Supporting World Mental Health Day 2021

Posted: 08/10/2021

Penningtons Manches Cooper is proud to support World Mental Health Day 2021. Taking place on Sunday 10 October, its aim is to raise awareness of mental health issues globally and, through a united effort, improve mental health for everyone.

As a firm, we remain committed to supporting our colleagues’ mental health through our wellbeing and inclusion initiatives. These include mental health first aiders and mental health champions, a digital GP, an employee assistance line, and firmwide wellbeing sessions.

This year we signed the Mental Health at Work Commitment to help inform our approach and to make our existing targets more ambitious. In line with this, we have refreshed our mental health action plan to adhere to the standards set out in the commitment, focusing on the following:

• Continuing to tackle the stigma of talking about mental health through encouraging open conversations and feedback. As part of this, and to celebrate World Mental Health Day 2021, we’ve launched the ‘Speaking Out’ project; we’re creating a video compilation of partners and employees sharing their experiences to raise awareness of mental health issues at work and at home, and how we seek to engage with and manage them
• Ensuring our culture supports positive mental health through promoting a healthy work/life balance and supporting people with hybrid working
• Increasing understanding of mental health and how to support others through training and the provision of complementary resources
• Continuing to evolve a programme of activity that is accountable to senior leadership
• Increasing transparency and accountability of how colleagues feel through measurement of various feedback forums

As part of World Mental Health Day 2021, we were delighted to welcome Team GB Paralympian Jack Hunter-Spivey to share his story at one of our ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ talks.

Jack was born with cerebral palsy and has overcome many demons to achieve his ambition as a pro table tennis player. He is currently ranked sixth in the world and recently won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games.

Jack talked about his experience of performing at his best and making his dreams come true as a Paralympian whilst suffering with extreme poor mental health issues. With the strong support of his team, family, friends, coach and psychologist he managed to overcome suicidal thoughts which had lead him to nearly committing suicide three times. Jack talked through some of his coping mechanisms, which included recognising his triggers for depressive episodes and setting small goals each day depending on how he was feeling. He demonstrated that you can be at the top of your career but still be suffering with mental health issues, and not to assume anyone is ok just because they appear to be succeeding in life.

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