social contact event toolkit - time to change...about this toolkit contents the following pages will...

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

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.


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


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.


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

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.


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.


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


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.


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.


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.


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


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.


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


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

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

Depression AllianceInformation,supportandself-helpgroups.

Telephone08451232320

www.depressionalliance.org

No PanicSupport for people who experience panic attacks

andOCD.


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).


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


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.


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

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haza

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Who

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Ris

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Wha

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Wha

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By

who

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Template 5


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

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.

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?

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

social contact event toolkit - time to change...about this toolkit contents the following pages will...

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