Ahead of World Mental Health Day, Brentwood Borough Council is proud to be involved in a number of initiatives to support mental health locally.

Since signing up to the national Mental Health Challenge in 2014, the Council has been committed to promoting and supporting local mental health services, whilst taking residents' views into account when designing services and working with our mental health community.

The Council was the first in the country to have all 37 Councillors become Mental Health Champions last year; this was a renewed commitment this year.

It involves raising awareness of mental health amongst staff and the local community, whilst making some changes that will help people with mental ill-health find accessing Council services easier.

Some of the other initiatives the Council is supporting are:

• Working with Dimensions, a housing brokerage scheme, to support people with mental health illnesses find suitable housing.

• Apprenticeships - The Council is developing an apprenticeship programme for the Borough. It will include support for people with mental health illnesses to get back into work.

• Funding for mental health initiatives through the Brentwood Community Fund. These were awarded on 14 September and included: - Brentwood Community Tree - £2519 towards the production of 'Colour Me In' adult colouring therapy books to promote the awareness of local mental health services and support - Open Arts - £2450 towards a Brazilian percussion Course, which is offered to Brentwood residents with mental health illnesses and their carers.

- Fitness in Mind - £2368 contribution to website development which will be a portal for mental health in sport programmes across the Borough - Brentwood Leisure Trust and Home Instead - £1553.09 towards dementia-friendly tea dances for older people.

- Lighthouse Furniture Project - £1950 – ‘Working towards employment’ working with young people and the long term unemployed to make them more employable and work ready.

- The Gates - £2415 – A horticultural project for people with special needs

• The Brentwood Health and Wellbeing Board has committed to include mental health as a priority for the Borough's health

• Walking for Health - A weekly walk takes place in partnership with Fitness in Mind every Wednesday at 6pm from the Brentwood Centre. Funding has also been secured to deliver a training course to support volunteers to become walk leaders.

Brentwood Borough Council's Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Councillor Olivia Sanders, said: "As we are coming up to World Mental Health Day on 10 October

"It is good to see the range of support available locally for people with mental health illnesses. But it should be remembered that this support isn't there for only one day, it is available all year round.

"One in six people will currently be experiencing problems with their mental health. That means that even if you haven't experienced a mental health problem yourself, you almost certainly know many people who have.

"I hope the steps the Council is taking shows our commitment to improving the lives of those affected by mental health illness.

"By including this issue in our every day working lives and having these conversations we hope to play our part in banishing the stigma associated with mental ill health in the past.”