Reflecting on the importance of community as part of Mental Health Awareness Week

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme being community. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on the importance of community and the wonderful people, services and organisations within my constituency that contribute so positively to the lives of local people.

Communities connect, support, and give us a sense of belonging and purpose. That can be both in-person, real life communities or those groups and online forums that make a positive difference to many people’s lives and mental health. 

As the local MP, I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet with people and groups across St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, as well as national organisations within Parliament. And I am always inspired by the people I meet and the work they do to improve our community.

A few months ago, I was fortunate to visit Orchard Park Primary School to mark the opening of its new community space, ‘The Core’. The Core was set up to identify the needs of and the support required for children and their families, and in turn bring together a vast range of services into one friendly, familiar space. The Core is going from strength to strength, and it is fantastic to see it approaching health and wellbeing through a focus on community and inclusivity.

This week I visited the Citizen Hub in St Neots, which is a fantastic space providing practical and emotional support to local people. The day I visited they were hosting the Money Advice St Neots Service (MAST) who help people facing financial difficulties. Speaking to the MAST team, Sam, Kathryn, Jackie and Amy, it is clear how much financial problems and debt can affect someone’s mental health. 

They told me that almost everyone they support is also dealing with some sort of mental health challenge, whether as a cause or an effect of their financial difficulties.  It isn’t unusual for the team to be presented with bags of unopened letters, where someone has reached the point when they are too scared to open their own post. The team shared with me information about a customer who had been the victim of romance fraud – a horrible crime that exploits people’s very human vulnerabilities and how the impact of these crimes goes way beyond the financial implications. 

So often it has taken lots of courage for people to ask for help, and I spoke to one of the customers who had come in to meet the MAST advisors. It was clear that dropping into the Hub on a Thursday to discuss her financial situation whilst receiving a warm welcome, a hot drink, practical advice and kindness, did not only help her finances but has had a really positive impact on her overall wellbeing. 

Another highlight this week was attending the Mental Health Awareness Week event in Parliament and hearing discussions about the positive contribution online communities can have on people - particularly those experiencing loneliness. We know there can be a darker side to online spaces, and it is crucial that we ensure children and young people are protected from this. But listening to the speakers and talking to the attendees it was clear that being part of a safe, positive community is vital for good mental health and wellbeing, and online groups and forums can really enrich lives, bring joy and give comfort in difficult times.

I am very proud of the community that I live in and represent, and I hope each of you feels welcome in your own communities.