Leading Soton mental health & wellbeing organisations

collaborate to launch citywide Mental Health Day

MENTAL health and wellbeing organisations coordinated by Southampton Mental Health Network and supported by Southampton City Council and the NHS are collaborating to organise a 2026 citywide Mental Health Friendly Day.

The special day will be held next summer and several of the key charities and bodies involved got together this month (September 2025) to officially launch the count down to the event.

Administrator, Chloe Naegeli from Southampton Mental Health Network, the umbrella charity involved, explains: “As an organisation, we’re always looking at ways we can collectively collaborate to help make our city a happier place where everyone can thrive. It’s all about how we work together and raising awareness of how we behave towards each other and what we value as residents and workers in our city.

“Building on our charity’s strapline ‘Working Together’ and our mission to make Southampton a mental wellbeing friendly city, we are collaborating with as many of our members, and other non-member organisations as possible, who are prominent mental health and wellbeing individuals, charities and bodies in our city, to lead on developing and delivering an impactful, citywide awareness raising campaign. Our planned bespoke Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day, which we’re all now working towards, on July 8, 2026 is part of this.”

Among those organisations involved with the recent launch event were Southampton City Council (SCC), Hampshire and Isle of Wight (HIOW) NHS Healthcare Trust and Southampton Voluntary Service (SVS), which has been supporting volunteering and voluntary organisations in Southampton since 1968.

Also at the event were the charities No Limits, which offers free information, advice and help to children and young people under the age of 26 in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, and Communicare in Southampton, which works with all generations, but predominantly older residents, to help beat loneliness and isolation.

Chloe adds: “We’ve lots of other key individuals, bodies and charities involved too. Our overarching concept is to make Southampton mental health friendly together and incorporates actions from the City Council’s Southampton Mental Health and Wellbeing action plan – to ‘promote positive messaging about mental health and wellbeing’.

“We hope to improve citywide knowledge of Southampton Mental Health Network’s website as THE place to go to for everyone, somewhere you can be signposted from if you would like to find out about local mental health and wellbeing services and activities.www.smhn.org.uk is specifically designed to showcase how and where to access support in our city.”

Southampton Mental Health Network became publicly active in 2019 and, with more than 100 member organisations involved in its development, became a charity in September 2022.

Working together, these organisations want to make Southampton a mental wellbeing friendly city, ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion for all.

Southampton Mental Health Network aims to create welcoming spaces for discussion, while being understanding and supportive of those living with mental health challenges.

Chloe concludes: “With all those who wish to be involved, our membership, Southampton City Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Healthcare Trust, we’re now counting down to our Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day on July 8, 2026, and will be launching more details about this in the coming months, as well as collectively working together to boost wellbeing and improve knowledge and awareness in the city.

“Anyone who would like to become a Southampton Mental Health Network member can find out more on our website too. Membership is open to individuals, aged 18 plus, living or working within postcodes SO14-19 and representatives of organisations supporting residents, or those working in the city of Southampton, and costs just for £2 per person per year. Being involved with Southampton Mental Health Friendly Day is open to all regardless of whether they are members.”

For further details or to join Southampton Mental Health Network, please visit www.smhn.org.uk.