It's Mental Health Awareness Week 2026

Date: 11th May, 2026

Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We say that often at Everyturn, but what does it mean?

It means that we can’t look at mental health as something separate to everyday life. Things like money, housing, work and relationships can all affect our mental health. When things in our lives feel like they’re going wrong, it can start to have an impact on how we feel and leave us stuck in a cycle that’s hard to break.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re being asked to ‘take action’. At Everyturn Mental Health, we see every day how small steps can lead to real change. And not just system or cost saving changes but the real life changes that ensure no one struggles alone.

Looking at a person’s whole life

Every day, we meet people through our services, who are dealing with difficult situations that affect their mental health.

Meet Tom

Tom (name changed for privacy) had been having a really difficult time. He was living on the streets, he’d lost his home, his belongings and felt stuck.

Tom was receiving support from our Together in a Crisis (TIAC) service, but after his phone broke, he wasn’t able to contact us. Tom visited one of our Safe Havens instead to get back in touch and find instant support.

Our support workers listened to Tom to understand what his biggest priorities were and created a plan to link him up with organisations that could help.

Fast forward to the end of Tom’s one hour visit to our Safe Haven, his wellbeing score improved from a 1 to a 9, and we were able to provide him with a phone to solve his immediate problems.

Learn more about Tom’s story and our Crisis Support Services.

Meet Harry

Harry (name changed for privacy) is in his 40s and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the early 2000s. He spent many years moving between hostels, hospital stays and the street, often feeling unsafe and alone. His childhood was very hard and he experienced abuse growing up and later in life.

Harry was referred to Everyturn in 2019 after leaving hospital.

Harry started in one of our specialist residential services, and then moved into his own flat, which he calls home. With support, he attends health appointments, manages his money, and cares for his space. He is learning to set boundaries with others.

After many difficult years, Harry is now working towards living more independently.

We’re working with his social worker to make this possible, then our next steps will be to support Harry to apply for social housing.

Learn more about Harry’s story and our community rehabilitation transition service.

Meet Mary

Mary (name changed for privacy) came to the Hope Haven drop-in in Whitehaven for help with housing and money worries. Local groups referred her so she would not feel alone and could connect with others.

Using the Rio system, Mary only had to tell her story once. This helped her feel less upset and meant our team could give the right support more quickly.

Mary joined exercise classes, got help with housing and finances and accessed mental health and GP support. Over time, she began to feel more like herself again.

Mary said the service filled gaps in support and helped her without having to repeat her story.

Learn more about the ways our services are being more accessible and inclusive.

We work with people like Tom, Harry and Mary every day. We see time and time again that when people are listened to, get the immediate support they need and can see a way forward, their mental health improves.

The action’s our teams help with often have a big impact. It can start with a conversation, practical help with making a small change or offering a safe space for someone to share their story and let them know they’ve been heard.

When services are closer to home, focused on prevention and offer more accessible ways for everyone to access them, people can take steps towards better mental health sooner.

This Mental Health Awareness Week and every week, we’re incredibly proud of taking action to ensure people get the right mental health support in the right place, at the right time and sooner to ensure no one struggles alone.