A day of online events – Ham&High: Our Community's Mental Health – is being supported by a citywide movement to improve wellbeing.

By signing up for free for the event on May 21, readers can join us for live interviews and Q&As with experts, as well as panel discussions on subjects, including religion and wellbeing, and the role of comedy and laughter.

The full line-up will be announced in the coming weeks, but among the speakers will be journalist and writer Alastair Campbell, while sponsors for the event include Barnet Fostering and the UCL Academy.

Two million Londoners experience some form of poor mental health every year and Londoners’ life satisfaction and feelings of self-worth are lower than the national average.

In 2017, a citywide movement called Thrive LDN was established by London’s Health Board partners in response to this, with the aim of reducing the number of Londoners affected by poor mental health.

Since then, Thrive LDN has carried out a range of activities to engage with Londoners and London’s diverse communities, alongside London’s public, charitable and business sectors, to improve mental health and tackle inequalities.

Thrive LDN director Dan Barrett said: “Thrive LDN is pleased to be supporting Ham&High’s day of online activities and events to support wellbeing and mental health.

Ham & High: Ham&High: Our Community's Mental HealthHam&High: Our Community's Mental Health (Image: Archant)

"The Our Community's Mental Health online event will both help signpost people across London to the support that is available and offer a range of activities to help build strength and resilience.

“The event on Friday, May 21 coincides with Creativity and Wellbeing Week. We know that during the pandemic many Londoners have turned to creative activity to stay connected and stay well. This is positive, as there is a wide recognition of the value of participation in arts and culture in supporting wellbeing.”

More recently and throughout the pandemic, Thrive LDN has been coordinating the public mental health response on behalf of Public Health England (London) and wider partners.

This has been done with the aim of ensuring London’s diverse communities have the strength and resilience to deal with and overcome the crisis.

A recent example of this partnership work saw Thrive LDN team up with TV's Dr Radha Modgil and North London medics in a campaign launched in January. The campaign helped people increase their emotional resilience amid the strain the pandemic is placing on mental health.

Ham & High: As part of the World Mental Health Day festival on October 7, Thrive LDN invited young musicians and poets to perform at the Young VicAs part of the World Mental Health Day festival on October 7, Thrive LDN invited young musicians and poets to perform at the Young Vic (Image: Thrive LDN)

Just some of the other activities undertaken to support Londoners’ wellbeing during the pandemic include funding grassroots organisations, suicide prevention training, online webinars, sudden bereavement support, and a World Mental Health Day Festival co-developed with young Londoners.

Last month, Thrive LDN published an update of all of the work undertaken during the pandemic to support Londoners’ wellbeing, alongside a series of articles which bring to the forefront individual and community accounts.

The report highlights that between April 2020 and March 2021, more than 675,000 people have taken part in projects, events and activities which the citywide movement has led or collaborated on.

Dr Jacqui Dyer MBE, mental health equalities advisor for NHS England and co-lead of Thrive LDN, said: “It is heartening to know that so many Londoners are participating in Thrive LDN and partners’ activities to support their wellbeing.

"The need for a concerted and coordinated approach to supporting the mental wellbeing of Londoners is more important than ever before.

"As we emerge from the current crisis, we must continue to put people and communities in the lead, allowing us to develop meaningful and trusted relationships at a London, multi-borough and community level.

"Doing so will allow us to support the wellbeing and resilience of all Londoners who need help and support now and beyond the pandemic.