To mark World Mental Health Day, Birmingham Mind will feature in a special podcast and radio show to highlight the help and support it provides.
The show will include conversations from volunteers and service users on their own recovery from poor mental health.
Produced by former Galaxy Birmingham presenter and BRMB/Free Radio producer, Richard Perks, the podcast, A Space to Speak Your Mind, will also be broadcast on Birmingham’s BRMB.
Richard has had his own lived experience around mental health and as a passionate Brummie is keen to tell people that there are services available in the city to those going through difficult times.
He now talks openly about the anxiety and depression he suffered throughout his working life before he reached out to a local Mind service.
Richard also talks about how a recent recognition of being neurodivergent has contributed to much of his poor mental health and the difficulties he has experienced. He believes radio is a perfect way of having open conversations and breaking the stigma around mental health.
The show will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary on World Mental Health Day and in that time it has won a Gold Award at the 2023 Community Radio Awards for Specialist Content; and a Silver Award for Community Development Project in 2021. It is produced as part of a Recovery Wellbeing Group run by Cornwall Mind and aired monthly on several Community Radio stations in the area.
Rachel McNair at Birmingham Mind said: “Hearing these remarkable stories of recovery and hope from people who use our services is wonderful. We help people through supported housing, residential care, wellbeing hubs, crisis intervention services and our dedicated mental health helpline.
“Our Helpline volunteers provide invaluable operational support to our service, which operates from 9am to 11pm daily and receives around 450 calls per week.
“Hearing our service users talk so passionately about the support they have received not only validates the service we provide but helps to stamp out the stigma still associated with accessing mental health services and community wellbeing support.”
A Space to Speak Your Mind will be available on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Podcasts and also air on BRMB at 6pm on World Mental Health Day, this Thursday 10 October.
