Great Western Railway (GWR), South Western Railway (SWR) and TransPennine Express (TPE) held ‘Brew Monday’ events across their networks in partnership with registered charity, Samaritans, to provide mental health support on ‘Blue Monday’ on 20 January.
Falling on the third Monday of January, Blue Monday is a day which is generally thought to be the most depressing day of the year based on a combination of factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, low motivation, failing new year resolutions (and the fact that it’s a Monday).
Spreading the message that it’s okay not to be okay, Samaritans volunteers and Mental Health First Aiders are available to have a chat and a cuppa with staff and customers, to provide support and help remove the stigma around discussing mental health issues.
Issues related to mental health including stress, depression and anxiety can occur at any time, which is why some employee volunteers have undergone training, accredited by Mental Health England, to act as a point of contact for colleagues, providing professional tools and resources.
Barbara Davenport, GWR’s head of Wellbeing, said:
“One in four people will have mental health issues at some point in their life. Our Mental Health First Aiders are there for colleagues to reach out to if they’d like a quiet and discreet chat. They aren’t there to provide treatment but to signpost colleagues to pathways where they can get further support.”
According to Samaritans:
- Suicide is the biggest killer of young people aged 20-34 and every six seconds Samaritans respond to a call for help.
- Over five million calls for help are made every year.
Neil Peters, Samaritans Rail programme manager, said:
“During the cold and grey winter months, connecting with others over a cuppa can help weather the ups and downs of life. Anyone can hold a Brew Monday event at work, at home, wherever and whenever you like – all you need is a kettle and some mugs, and this could make a huge difference in someone’s life.”