VSS supporting Mental Health Awareness Week
This year Mental Health Awareness Week is celebrating community, and how it supports our mental health and wellbeing. Communities connect, support, and give us a sense of belonging and purpose. From local to global, online to in-person, we all need community.
Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. Communities can provide a sense of belonging and safety, as well as support in hard times, and give us a sense purpose.
VSS funds and works in partnership with 47 community and voluntary organisations across NI and beyond, to deliver health and wellbeing support and services to over 12,000 victims and survivors each year.
We know that 60% of victims and survivors that access Talking Therapies through our community partners report an improvement in their wellbeing. 80% of Victims and Survivors accessing Complementary Therapies similarly report an improvement in their wellbeing.
Our community partners also offer a wide range of social support, which includes befriending, group projects and more. Our case studies from victims and survivors testify to the powerful positive impact that social support activities have had on improving day to day functioning.
‘Being part of the community group helps my feeling of isolation and definitely improves my mental health.’
Visit our website to find out more about the diverse community partners we work with – Community partners- Victims and Survivors Service- and if you would like to speak to someone at VSS about our supports and services call us on 028 9027 9100.