Looking Back at the Community Engagement Project
The project set out to improve the mental health of groups that do not traditionally engage with mental health services. By connecting directly, the goal was to make sure Open Mental Health could offer support right across the county.
When the project began, the team concentrated on supporting:
• Veterans
• Displaced people
• The neurodivergent community
• Adults with learning disabilities
• The deaf community
• People living on low incomes
To run the project, Spark brought together a project manager and three part-time community engagement workers. Diversity Voice provided a dedicated worker four days a week to connect with migrant workers and displaced people. At the same time, SASP used sports and physical activity to build connections with veterans, displaced communities, and adults with learning disabilities, alongside running their Access to Sport training to make local sports clubs more accessible.
Sharing the Five Ways to Wellbeing
The Five Ways to Wellbeing formed the common thread throughout the project. These are simple, everyday steps anyone can try to help protect their mental health. An experienced trainer on the team designed and delivered courses directly to local communities, while also running shorter train-the-trainer sessions.
The courses were tailored to suit particular groups, including adult autistic individuals, young adults who have learning difficulties, refugees, people applying for asylum, and those earning a low income. The participants consisted of people from remote rural areas, women who were escaping cases of domestic abuse, a group providing support for menopause, and individuals experiencing social anxiety.
Open Mental Health Champions
Open Mental Health Champions became a key part of the project. A diverse group of 22 people—many from communities that face real barriers when seeking mental health support—acted as a bridge between their communities and Open Mental Health.
The Champions helped make sure local services matched what people actually needed. They shared their own experiences, gave guidance on how services could improve, and raised awareness in very practical ways. Some led Five Ways to Wellbeing sessions in Ukrainian, others spoke with migrant workers or distributed information flyers.
Because lived experience was so valuable to this work, Champions were paid for their time and expenses. When the main Community Engagement project ended, funding was secured to extend the Champions’ involvement across Open Mental Health for a further period, creating a lasting legacy.
High Street Walkabouts
Rather than waiting for people to attend formal events, the team chose to meet people where they were. Staff from across Open Mental Health joined forces with local Champions to walk up and down Somerset high streets.
They distributed leaflets, dropped in on local shops and offices, and began having everyday conversations about mental health. The local businesses were friendly and a great many people were pleased to have the opportunity to speak openly. As a result of these visits, hundreds of shop staff and customers learned about the support that was on offer and were put directly in contact with the relevant services.
Read the End of Project Report
If you would like to read more about what the team did, what was learned, and the recommendations made for future support, you can download the full End of Project Report below.
