Week of activities to focus on the link between money and mental health

Launching this Saturday (7 September), the week-long campaign, known as ‘Don’t Cash Out’, is being run in line with Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place nationally on 10 September.

Swindon Borough Council, along with 15 partner organisations, is seeking to raise awareness of the correlations between debt problems and mental health, as well as highlighting where people can go for support.

Activities include a takeover of Parkrun on Saturday by national mental health charity Time to Change, which will be followed by a mental wellbeing awareness session which runners can book on to.

A locally produced film called ‘Steve: A Documentary’ is also being premiered at Swindon Arts Centre on Thursday, 12 September, which focuses on the mental health of men in Swindon and how they can look after it.  

Details of the activities taking place are available on the Time to Change Swindon Facebook page.

Councillor Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, and the Council’s mental health champion, said: “It is just as important that we look after our mental health as much as we do our physical health.

“Debt and money worries can have an effect on people’s mental health, but there’s plenty of support available in Swindon, and the series of activities next week will highlight some of these.”