Portsmouth’s mental health campaign, You Are Not Alone, has been shortlisted for a healthcare marketing award at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Pride Awards 2023.
The campaign, which was developed by Health and Care Portsmouth in partnership with young people and their families, launched a year ago and aims to raise awareness of free mental health services in the city.
It was first developed for and with 16-to-25-year-olds and their families but has since expanded to a wider audience. It is also now used to promote the new Portsmouth Mental Health Hub, which aims to connect anyone aged 16+ to the right mental health services for them.
Since the campaign launched, You Are Not Alone has reached more than 1 million people – including 370,000 people on social media, 225,000 on Spotify and local radio stations, 52,000 through email marketing and more than 1,000 people at face-to-face events. Almost 5,000 people have visited the mental health pages on the Health and Care Portsmouth website with more than 17,000 page views across the site for mental health, and the Portsmouth Mental Health Hub has received more than 1,200 phone calls since it launched in April 2023.
Cllr Matthew Winnington, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Health and Care at Portsmouth City Council, said:
“There is a significant amount of work happening in Portsmouth, working with local residents to transform mental health services in our community. Part of this has been driven by the understanding that many people have been confused about how and where to access mental health support.
“While we initially focused the You Are Not Alone campaign on our younger population – as those who were more severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – it became quickly apparent that people of all ages are struggling with their mental health. 12.9% of Portsmouth residents report having a long-term mental health problem, which is higher than the national average of 11%, and more than 2,500 children are accessing at least one mental health service over the year.
“The number of people we’ve been able to reach through You Are Not Alone is outstanding. Being shortlisted for this award is testament to the hard work of the team and partners across the city who have helped us to share the campaign, which is now synonymous with mental health in Portsmouth. I wish the team the best of luck for the awards ceremony but, win or lose, know that as a city we are so proud of this campaign and the work everyone is doing to increase mental health awareness in Portsmouth.”
Health and Care Portsmouth partners involved in the campaign are HIVE Portsmouth, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, Portsmouth City Council and Solent NHS Trust. The team at HIVE Portsmouth were instrumental in gathering feedback on the look and feel of the campaign as well as key messages and content through surveys, focus groups and at events.
Lorna Reavely, Chief Executive Officer at HIVE Portsmouth, said:
“It was so important for us to involve the groups and organisations working in Portsmouth’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector, as well as local residents.
“Their feedback helped to shape this valuable campaign which we’re delighted to have been able to support.”
Anyone aged 16+ can get support for their mental health by contacting the Portsmouth Mental Health Hub on 0300 123 6621 (Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm) or by visiting www.mentalhealthinportsmouth.co.uk.
The winners of the CIPR Pride Awards will be announced on Thursday 5 October.