Wellbeing boxes given away as gifts in Worthing and Littlehampton for Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental health affects everybody and Coastal West Sussex Mind wants to raise awareness through acts of kindness during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Coastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxesCoastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxes
Coastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxes

The Worthing-based charity is giving away wellbeing boxes and offering people the opportunity to fill them with various little treats to help them in times of need.

Visitors to Colonnade House, in Warwick Street, can also pick up a Human Kindness for Open Mindness pamphlet, filled with inspirational stories to carry around with them.

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Louisa Hernandez, anti-stigma and awareness manager, said: "The campaign is around human kindness. We wanted to go from awareness into action, to take the next step. We asked our champions and they came up with ideas about different acts of kindness that had helped them.

Coastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxesCoastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxes
Coastal West Sussex Mind champions decorating some of the mini wellbeing boxes

"Some acts of kindness can go such a long way. Isolation and loneliness are massive for people. We wanted to create a little gift for everyone and the wellbeing boxes are a great place to go to to think about things when times are difficult.

"It is not just for people who experience poor mental health, it is for everyone. In return for this act of kindness, we are asking people to read the leaflet and reflect on what people can do for themselves. It is about being kind to others and being kind to yourself."

The wooden boxes were made by The Gateway Project and items for the colourful pick and mix stand have been created by the Open Minds champions.

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A key push is to link up with the @mindwestsussex Instagram page, where people can share videos and messages on the theme of kindness.

The charity has teamed up with Northbrook MET for the week. Students from the design for theatre and film course have an exhibition at Colonnade House and they are helping with the wellbeing boxes at the same time.

It is also the first colloboration with The Corner House in Southwick since the resource centre linked up with Coastal West Sussex Mind.

Louisa said: "We are really excited about joining up with them. It is going to be a spring board because they do a lot of art-based projects.

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"We are using their artwork for the wrapping paper for WRAP, the Wellness Recovery Action Plan."

Coastal West Sussex Mind will be at Colonnade House in Worthing until Saturday, May 18.

There will also be a market stall in Littlehampton on Friday.

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