Iconic UK landmarks to turn green in campaign to #endthestigma of mental health

The Bank of England, The National Theatre, The Mansion House and Edinburgh Castle are among 30 iconic UK buildings set to light up green to end the stigma of mental health in the workplace.

The landmarks will be turned green during Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May) by charity The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s mental health campaign, This is Me and in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation.

This is Me is a pioneering mental health campaign, initiated by Barclays, and developed by The Lord Mayor’s Appeal. It aims to end the stigma around mental health in the workplace by encouraging employees to talk more openly about their mental health and wellbeing. This is Me has been adopted by businesses across London and North West of England, with further plans to roll out the campaign across the UK.

During Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 This is Me is being supported by almost 200,000 UK employees and senior figures including the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Greater Manchester who will wear green ribbons in support of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal campaign.

Over 380 UK organisations are now registered for This is Me from a range of businesses including retail, law firms and banks and other sectors including charities, hospitals, schools and the civil service. 

The campaign encourages employees who have experienced unmanageable stress and/or a mental health problem to share their story with colleagues.

Lord Mayor of the City of London, Charles Bowman, commented:

“We really want to change attitudes towards mental health in the workplace, not just in the City of London but across the whole of the UK.

“We need to end the stigma and dispel the myths. Our campaign has grown year on year, we now have hundreds of firms on board and the commitment of many transform their buildings to an emerald green to help raise awareness of mental health.

“Let’s paint the UK green and end the stigma around mental health in the workplace.”

To help grow This is Me, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal partnered with Thrive LDN, the London-wide mental health movement launched in 2017 by The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“Around one in four Londoners will experience mental health problems during their lives. That’s why I wanted to let Londoners know how they can show their support this Mental Health Awareness Week.”

“We’ve launched Thrive LDN – a citywide initiative to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our city. Thrive have partnered with the Lord Mayor’s ‘This is Me’ Green Ribbon campaign, and, together, we want to help dispel myths around poor mental health in the workplace.”

Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, said:

“Colleagues at the Bank are among the tens of thousands at organisations across the country who are acting to improve awareness of, and support for, mental health issues. Lighting the Bank of England green and wearing green ribbons during Mental Health Awareness Week says to colleagues: it’s ok…we know the issue exists and we stand with you. Others may wonder why their building is glowing a funny shade of neon and get on google or ask someone. Good. Suddenly, mental health is on their radar and they’re having an open conversation about it.”

Confirmed locations, dates and times:

In a recent survey carried out by The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, 83% of organisations said the campaign had had a positive impact on the number of conversations in the workplace, changing attitudes towards mental health and reducing the stigma and 72% of organisations have noticed an increase in the number of employees disclosing mental health issues and seeking support.

There are three strands of the campaign:

1. This is Me storytelling campaign asks employees to share their personal experiences with colleagues via video / blog. The campaign has reached  765,000 employees.
2. The Green Ribbon campaign involves employees and public figures wearing green ribbons, building a visible movement of support to help #endthestigma; showing those struggling that there is support and that they are not alone; and creating inclusive workplace cultures and encouraging people to share their story.
3. Wellbeing in the City is a new e-learning tool developed by Samaritans and funded by the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, to help promote wellbeing and resilience, and share expertise in active listening with employees.

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal developed This is Me in partnership with Barclays, Business Healthy, City Mental Health Alliance, Mind, Samaritans, Time to Change and Thrive LDN to change attitudes towards mental health by getting organisations to collaborate and build inclusive workplace cultures to improve employee wellbeing for good.

About the Lord Mayor’s Appeal: The Lord Mayor’s Appeal – helping one million people thrive. The Lord Mayor’s Appeal is bringing together businesses, employees, neighbouring communities and charities to find solutions to some of London’s most pressing societal issues.

About the City of London Corporation: The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.