthemaspossible?
Setyourselfa target for thenumberofvolunteers
youplantorecruitandthedateyouplantoachieve
thisby.
Youmaywanttodrawupatimelinethatincorporates
achievabletargetsforrecruitmentandcoordinationof
theevent(SeeexampletimelineattheendofStep3).
Roles.Whatroleswillyourvolunteersbeundertaking
ontheday?
Establishtheroleandpurposeofvolunteers.Writing
a ‘Volunteer information sheet’ that sets out the
expectationsofthevolunteercanhelp.Thiscanalso
beusedata laterdateforanyonewhoasksabout
theopportunity.Thisshouldcoverelementssuchas:
• Whattherolewillbe
• Why theyshouldvolunteer –what is theaimof
the event, give some of the background
informationabouttheTimetoChangecampaign
aslistedinsection1ofthetoolkit
• Whocanvolunteer
• Howlongwilltheybeexpectedtovolunteerfor.
• How they will be identified on the day -
forexample,willtheywearbadges,ort-shirts?
• Whether it will cost anything and whether
expenses are reimbursed. It’s good practice to
pay volunteers’ travel expenses to your event,
soincludethisinyourplanning
• Whetheranytraining/supportisoffered
Howtoworkouthowmanyvolunteersyou’llneed
On average, we have found volunteers have
aroundsixconversationsperhour.
Soforexample,ifyouareexpecting300people
toattendtheevent,andit isonforfivehours,
tofindouthowmanyvolunteersyouwillideally
needtospeaktoallofthoseattendingyouwill
needtodothiscalculation:
Numberofpeopleexpectedtoattend(e.g.300)
dividedby
Numberofhoursyoureventwilllastfor(e.g.5)
dividedby
Howmanyconversationsavolunteercan
realisticallyhaveanhour(6)
300/5/6=10
Soforaneventthatisexpecting300peopleto
attend,whichisonfor5hours,youmightwant
torecruitabout10volunteers.
Go to Section 5: Help andSupport foratemplatevolunteerinformation
sheet.
Page 26 Working with volunteers Page 27Working with volunteers
Evenaftertraining,youmayfindthatsome
volunteersdon’tfeelconfidentenoughtospeak
tothepublicabouttheirmentalhealthproblems.
Otherpossiblerolesyoumightconsiderforyour
volunteerstohelpeasethemintotheeventare:
•Puttingupsignsandbanners
•Coordinatingrefreshments
•Settingup/clearingaway
•Handingoutcampaignmaterials
TimingsandresourcesHow will you look after volunteers on the day?
Youwillneedtothinkabout:
• Timings–thinkaboutthelengthoftimeyouare
askingpeopletovolunteerforandwhetherthisis
realistic. Build breaks into your plans and don’t
makeyourshiftstoolong-threehoursisagood
boundarytouseasamaximum.You’llalsoneed
tothinkaboutwhattimeofdayyouneedpeople
to arrive. Sometimes medication can make it
moredifficultforpeopletoarriveateventsvery
earlyinthemorning
• Providingfoodandwater-ifyouareexpecting
volunteers to attend over or near meal times,
makesureyouletthevolunteersknowifyouwill
beprovidingfood
• Whetheryouwillneedtoprovideaquietspace
Step 2 - Spread the word!
Promotingyoureventasavolunteeringopportunity iskey to itssuccess,andseparate to promoting the actual event itself to the public. It is important toadvertiseforvolunteersthroughavarietyofchannelsandtoadiverseaudience.
WherecanIadvertiseforvolunteers?Hereareafewideas.
• Partnerships - make use of partnerships and
relationships you have already built to recruit
volunteers, for example, local user, community
orsocialgroupsyoumaybeinvolvedwith.Draw
onnetworksandlinksthroughemploymentand
colleagues at work, colleges and universities,
friendsorfamily
• Local groups - approach your local Mind, local
Rethink Mental Illness and local volunteering
centre.Youcanfindyour localvolunteercentre
ontheDo-Itwebsite:
www.do-it.org.uk/wanttovolunteer/about
volunteering/vcfinder
Theymaybeabletopromoteyoureventoreven
suggest volunteers who are already established
withthem
• Volunteering organisations (also good for
advice) – use other volunteering websites to
recruitvolunteersonline,suchas:
•v-Inspired–http://vinspired.com/
•VolunteeringEngland-
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
•I-Volunteer-http://ivo.org/
• Social media - make use of social media
websites such as Facebook, Twitter and your
personal blog, if you have one, to promote
youropportunity.This canalsobeusedafter
the event to follow up with feedback and
photos. When you register your event on
theTimetoChangewebsitewewillaskyou
if you need our help to recruit volunteers.
If you tick this box then we will display
youreventonourwebsiteasavolunteering
opportunity. Our Champions will see this
opportunity and will contact you directly
aboutthenatureofyoureventandhowthey
mightgetinvolved
• Remember,noteveryonehasinternetaccess!
Makesureyoumakeuseofallavailablechannels
– don’t just promote online. Displaying posters
andflyersisjustasimportant
• Wordofmouth–telleveryoneyouknowyouare
runninganeventandaskthemtospreadtheword
HowdoIdoit?• Design posters to post and email to volunteer
centresanddisplayatwork,inMindcharityshops,
in your local community centre etc. Remember
youcanuse theTime toChangeevent logoon
your publicity. This logo is available on
the website: www.time-to-change.org.uk/shop/
branding-and-logos
• Use your volunteer information sheet to attach
to emails or send in the post so people know
whatisexpected
TOPTIPS:
* An easy way to boost your volunteer
numbers: Add a ‘Plus 1’ option at
the end of your form to encourage
volunteers to bring along a friend/
colleague/family member and ask for
their contact details
Page 28 Working with volunteers Page 29Working with volunteers
Step 3 - Volunteer registration
Youwillneedtoconsiderhowyouplantoregistervolunteerstokeeptrackofnumbersandpeople’scontactdetails.
RegistrationformDepending on the size of the event and the number of volunteers you plan to recruit, you will need to record
allrelevantinformationwhichwillalsoneedtoremainconfidential.
It’sagoodideatopreparearegistrationformtodothis.Thisshouldincludeessentialbasicinformationsuchas:
• Fullname
• Contacttelephonenumber.Havingamobilenumberforthevolunteerisusefulifavailable
• Emergencycontactandtelephonenumber
• Emailaddress
• Postaladdress
• Age–pleasenote,ifthevolunteerisunder18youwillneedthemtocompleteanageconsentformsigned
bytheirparent/guardian
• Accessibilityrequirementsoranyotherspecificneeds
• Dietaryrequirements(onlyneededifprovidingfood)
• Anymedicalconditionssuchasallergies,oranythingelseyouthinkitwouldbehelpfultoknowabout
Thereisnoneedtoaskforalotofpersonaldetailsthataren’tnecessaryfortheevent.Theformshouldaskfor
onlywhatisrelevant.
Youmaywanttoconsiderincludingthefollowing:
• Pleaseindicateyouravailabilityandpreferenceofshiftbytickingtheboxesbelow:
Morning Afternoon Nopreference
• T-shirtsize(onlyneededifyouwantone):
Small Medium Large
Extralarge XXL
CRISISCARDS
* In addition to the registration form, consider asking volunteers to create their
own ‘crisis cards’ to carry with them at the event. This might contain details of
any current medications, name of GP, details of any mental health professionals,
brief crisis plan for example. This could be helpful to you as the organiser and
it could also be reassuring for volunteers. It is of course completely optional and
voluntary, and you’ll need to make sure it is kept confidential
AskingvolunteersabouttheirmentalhealthneedsRemember,youareaimingtorecruitvolunteerswhohave
theirownexperienceofmentalhealthproblems,whoare
comfortabletalkingtomembersofthepublicaboutthem.
Itisimportanttoapproachthiswithsensitivityandmake
surequestionsarenotinvasive.
Somegoodexamplesofquestionsare:
• Pleasebrieflyexplainyourexperienceorunderstanding
ofmentalhealth
• Would you be happy to discuss your mental health
experiencewiththegeneralpublic?
Recordingvolunteerinformation• Create a table, database or chart to record the
registration of volunteers and to document all
informationgivenintheforms
• It is important thatvolunteers receive information in
goodtimebeforetheevent.Makesureyoutrackyour
communicationwithvolunteerstoavoidduplicatingor
givinginformationatshortnotice
ConfidentialityIt’s important to respect confidentiality when handling
people’s personal details. Be mindful of how you are
recordingandprotectingthedatayoucollect.Thinkabout
protecting your system of recording volunteers with a
password and don’t leave forms containing personal
informationlyingaround.
RespondingtoenquiriesInordertorespondefficientlytoenquiriesyoumightwant
todraftsometemplateresponsestocommonquestions,
forexamplevolunteerswhowould likemore information
abouttheeventbeforefullycommittingoraresponseto
volunteerssubsequent to registration.Thiswill saveyou
timeandmakesureyouareconsistentwhenyougetback
topeople.
Page 30 Working with volunteers Page 31Working with volunteers
PlanningandmanagementofvolunteeringConsiderwritingabriefplanaboutthetimescalesfor
managing your volunteering recruitment process.
Belowisanexampleofhowyoumightplotthingsout
onatimeline,toplanforwhenyouneedtodoeach
activitytogetyourvolunteersinplacefortheevent.
EVENT:23RDMAY
Confirmdate/locationofevent
DecideonvolunteernumbersandwriteVolunteerinformationsheet
Writegenerictextanddesign/orderpostersandflyersforpromotion
Getintouchwithpartners/localMind/localRethinkMentalIllnessgrouporservice/VolunteerCentre+distributerecruitmentmaterials
Usesocialmedia+bloggingtopromotevolunteeropportunity
Writevolunteerregistrationform
Replytoenquiries
Registervolunteers
Sendoutvolunteerconfirmationandvenueandtimeinformation
Event
Followupandthankvolunteers
FeedbackeventsuccessestoTimetoChange
APRIL MAY
4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X X X X
X X X X
X X
X
X
X
Step 4 - Preparing & supporting your volunteers
Onceyouhaverecruitedyourvolunteerteam,it’sagoodideatorunatrainingsessiontopreparethemforwhatwillhappenontheday.
VolunteercoordinatorsYou will need volunteer coordinators present
at your training session and on the day. As a
general guide, at Time to Change events we
recommend there are at least two volunteer
coordinatorsateveryeventnomatterhowmany
volunteers there are. This is to ensure there
is cover for breaks and emergencies. We also
recommendonevolunteercoordinatorforevery
fiveorsixvolunteers.
The volunteer coordinators are the main point
of contact for volunteers on the day. They
needtobeonhandduringtheeventtoprovide
volunteerswithsupportandadvice.Theyneed
tohaveaccesstoallrelevantcontactnumbers,
including volunteer emergency contact details.
Volunteersshouldhaveavolunteercoordinator’s
contactdetailsbefore theevent incaseofany
problems. The coordinators should brief and
debriefvolunteersat thebeginningandendof
their shifts. This has worked well for Time to
Changeinthepast.
Page 32 Working with volunteers Page 33Working with volunteers
Volunteertrainingsession
Thistrainingoutlinewillassistyouwhendelivering
face-to-face training to volunteers in advance of a
socialcontactevent.
AimsofthetrainingBytheendofthetrainingsessionvolunteersshould:
• Feelsupportedaspartofateam
• Be able to use aspects of the event to start
conversationswiththepublic
• Beabletochallengeanystereotypesandstigma
thattheymightencounterattheevent
• Understand the value of volunteering, both for
themselvesandforthecampaign
• Knowhowtoendconversationsandhowtoask
forhelpifnecessary
BeforethetrainingstartsPleaseensureyouhaveaccessto:
• AlaptopwithaDVDplayer,speakers,aprojector
(includingcable),atablefortheprojectorandan
extensionlead
• A DVD containing the training films OR reliable
internetaccesssoyoucanplaythefilmsdirectly
fromtheTimetoChangewebsite
• ThePowerPointpresentationwhichaccompanies
this training, and the materials provided in the
UsefulTemplatessectionofthistoolkit
• Avolunteerregister,asheettorecordvolunteers’
emergencycontactinformation,asheetoflabels
fornamebadgesandsomesparepens
• Tea,coffeeandwater,andaquietspaceseparate
tothetrainingroom
Please ensure that volunteers sign in on arrival so
youknowwhohasattendedthetraining.
TrainingfilmsTime to Change has created short videos
to accompany this toolkit. These can be found at
www.time-to-change.org.uk/training-volunteers.
The films all take place within a Village setting,
but can still be very useful if you are not holding a
Villageevent.
Therearefivefilmsaltogetherandeachaccompanies
adifferenttrainingtopic.Wehavemadesuggestions
astowheretoincludeeachfilmduringthecourseof
thetrainingintheagendabelow:
SuggestedtrainingsessionagendaThisagendaisforatrainingsessionthatlastsabout
4hours.Itisdesignedtogiveyouanideaofhowyou
mightwanttoplanandstructureyoursessionwith
yourvolunteers.Theagendadividesthesessioninto
eightparts:
Part A–Introduction-30minutes
• Trainerandgroupintroductions
• Howtoensurewellbeingthroughoutthesession
• Ice-breaker
Part B–Theeventandyourrolewithinit-45minutes
• TimetoChange
• Thepurposeandformatofyourevent
• Theroleofvolunteersatyourevent
Part C–Engagementtechniques-30minutes
• Startingconversations
• Engagementtechniques
Break–10minutes
Part D–Revealingyourownlivedexperience-30minutes
• Theimportanceofyourstory
• Comfortablelevelsofdisclosure
Part E–Challengingstigma-30minutes
• Encounteringstigmaandstereotypes
• Methodsofchallengingstigmaandstereotypes
• Stereotypebusting
Break–15minutes
Part F–Endingconversations-30minutes
• Triedandtestedtechniques
• Askingforhelp
Part G–Evaluation-15minutes
• Countingconversations
• Gatheringfeedback
• Evaluatingtheevent
Part H–Closingandquestions
A.Introduction-15minutes
Introductions
It’sbesttostartbywelcomingvolunteers,passingaround
sheetoflabelsandaskingthemtomakenamebadges.
Tellthevolunteershowyouarefeelingandaskthemhow
theyare,explaining it isessential tobeopenwitheach
otherregardingfeelings inordertosupporteachother,
andthatoneofthegoalsoftheTimetoChangecampaign
istoencouragepeopletobehonestabouthowtheyfeel.
Evenifno-oneadmitstobeingnervous,confirmthatitis
normaltobenervous,particularly if it istheirfirsttime
volunteering.Pointoutthatthescariestpartisovernow
thattheyaregettingtoknoweachotherandbecoming
partofateamwhowillsupporteachother.
Explainhoweveryonecankeepthemselvessafeduring
thesession,including:
• Thelocationofthequietspace
• Whenthebreakswillbe–besuretoaskvolunteers
iftheplannedbreakswillbesufficientandtotell
themtheyarefreetoleaveatanytimeinorder
tousethequietspaceiftheyneedanextrabreak.
Ensure that volunteers know that they do not
havetoaskbeforedoingthis,andthattheyare
welcometoreturnafterwardsiftheywouldliketo
• Remind volunteers that they are still strangers
at thispoint,andneedto takeresponsibility for
sharingonlywhattheyarecomfortablewith
• Itisimportanttobemindfuloftriggers–explain
brieflywhatthetrainingwillinvolvee.g.pairwork
andfeedingbacktothegroup,andcheckwhether
anyonewillfindanypartofittriggering.Remind
everyonethattheyarefreetohaveabreakifthis
happens
• Emphasise how important it is to be part of a
teamandtolookoutforeachother
• Requestthateveryonerespectwhatissaidinthe
roomandensurethatitremainsconfidential
• Ifthereisanypartofthetrainingthatanyoneis
uncomfortablewith let themknowtheycansay
“pass”atanytimewithouthavingtoexplainwhy
Exercise (5 mins): in pairs, volunteers introduce
themselves and explain why they are there.
It is not necessary to ask people to feedback to the
group as this may make them uncomfortable so
early in the session.
Page 34 Working with volunteers Page 35Working with volunteers
B.TimetoChange,theEventandtheValueoftheVolunteer-45minutes
ExplainthepurposeofTimetoChange
Explaintheevent,including:
• Whyitistakingplace
• Whatwillbeattheevente.g.celebrities,special
activities
• Whatmakesthiseventdifferenttoothersimilar
events
Explaintheimportanceofvolunteerstothesuccess
oftheevent:
• Theaimoftheeventistoengineersocialcontact,
tohavemeaningfulconversationswithmembers
ofthepublic.Thevolunteers,asthepeoplehaving
theseconversations,arethemostimportantpart
oftheevent
• Bringing their invaluable lived experience will
providethebasistohelpbreakdownstereotypes
aboutpeoplewithmentalhealthproblems
• Explain that the volunteers’ local knowledge of
the area in which the event is taking place can
helpthemtomakeconnectionswithpeople,and
therefore make a significant difference to the
communityinwhichtheylive
• Explain that the volunteers are the people who
will continue this work. The purpose of Time to
Changeistoequippeopletochampionthecause
themselves
• Intakingpartintheevent,thevolunteerswillbe
helping tocreateasocietywherementalhealth
problems are not hidden in shame or secrecy.
They are helping to ensure that their friends,
theirrelativesandtheythemselvesarenotafraid
tospeakoutabouttheirproblemsorareunsure
ofwheretoturnforhelp
• Reinforce how brave they are to speak about
their experiences, and that we are privileged
to be working with them. Explain also that the
membersofthepublicwhowillattendyourevent
willbeprivilegedtohaveconversationswiththem
Personaltestimony(optional):A Champion speaks
for a maximum of 5 minutes about what they have
gained from volunteering
Alternative: slides with quotes from Champions
who have volunteered at past events
TimetoChangeVillage/youreventformat
Film:What’sinaVillage?
Alternative:At thispoint, ifyouarenot runninga
Village event, you may wish to show pictures from
pasteventsthataresimilartoyours
Exercise:Invitecommentfromtheroomaboutwhy
peoplemayengagewithusandbeinterestedinthe
componentsofthisevent
Volunteers’roleExplain that the volunteers’ role will be to hold
conversations with members of the public who
attendyourevent.Thiswillinvolve:
• Startingaconversation
• Talkingabouteverydaytopics
• Bringingintheirownexperiencesofmentalhealth
iftheyfeelcomfortabletodoso
• Endingtheconversation
Theideaisformembersofthepublictogettoknow
thevolunteers,seethattheyarefirstandforemost
peoplelikeeveryoneelse,andthenhearabouttheir
experience of mental health problems. This should
challengepublicattitudesaboutwhatapersonwith
amentalhealthproblemislike.
Exampleconversationtobeactedoutbytrainers
–pleasemakeclearthatthisisverysimplified:
Trainer1walksoutofthecinemamarqueeataVillage
event
Trainer2: Hi. What’s going on in there? Is it worth
alook?
T1:Oh,eryes,Ithinkthey’reshowingsomefilms.
T2:Anygoodones?
T1: Hmmacouple,yes.Therewasoneaboutaman
returningtoworkafterhehaddepression.Really
goodmessage.
T2:Thatdoessoundgood.Whatdidyoulikeaboutit?
T1: Ithoughtitwasnicethatitshowedthatpeople
with mental health problems were just like
everyoneelse.Madeitreallyclear.
T2:That’s really nice to hear. I’ve had depression
myself and I know that a lot of my colleagues
didn’tknowwhattosaytome.
T1: Haveyou?Iwouldn’thaveguessed–youseem
sohappy.
T2:Butyouknow, peoplewith depressioncan feel
happy. I find that some days are better than
othersand…
Cutforwardtoendofconversation
T2: Anyway, it was lovely meeting you today. I’m
going to have to go and speak to some more
people, but please do have a look around the
restofthevillage.
T1: OK,cheers.Wasnicetotalktoyoutoo.
Ask the group what they thought of the example
conversation. Point out that the conversation
involvedthevolunteerfindingawaytostartspeaking
toamemberofthepublic,andthenbringingintheir
ownexperienceofmentalhealthproblems.
Emphasisethattheirrole isnottobeanexperton
mentalhealth,buttotalkabouttheirownexperience.
Often,membersofthepublicwillhappenuponthe
village/your event and immediately engage with
certainactivities thathavedrawn them in.Explain,
therefore,thattheroleofthevolunteerscanbequite
freeinthattheyareabletochoosewheretheywould
liketopositionthemselvesattheevent.Ensurethat
youaskwhethereveryonewillbecomfortablewith
this,asthereistheoptiontobegivenaspecificrole
iftheywouldprefer.Ifanyonewouldprefertohave
adesignated roleon theday,makeanoteof their
nameandbesuretopassitontotheeventorganiser.
C.Openingconversations-30mins
Film:OpeningConversations
Thiscanbeoneofthemostdifficultthings,butthere
aretrickstomakeiteasier.
Exercise(10mins):
Eachpairisgiven:
1) Acardbearingthenameofamarqueeoranactivity
whichwillbeatyourevent
2)Aleafletorgiveawayitem
Theyarethenaskedtothinkabouthowtheycan
startaconversationusingeachofthese.
The volunteers can decide to either discuss this in
theirpairsordoaroleplay,whichevertheyaremost
comfortablewith.
Togetpeoplestartedgiveanexampleyourself,and
remind your volunteers that, at this stage, you are
onlypractisinghowtostartaconversation,sothere
isnoneedtocontinuetotheendoftheprocess.
Include informationonthecardaboutthenatureof
the activity. Ask the volunteers to feedback by first
reading the name and description of the activity,
andthenexplaininghowtheywoulduseittostarta
conversation.
Otherwaysofstartingconversationsinclude:
• Askingopenendedquestions
• Askingpeoplehowtheirdayisgoing
• Askingpeoplehowtheyare
• Askingpeopleifthey’veheardofTimetoChange
• Tellingpeople,“We’renot lookingfordonations,
we’djustliketotalktoyou”
• Askingpeopleiftheywouldlikeafreetea/coffee?
• Askingpeopleiftheywouldliketosendapostcard
toafriend/writeaTimetoChangepledge
• Handingpeopleagoodiebag
• Simplysaying“hello”andbeingfriendly
Page 36 Working with volunteers Page 37Working with volunteers
Advisevolunteerstotryoutthesemethodsandthey
willdiscoverwhatworksbestforthem.Itisalsoagood
ideatoacknowledgethatsomemembersofthepublic
maynotwishtotalktothevolunteers.Askthegroup
howtheymightdealwithanyfeelingsofrejection.
BREAK(15minutes)
Askthegrouphowtheyarefeelingandremindthem
thattheyarewelcometousethequietspaceifthey
needadditionalbreaks.
D.Revealingyourownlivedexperience(30minutes)
Ask whether any members of the group have
disclosed their own experience of mental health
problemstootherpeople in thepast,andhowthis
hasgone.
Emphasise again that the volunteers are there to
talk about their own experience, and that they are
not required to be experts on mental health. Their
experience is a resource which will help to change
people’s attitudes towards mental health, so you
wouldlikethemtotalkaboutit,butonlyinawayin
whichtheyfeelcomfortable.
Film:PersonalExperience
Ask the volunteers to think about what level of
disclosuretheywouldbecomfortablewith.Letthem
knowthat:
• Alllevelsareabsolutelyfine
• If they are having difficulty deciding, ask them
to think about how they would feel if someone
reactedbadlytoanaspectofwhattheyshared.
Iftheywouldfinditdifficulttodealwith,advise
them that it might be best not to share that
particular part of their story. Advise them that
thisdoesn’tmeanthattheywon’tbereadytodo
sointhefuture.
Exercise(10mins):Inpairs,volunteerstelltheirown
storytoeachother,thinkingabout:
• What elements they would feel comfortable
revealing
• What elements might make them feel
uncomfortable
E.Challengingstigma-30minutes)
Begin by explaining that Time to Change events
are designed specifically to challenge stigma and
discrimination associated with mental health
problems.
Itisnotalwayspossibletoknowwhohasstigmatised
ideas of mental health. Most of the time people
don’t share these opinions, so volunteers may not
knowthatsomeonefeelsthatwaywhentheyspeak
to them. Occasionally, however, volunteers will be
confronted with opinions they may find cruel or
difficulttohear.
Remind the group that these opinions may come
frompeoplewhoarenotawarethatwhattheyare
saying is hurtful. Sometimes people are simply
repeatingideasthattheyhavebeentaught,orthings
theyconsidertobesocialnorms.
Film:ChallengingStigma
Theways inwhichvolunteerscancombat thiskind
ofstigmaare:
• Bybeingwhotheyareandshowingthatpeople
with a mental health problem are just like
everyone else. This will help in breaking down
hiddenstigma
• Challengingstigmawhereitisexpressedopenly
When people express stigma openly it can actually
beagoodthing.Thisisbecauseitenablesvolunteers
tofindoutwhatstereotypesormisconceptionsthat
personhas,andtoopenlychallengethem.
Talktothegroupabouthowtomanageconversations
thataren’tgoingwell. It is importanttostressthat
any rejection is not personal, and also that their
conversation may sow seeds – having spoken to a
volunteerpeoplemaythenconnecttothemessage
laterwhentheyseeaTimetoChangeadvertorread
aleaflet.
Spend some time dealing with how volunteers will
manage after the event. Advise them that using
theirnewsupportnetwork,aswellastheirexisting
personalsupportnetworkcanbeveryuseful.Advise
the group of additional follow up or support that
might be available should they need it, but stress
that almost everyone who has participated in a
TimetoChangeeventhasfound ittobeapositive
experience.
Exercise(10mins):STEREOTYPEBUSTING!
Trainers give two examples of how to respond to
stereotyping.Askthevolunteerswhattheythought
andiftheywouldrespondinthesameway.
Volunteers look through the list of stereotypes
providedthenworkinpairstodecide:Whichofthe
following they would find most difficult to answer?
Whatwouldtheysayifsomeonesaidthingstothem?
Ask volunteers to discuss how they would answer,
ratherthanhowtheywouldfeelaboutanswering.
Finally, ask the volunteers to feed back on the
particular stereotype they have discussed. It is not
necessary for them to answer if they would prefer
notto.
BREAK(15mins)
F.Endingconversations-30minutes)
Ask the group for their ideas about how to end
a conversation. If people have not included the
following,youcouldhighlightthese:
• Say“It’sbeenlovelytalkingtoyoubutIshouldgo
andspeaktosomeotherpeoplenow”
• Askthem“Whydon’tyouhavealookaroundthe
restofthevillageandseewhatelseisgoingon?”
• Makeanexcusee.g.“Ihavetotakeabreaknow”
• Getsupportfromavolunteercoordinator
Film:Endingconversations
Ensurethatthegroupknowhowtogetsupportfrom
avolunteercoordinator.Introducethemtotheidea
ofacodeword/phrasetousewiththeCoordinator,
e.g.“DoyouknowwhattimeI’msupposedtogoon
mybreak?”thatwillpromptthecoordinatortohelp
themwithconversationthattheyarehaving.Advise
themthatthesecodewords/phraseswillbeagreed
onthedayoftheeventandthatallvolunteerswillbe
informed.Makingeyecontactwithacoordinator is
alsoagoodwaytoaskforsupport.
If you are holding a Village event you may have a
‘surgery’, hosting health care professionals. Advise
volunteers which organisations will be represented
onthedayandhowtheycanrefermembersofthe
publictoprofessionalsinthesurgery.
Page 38 Working with volunteers Page 39Working with volunteers
Step 5 - On the day
Hereareafewtipswhichwillhelpyoureventrunontimeandworksmoothlywithyourvolunteers:
Bring a detailed event schedule with tasks and
timingsfromyourarrivaltowhenyouleave.Make
sure a named volunteer has been allocated to
eachtaskontheschedule,withanamedperson
inreserve
Haveallthedetailsofyourvolunteerstohandand
keepthemsafe,soyouknowwhotoexpectand
when,knowifanyonedidn’tmakeit,andsoyou
canthankthemlater!
Consider using a ‘buddy’ system where each
volunteerispairedwithanotherpersonastheir
main supporter on the day. This will take the
pressure off the organiser and free you up for
otherimportanttasks,whilstmakingsurepeople
feelsupported.Considerpairingpeoplewhohave
experienceofrunningorbeinginvolvedinevents
orsimilaractivitieswiththosewhohaven’tdone
anythinglikethisbefore
Make sure you stick to the breaks you have
plannedthroughouttheday
Makesureyourvolunteersknowwhototalktoif
thereisaproblemorconcern
BriefinganddebriefingYouwillneedtobriefanddebriefyourvolunteersat
thebeginningandendoftheirshifts.Thefollowing
guide tells you how you should structure your
briefinganddebriefing,andsomeofthethingsyou
mightwanttosay.
Whenyourvolunteersarrive
Thevolunteercoordinator(VC)shouldsigninthe
volunteers,andmakesuretheiremergencycontact
numberiscorrectbeforeputtingthis information
away securely. The VC gathers volunteers away
fromeventareatoavoidhavingtoomanypeople
in the event area at one time and gives out any
t-shirtsand/ornamebadges.Waitabout10minutes
after the arrival time before you start, but don’t
wait for everyone to arrive. This means you may
thenhavetobriefvolunteersastheyturnupbut
otherwiseyoucouldbewaitingalongtime.
VolunteerBriefing(aboutfiveminutes)
Duringthebriefingyouwillneedto:
Welcomeyourvolunteersandthankthemfor
givinguptheirvaluabletime
Askthegrouptointroducethemselves
Talkaboutwaystoengagepeople-quicktips
onwhatworksandhow.Thiscanbeareminder
of what you covered in your volunteer
trainingsession
Showthevolunteersaroundyoureventarea
Remindvolunteerstorecordallconversations,
andshowthemhowtodothis
Talkabouthowtotakecareofyourselvesand
eachother.Youmightwantto:
a) Decide on signals to help volunteers get
out of difficult situations e.g. volunteer
coordinator to volunteer: “you have a
phonecall,doyouwanttotakeitnow?”
b) Remind volunteers that it’s their valuable
timethatthepublicareprivilegedtohear
their stories. They control what they feel
comfortable speaking about and they end
conversationswhentheywant. If theyget
intodifficultyaVCwillbeonhand,butthis
rarelyhappens
c) Tell volunteers to take breaks whenever
theyneedtoandletaVCknowiftheyare
goingtobegoingawayfromtheeventarea.
d) Reassurethemthat itmaytakeawhileto
get started and that they shouldn’t worry
aboutthis.Themorepeopletheyapproach,
the more chance there is of having a
worthwhileconversation
Page 40 Working with volunteers Page 41Working with volunteers
G.Evaluation
AtTimetoChangeweevaluateoureventsinorder
tomeasuretheirimpact,andtoensurethatwecan
buildonsuccessesandmakeimprovementsforthe
future.
Twoways inwhichvolunteerscanhelpuswiththis
are:
• Counting the conversations they have with
membersofthepublicandkeepingatally
• Asking members of the public to complete
feedbackforms
Countingconversations:
• Askvolunteerstocountmeaningfulconversations.
These are conversations in which they have
shared their experiences with a member of the
public and feel they have made an impact, no
matterhowsmall
• Everyconversationisdifferent,andameaningful
conversation could be long or short, intense or
light-hearted
• Askthattheyrecordnumbersofconversationson
theprovidedtallysheets.Usetheslideprovided
to show volunteers an example of a tally sheet
andexplainhowtouseit
Asking members of the public to complete
evaluationforms:
• Volunteers can collect the email addresses
of people who are happy to fill out a form
electronically
• Volunteers can ask people to complete paper
copiesoftheevaluationform
Advise volunteers to choose the method that they
feelmostcomfortablewith.Iftheyfeelcomfortable
indoingsoattheendoftheirconversation,theycan
askthepersoniftheywouldliketoprovideuswith
theiremailaddress inorder forTimetoChange to
sendthemasurvey.Volunteersshouldalsomention
thatpaperformsareavailableiftheywouldprefer.
Emailaddresscollectionsheets,aswellasevaluation
forms,willbeavailableinthevolunteerregistration
area. Once a person has completed the form or
providedtheiremailaddress,askvolunteerstogive
them a sticker to ensure that they won’t be asked
again.
H.Finally
Askthegrouphowtheyfeltaboutthetrainingand
takeanyquestionstheymayhave.
Optionalunits(15minseach)Dependingon thegroupand theevent, the trainer
maywishtoincludeoptionalunitssuchas:
• Supportingmembersofthepublicwithdisabilities
• Practicalinformationabouttheeventandvenue
• Listeningskills
Volunteerdebriefing(about20minutes)
As their shift comes to and end, let the
volunteersknowthatintwominutestheywillbe
leavingtheeventareafortheirdebrief.Gather
thevolunteersawayfromtheeventarea,where
itisnotsocrowded.
Yourdebriefshouldcover:
AHUGETHANKYOU!-thankthevolunteers
again for giving up their valuable time, tell
themtheyhavedoneagreatjob,andhada
lotofconversations
Askingthevolunteerswhatworkedwell–what
surprisedthem,howtheyfeelaboutit
Askingthemwhatdidn’tworkaswellasthey
hoped,whatcouldhavebeendifferent
Travel Expense forms – if you are covering
volunteer expenses then hand out travel
expensesforms
Nowyouarereadytorunyourevent.Goodluck!
Don’t forget to let Time to Change know
howitgoes.
Help & support
Mind Mind’s ‘Infoline’ isabletoprovide informationona
range of topics including types of mental distress,
wheretogethelp,drugandalternativetreatments
and advocacy. They are able to provide details of
helpandsupportforpeopleintheirownarea.
www.mind.org.uk
MindInfolinetel:03001233393
Rethink Mental IllnessRethink Mental Illness’ advice and information line
cangivepracticaladvice&informationaboutissues
suchas;differenttypesoftherapyandmedication,
benefit,debt,moneyissues,rightsundertheMental
HealthAct.
www.rethink.org
Tel:03005000927
NHS DirectTheNHSDirectwebsitehasusefulpagescontaining
informationaboutallaspectsofhealth.Theyoperate
24hoursaday,365daysayearandshouldbeable
toprovidedetailsoflocalcrisissupportservicesor
adviceonaccessinglocalA&E
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Tel:08454647
The NHS direct website and number can give you
information of your local NHS services. You should
compilealistoflocalNHSresourcestohaveonhandfor
thedayofyourevent.Forexample,youcouldfindout
alocalon-callGPservice,andthenumberofyourlocal
mentalhealthcrisisteam.Someareashaveanoutof
hoursmentalhealthsupporttelephonehelplinenumber.
Ifsomeoneisincrisisandyoucannotaccesssupport
frommentalhealthservices,youcandirecttheperson
totheA&Edepartmentatyourlocalhospital.Youcan
askA&Eforanemergencymentalhealthreferral.
Youcanalsorequestassistancebytelephoningyourlocal
A&E,orofcoursevia999inanemergencysituation.
In this section we’ve put together a list of national mental health support organisations across the UK. It’s a good idea to take these numbers with you to your event and make them available for volunteers to give to members of the public should they require them. Perhaps you could prepare a half page hand-out of useful numbers to give out to people who are helping out at your event?
Informationaboutlocalserviceswillbeevenmorerelevantforthoseyouwillbetalkingtoinyourarea,sodo
contactyourlocalMind,RethinkMentalIllnessorNHSandaskforalistofanyothercontactdetails.Again,
supplythemforpeoplewhomayaskforthematyourevent.
FordetailsofyourlocalMindandlocalRethinkMentalIllnessservicesinEngland,pleasegotothewebsite
orcontactthenumberbelow.Youmayalsowishtocontactanyoftheseorganisationslocally,andanyother
charitiesyoumayknow,toseeiftheycanassistyouinanywaywithyourevent,attheleasttheymaybeable
toadvertiseyourvolunteeropportunities.
Page 42 Working with volunteers Page 43Help & support
Emergency Social ServicesFind out the number for your local social services
‘duty’team.Yourlocalcouncilwillbeabletotellyou
thisinformation.
SamaritansSamaritans provides confidential, non-judgemental
emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who
are experiencing feelings of distress or despair,
includingthosewhichcouldleadtosuicide.
www.samaritans.org
Tel:08457909090
TheremayalsobeaSamaritansbranchinyourlocal
area.Callthemtofindout,visitthewebsiteorcall
directoryenquires.
Papyrus (Prevention of Young Suicide)Committedtothepreventionofyoungsuicide
Helpline:08000684141
www.papyrus-uk.org
SANE SANE exists to provide emotional support and
informationtoanyoneaffectedbymentalillness.
www.sane.org.uk
SANELINE is theirnational,out-of-hours telephone
helpline, offering practical information, crisis care
andemotionalsupporttoanybodyaffectedbymental
healthproblems.
Tel:08457678000
Openinghours:12noonuntil2ameveryday
Support LineSupport Line provides a confidential telephone
helplineofferingemotionalsupporttoanyindividual
onanyissue.
Helplinenumber01708765200
Depression AllianceInformation,supportandself-helpgroups.
Telephone08451232320
www.depressionalliance.org
No PanicSupport for people who experience panic attacks
andOCD.
Helpline:08088080545
www.nopanic.org.uk
Bristol Crisis Service for WomenBristol Crisis Service for Women is a national
organisation that supports girls and women in
distress. They particularly help women who harm
themselves(oftencalledself-injury).
Helpline:01179251119
Opening hours: Friday and Saturdays - 9pm -
12.30am,Sundays6pm-9pm
www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk
St. John’s AmbulanceStJohn’sAmbulancemaybeabletoprovidefirstaid
coveratyourevent.Call08700104950
www.sja.org.uk/sja/what-we-do/event-first-aid-
cover.aspx
British Red CrossTheBritishRedCrossprovidesawiderangeoffirst
aidthroughoutthecountry.
Call08450547015
www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/First-aid/Event-
first-aid
First Aid Cover LtdCall07759086816
www.firstaidcover.co.uk
Mental Health First AidCall02072508062/3
www.mhfaengland.org
Remember-999isalwaysanoptionifthereisan
urgentorimminentrisk.
Most areas now have the local non-emergency
numberforpoliceservicesasdialling101fromany
phone.Thiswilltransferyoutothepoliceinthe
areayouarein,anywhereinthecountry.
Useful Templates
Template 1 Press release
Template 2 Tell us about your event
Template 3 Safe System of work, or method statement
Template 4 Sequencing and method of work
Template 5 Risk Assessment
Template 6 Tips for starting conversations
Template 7 Conversation record tally sheet
Template 8 Stereotype busting
Template 9 Volunteer information sheet
Page 44 Help & support Page 45Help & support
Template 1 Press release
Contact:[insertorganisationpresscontactdetails]
**Foraccesstoarangeoffreeimagestoaccompany
mentalhealthnewsstoriespleasevisit:http://www.
time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images
have been developed by the anti-stigma campaign
TimetoChange,runbythecharitiesMindandRethink
Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of
Health,ComicReliefandtheBigLotteryFund.
TimetoChangeTime to Change is England’s most ambitious
programme to end the stigma and discrimination
faced by people with mental health problems. The
programmeisrunbythecharitiesMindandRethink
Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of
Health,ComicReliefandtheBigLotteryFund.
For more information go to www.time-to-change.
org.uk
DepartmentofHealthOn 2 February 2011 the Department of Health
launchedNohealthwithoutmentalhealth,across-
government mental health outcomes strategy for
peopleofallageswhichhasthetwinaimsofkeeping
peoplewelland improvingtheirmentalhealthand,
whenpeoplearenotwell,improvingtheiroutcomes
throughhigh-qualityservices.
The strategy is based on six shared objectives,
developed with partners from across the mental
health sector, and focuses on recovery and
the reduction of stigma and discrimination as
overarchingthemes.
To reduce the stigma faced by people with mental
healthproblems,theDepartmenthasbeensupporting
TimetoChange,theanti-stigmacampaignrunbythe
charitiesMindandRethinkMentalIllness,since2011.
ComicReliefComic Relief is committed to supporting people
living with mental health problems. The projects
ComicRelieffundsensurepeoplewithmentalhealth
problemsgettheirvoicesheardinthedecisionsthat
affecttheirlivesandgetthehelptheyneedtorecover.
Comic Relief also helps people to promote their
rightsandreducethestigmaanddiscriminationthey
facesothattheyfeelmoreincludedinsociety.The
fundingofTimetoChangerepresentsComicRelief’s
largest UK grant and is part of the organisation’s
long standing commitment to this issue. For more
informationgotowww.comicrelief.com.
BigLotteryFundBigLotteryFundsupportedthefirstphaseofTime
to Change with funding of over £20million, and in
2013awardedtheprogrammeafurther£3.6mfrom
itsWell-beingprogrammetobuildonitssuccessand
work with targeted communities. Big Lottery Fund
alsosupportedthecampaign’srolloutacrossWales.
Theywillbeprovidingafurther£1.1mtosupportthe
TimetoChangecampaignin2015-16.
The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations
of people who want to make life better for their
communitiesacrosstheUK.Weareresponsiblefor
givingout40%ofthemoneyraisedbytheNational
Lotteryandinvestover£650millionayearinprojects
bigandsmallinhealth,education,environmentand
charitablepurposes.
SinceJune2004wehaveawardedover£6.5billion
to projects that make a difference to people and
communitiesinneed,fromearlyyearsintervention
tocommemorativetravelfundingforWorldWarTwo
veterans.
SincetheNationalLotterybeganin1994,£33billion
has been raised and more than 450,000 grants
awarded.
Notes to editors
Page 46 Help & support Page 47Help & support
Forimmediatepublication[insertdate]
[insert organisation] and Time to Change event hits (town)
Inabidtoget[entertown]talkingaboutmentalhealth,residentsarebeinginvitedtocomealongto[place]
andhelpbreakdownthestigmaanddiscriminationthatsurroundspeoplewithamentalillness.
[Insertorganisation]isjoiningforceswithTimetoChange,England’sbiggestanti-stigmacampaign,ledby
charitiesMindandRethinkMentalIllness,toofferaseriesoffunandcolourfuleventsthataddressthefear
andawkwardnesspeoplefeelwhentalkingaboutmentalhealthproblems.
Theeventisoneofhundredstakingplaceacrossthecountrywhere[insertinformationabouttheevene.g
location,times,what’shappening].
[Includedetailsofanythingelsetakingplaceontheday.Forexample,workshopsormarketstalls.]
[Nameofspokesperson],from[nameoforganisation]said:“TheTimetoChangeeventgivesthepeopleof
[town/city]achancetofindoutmoreaboutmentalhealthbytalkingtosomeonewithpersonalexperience.
“Justafewsmallwordscanmakeabigdifferencetosomeonewithamentalhealthproblemandtalking
aboutmentalhealthcanhelptobreakdownstigmaanddiscrimination.”
“Thisfantasticeventwillbringtogetherpeopleandencouragethoseall-importantconversationstotakeplace.
Wewanttousethisasaneffectivewayofbreakingdownstigmaandpromotinganinclusivecommunity.”
[NB-yourownquotecanbeaddedhere,thisquoteisjustforguidance.]
[Name],from[town],e.gwhohasexperienceofbipolardisorder,said:NB–ifpossiblepleasegetaquotefrom
avolunteerpresentontheday.
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “We know that face-to-face contact with someone who has
experiencedamentalhealthproblem-whocantalkopenlyandconfidentlyaboutit-iskeytotransforming
ourunderstandingandattitudesandwewanttostartconversationsalloverthecountry.
“Oftenjustaskingsomeonehowtheyareandremindingthemthatyoucarecanhaveamassiveimpactfor
someonewithamentalhealthproblem.Ifyouseetheeventinyourtown,besuretogoupandsayhelloand
startyourownconversationaboutmentalhealth.”
Formoreinformationandupdatesvisitwww.time-to-change.org.uk.
Nameoforganisation:
Typeoforganisation(NHSmentalhealthtrust,localcounciletc):
WhatwerethereasonsforyourorganisationrunningaTimetoChangeactivity?
Giveabriefsummaryoftheactivityyouran:
Howmanypeopledidyoureachwiththisactivity(numbersattendingevents/reachedbyadvertisingetc)?
Howdidyouensureyouractivityinvolvedanti-stigmamessageandconversationsbetweenpeoplewithandwithoutmentalhealthproblems?
Whathavebeenthemainoutcomesofthisactivityforyourorganisation?
WhatwerethemainbenefitsofworkingwithTimetoChange?
Whatlessonsdidyoulearnthatyouwouldpassontootherorganisations?
WhatplansdoyouhavetorunaTimetoChangeactivityinthefuture?
Template 2 Tell us about your event
Youcanusethequestionsbelowtowriteacasestudyabouthowyouplannedyoureventandhowitwent
ontheday.We’lluseyouranswerstohelpinspireotherswhoarethinkingaboutrunningsimilaractivity.
Page 48 Help & support Page 49Help & support
1.Descriptionofworksinfull(Toincludetime,duration,sequence,location)
2.Riskassessmentofalloperations(Pleasefillouttheriskassessmentformfoundonpage51oftheCommunityEventToolkit)
3.Resourcesrequired(Personnel,supervision,equipment,materials)
4.Controlmeasurestobeused(Permits,security,specialtraining)
5.Personalprotectiveequipmentrequirements(Gloves/safetygoggles/firstaidequipment)
6.Emergencyarrangements(Rescue/specialfirstaid,ifnecessary)
7.Temporaryamendedsystems(Fire/securitysystems/access)
8.Towhomtheinformationhasbeen/willbesubmitted(Checkingandreviewingofprovisionsandrequirements.Confirmationofoperativesbriefing)
9.Sequenceandmethodofwork(Pleaseseeattachedexampleandcompleteasappropriate)
Signed Date
Template 3 Safe System of Work, or Method Statement
Wha
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e
the
haza
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Who
mig
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harm
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Ris
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Med
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Wha
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Wha
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acti
on is
nee
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By
who
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Don
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dlo
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even
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Ap
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by:
Dat
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of
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Po
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:
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D
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Dat
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Ris
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Template 5
Page 50 Help & support Page 51Help & support
Template 4 Sequencing and method of work
Operation Equipment Name Date
1 7.00amArrivalofvan,preparation
signinandsiteinspection.
Van/ID
2 7.10amGuidevanintolocation
viaentryrouteadjacentto
constructionarea
Van
3 7.20amMarkoutthefootprintof6
x3Marqueestructures
Markingtape
4 7.30am–8.00amUnload
allelementsfromthevan
sequentiallyasrequired
Glovesandlifting
equipmentwhere
required
5 8.00am-10.00amErectMarquee
structures,waterfillandlocate
weightedbaseplates-maxwind
load96kmh
Gloves
6 10.15amPlacepowerdistribution
cablingasrequired
7 10.15amPositionfreestanding
furnitureonVillageGreenandin
Gazebos
8 10.15amPositionfreestanding
graphicbarriersbannersystem
9 10.30amPosition,secureand
connectallAVequipmentto
powersupply
Powersource
10 10.45amPosition,securelaptops
andconnectalltopowersupply
Powersource
11 11.00amCabletobeinspected
thenpluggedinforpowertest
Powersource
12 11.15amCleaningandfinalcheck
13 De-rig;steps2to13inreverse
orderafterpowerdownand
disconnectionfromthepower
supply
Asinsteps2to13
Page 52 Help & support Page 53Help & support
EventTitle:
EventOrganiser:
Date:Pleaserecordeachconversationyouhavethroughoutyourshiftinasimpletallychartformasshownbelow.Pleaseputan‘X’or‘1’inaboxtorecordeachconversation.
Note:Volunteercoordinatorsshouldcollecttheseinattheendofeachshiftandreplenishthetallycharts
forthenextshift.Attheendoftheeventtheorganisershouldcountupalltheconversationsandreport
thisbacktoTimetoChangewhenwesendyouafeedbackform.
Template 7 Conversation record tally sheet
Template 6 Tips for starting conversations
StartingconversationsOftenthefactthatit’sdifficulttotalkaboutmental
health problems can be one of the hardest parts
ofhavingamentalillness.Itcanleadtothelossof
friendships, feeling isolated, not seeking help and
slowerrecovery.Itdoesn’thavetobethisway!
Whether it’s fear or awkwardness about talking to
someoneweknowabouttheirmentalhealthproblem
–or talkingaboutourownmentalhealthproblem,
reluctancetotalkaboutmentalhealthdoesn’thelp
anyone.Wewanttogetpeopletalkingaboutmental
health.Sousethetipsheretostartyourconversation
andhelpendmentalhealthprejudice.
Beprepared:Think about the different reactions, positive and
negative, that the person might have so you’re
prepared. The person will be thinking about their
perception of mental illness, you as a person and
howthetwofittogether.
Aninitialreactionmightnotlast:Thepersonmight initiallyreact inawaythat’snot
helpful–maybechangingthesubject,usingclichés
ratherthanlistening,butgivethemtime.
Keepitlight:We know that sometimes people are afraid to talk
about mental health because they feel they don’t
know what to say or how to help. So keeping the
conversation light will help make you both feel
relaxed.
Bereadyforlotsofquestions,ornone:The person you are talking to may have lots of
questions or need further formation to help them
understand.Ortheymayfeeluncomfortableandtry
tomovetheconversationon–ifthishappensit’sstill
helpfulthatthefirststephasbeentaken.
Courageiscontagious:Oftenoncementalhealthisoutintheopen,people
want to talk. Don’t be surprised if your honesty
encourages other people to talk about their own
experiences.
Bodylanguage:Trytoberelaxedandopen-agapingmouth,regular
clock watching or looking uncomfortable won’t go
unnoticed.
WhatyoumightsayIfyou’reinabusypublicspace,andunsureofhowto
approachpeople,thefollowingconversationopeners
canhelpgetyoustarted.
Generalconversationstarters “Hi,howareyoutoday?Mynameis……………,can
yousparemejustaminuteofyourtimetohave
achatwithme?”
“Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but I was
wonderingifyoucouldhelpme”…bychattingto
meetc
“Hi, we are not after your money! Just a few
minutesofyourtime…”
QuestionsaboutTimetoChange “WhathaveyouheardaboutTimetoChange?”
“WhatdidyouthinkofourrecentTVadvert?”
“Letmetellyoumoreaboutit…”
“WhatcanIexplainaboutittoyou?”
“Have you any questions? What would you like
toknow?“
Questions about mental health andstigma/discrimination:
“Doyouthink it isdifficult to talkaboutmental
health?Why?”
‘Whatdoestheword‘depression’meantoyou?”-
this could allow for a discussion about the
realitiesofthisillnesscomparedtomanypeople’s
perceptions
Andremember,themainmessagetogetacrossis:Mental health problems are common. One in four
ofuswillbeaffectedatsomepointinourlives.So
beingabletotalkaboutmentalhealthissomething
that is important forusall.Often the fact that it’s
difficulttotalkaboutmentalhealthproblemscanbe
oneofthehardestpartsofhavingamentalillness.
Afewsmallwordscanmakeabigdifference.
Page 54 Help & support Page 55Help & support
Template 9 Volunteer information sheet
Pleasedeleteoraddinformationwhichisrelevanttoyourevent
Whyvolunteer? Tobeapartofanationalcampaigntohelpmake
mentalhealthstigmaanddiscriminationathing
ofthepast
Thiseventistakingthecampaigntothepeople,
creatingopportunitiesforpeoplewithandwithout
knowledgeofmentalhealthtohaveconversations
about it -proven tobeoneof thebestways to
tacklestigmaanddiscrimination
Whocanvolunteer? Anyone–nopreviousvolunteeringexperienceis
required,wejustaskthatyou:
a) haveexperienceofmentalhealthissues
b) are passionate about reducing stigma and
discriminationaroundmentalhealth
c) arewillingtotalktomembersofthepublicabout
mentalhealth
Whatwillyoubedoing? Spending just [insert timings for event and
trainingsession]hoursofyourtimeaspartofa
team talking to members of the public about
mentalhealth
Howmuchwillitcostyou? Absolutelynothing!Wewillpayyouupto£[insert
figure that you are able to pay] for your travel
expensesandwillprovide lightrefreshmentson
theday
Willtherebetraining&support?
We’ll fully support you; a training film will help
prepare you and a short but in-depth training
sessioninyourlocalareaintheweekbeforethe
eventwillgiveyoutheconfidencetospeaktothe
publicaswellasmeettheothervolunteersand
askusanyquestions
There will also be a short briefing right before
yourshiftstartsonthedaysoyouknowwhere
everythingandeveryoneis
Nooneisunderanyobligationtotalkabouttheir
ownmentalhealthproblemsunlesstheywantto.
Should you decide to do so you will be fully
supported by volunteer coordinators and
informationtomakesureitisassafeaspossible
foryoutotalkopenly
If you’re interested in volunteering at our event
then please get in touch, and we’ll get back to you
with more information:
Email: [insert your email address] or call or text
[insertyourphonenumber]
1. “Whyaren’tyouatworktoday?Ifyoucandothis,surelyyoucoulddoaproperjob”
2. “Peoplewithmentalhealthproblemsarejustlazy.I’mnottalkingaboutyouofcourse…”
3. “Idon’tthinkmentalhealthisarealthing.It’sjustanexcuseforpeopletomopearoundandfeelsorryforthemselves”
4. “So,isitabitweirdvolunteeringwithallthesepeoplewithmentalhealthproblems?Aren’tyouafraidsomeonewillkickoffanymoment?”
5. “Ithinkpeopleliveinthepasttoomuch.Justgetoveritandgetonwithyourlife”
6. “You’vegotamentalhealthproblem.Soareyouonbenefitsthen?”
7. “Ohsoyou’vegotdepression.Canyounotjustcheerup?”
8. “Ohsoyou’vegotanxiety?Canyounotjuststopbeingstressed?”
9. “Therearealotofmentalsaround,it’sgoodthatyou’rehere”
10. “Youngpeopletoday…wealwaysjustusedtogetonwithit”
Template 8 Stereotype busting
Mostoftheconversationsyouhaveateventswillbepositive.However,themostimportantconversations
thatwecanhavearethosewherewebuststereotypes.Whichofthefollowingdoyouthinkyouwouldfind
mostdifficulttoanswer?Why?Whatwouldyousayifsomeonesaidthesethingstoyou?
Page 56 Help & support
Someusefulcontactinformationfororganisationsthatsupportpeoplewithdisabilities:
www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk–formoreinformationonworkingwithpeoplewhoaredeaf
orhavehearingloss.
www.royaldeaf.org.uk–forgeneralinformationaswellasinterpretingservices.
www.rnib.org.uk–foradviceandsupportaroundvisualimpairments.
www.scope.org.uk–forinformationondisabilities,includingCerebralPalsy.
www.autism.org.uk–forinformation,supportandawarenessofpeoplewithAutism.
Appendix
Discrimination–whensomeonedislikes,oris
prejudicedagainst,acertaingroupofpeopleand
treatspeoplefromthisgroupunfairly.Peoplecan
facediscriminationbecauseoftheirrace,gender,
sexualorientation,orbecausetheyhaveamental
healthproblem.
Stigma – when a person, group or condition
hasverynegativeorbadassociationsattachedto
it.Thereisapowerfulstigmaattachedtomental
illness, which causes people to discriminate
against (see above) or stereotype (see below)
peoplewithmentalhealthproblems.
Stereotype – when someone has an idea
about what people from a particular group are
like that is too simple or general, which leads
themtobelievethatpeoplefromthisgroupare
all the same. Saying that all African Caribbean
peoplearegoodatsingingandthatallgaymen
likegoingclubbingareexamplesofstereotyping.
More often than not, stereotypes are negative.
So when someone says all people with mental
healthproblemsareviolent,thisisanexampleof
negativestereotyping.
Accessible–whenweuse“accessible”inthis
toolkit,wemeanmakingsureyoureventisopento
asmanydifferentpeopleaspossible.Thismeans
that ifsomeonehasamentalhealthproblem,a
learningdisabilityoraphysicaldisability,itshould
notstopthemfromcomingalongtoandenjoying
yourevent.
Evaluation–whenyouaskpeoplewhocome
toyoureventwhattheythoughtabouttheday.
Youcouldaskthemtowritetheircommentson
apieceofpaper,orfill inaquestionnairewhere
theygivethedayamarkoutoffive.Youcanthen
usethesecommentstohelpyoumakeyourevent
moresuccessfulnexttime.
Symptoms – theseare the signs that tell us
whenwe,orwhensomeoneelseisunwell.When
someone has a cold, the symptoms could be
sneezingorhavingarunnynose.Whensomeone
has depression, symptoms could include feeling
tiredallthetime,notwantingtobearoundother
people,andfeelingmuchmoresadthanusual.
Roadshow–whenweputonthesameeventin
differentareasofthecountryoverafewmonths.
TimetoChangeranevents intownsandfestivals
acrossEnglandinsummer2011.Theeventsusedthe
samematerials,andhadthesameset-upeachtime,
sowecalledthemtheTimetoChangeroadshow.
Social Contact – Social contact occurs
when someone with experience of a mental
health problem comes together with someone
whodoesn’thave,orisn’tawarethattheyhave,
this experience. Information is exchanged,
experiencesshared,andpeoplegettoknoweach
other. In this context, disclosure around mental
health can lead to an increase in knowledge, a
shiftinperception,orevenacompletechangein
beliefs, as this person reassesses their attitude
towardspeoplewithmentalhealthproblems.
Glossary of key terms used in this toolkit