From community walks to tea and talk events, use these ideas to help you organise activities in your community.
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Creating an open and understanding community allows those of us with mental health problems to feel seen and heard. It doesn’t take much to show someone you’re there and willing to listen. Here are just a few ways to start your conversation on Time to Talk Day.
If you have access to a public space like a community centre or an office reception, you could host a drop-in tea and talk event. A relaxed setting can help people be open to talking, and listening, about mental health. Download a poster to promote your event.
Sometimes it’s easier to have a conversation when you’re doing something active. Why not arrange a walk and talk event for people in your community? You could give people conversation cards to break the ice and help them start a conversation about mental health. Take a look at our talking tips for your event.
The most exciting thing about Time to Talk Day is the creative ways people start their conversations. In the past, people have created fortune cookies with mental health facts inside. People have written and shared poems, put on music or comedy gigs. Others have reached out to someone they’ve not spoken to in years or made cakes for a neighbour. Whatever you’re comfortable doing, Time to Talk Day is a chance to get people talking about mental health.
Let as many people as possible know what Time to Talk Day is all about and why it’s important to you. We’ve got lots of downloadable social media tiles that you could share available on our Download page.
Get your friends and family talking about mental health in a fun way. Download our ready-made interactive bingo card full of ways to start a mental health conversation, or create your own with our editable version.
Put your baking skills to the test with a virtual bake off. Choose a recipe and bring everyone together on a video chat to bake it at the same time. You can talk about mental health while you bake. Don’t forgot to share some photos of your creation on social media using #TimeToTalk
Find some stones and get painting. Use colour, words, or illustrations to transform each stone into a conversation starter, taking inspiration from some of our campaign materials. Once dried you can hide your stones in a local park or community space. The aim is to encourage those that find the stone to start a mental health conversation - if you include #TimeToTalk they may even share their discovery on social media.
Arts and craft activities are a great way to start conversations. People can draw or write down anything that makes them happy. You can do this in person or on a video call. If you’re using a video call you can try out the share screen option and take it in turns to draw. Once you’ve all had a go you can talk more generally about mental health. You can share your finished artwork on social media using #TimeToTalk
You could host a tea and talk event in your community centre, put some posters up on a community notice board, run a lunch and learn in the office. It can be as simple as texting a friend. However you do it, make space for a conversation on Time to Talk Day.
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