It was a pleasure for us to be joined by Simon Dolby, Fundraising and Development Lead at East Kent Mind (EKM), at our recent meeting. He was accompanied by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Keji Moses, who selected EKM as her Mayoral charity for the year.
“We are in the middle of a mental health crisis in east Kent,” Simon began, describing the many pressures currently affecting wellbeing across our communities. He went on to point out that men typically have less support structures in place to help them cope with stress. In contrast, many women tend to turn to their social network for support and conversation. Simon noted that organisations such as Rotary can play a vital role in helping people stay socially engaged and connected.
Simon reminded us that East Kent Mind is this year’s Lord Mayor’s chosen charity – giving the cause greater visibility and helping to raise mental health awareness across the district.
Traditionally, East Kent Mind has focused on supporting adults, but Simon stressed that younger people are now a growing priority. In particular, he noted that individuals in their 20s have been at elevated risk in the post-Covid era. Stigma remains a major hurdle to seeking help, which is why EKM has launched its “Wellbeing Ambassadors” initiative to empower individuals to speak out and support others.
He used the legal profession as a case study of a high-pressure career: some lawyers struggle under the weight of expectations, and so EKM is working with organisations such as the Kent Law Society to recruit ambassadors. In turn, young lawyers can benefit both from the peer support and the reduction of stigma in their workplace.
To date, 80 ambassadors have been recruited against a target of 100 – Simon emphasised the need for more ambassadors in the 16-24 age group.
Simon invited our club to think of East Kent Mind in future fundraising – “Think fondly of us when it comes to writing cheques,” he joked – and urged us to encourage our fellow clubs across the district to get involved. In particular, he asked us to champion the Revival Community Awards. This initiative, run by East Kent, seeks to recognise unsung heroes in the fields of wellbeing, volunteering and community, including people in business, charity, education, local government and more. Nominations are currently open for individuals, groups, organisations or initiatives in the Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay area, and submissions received are also considered for the regional Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards.
In the Q&A session that followed Simon’s talk, our members asked more about the Revival Community Awards and also shared experiences of local mental health initiatives.
Keji was then asked to speak briefly about her involvement with the Baton of Hope. This national relay is the UK’s largest suicide prevention initiative. Designed to represent a journey from despair to hope, the Baton is passed from person to person as a unifying emblem of suicide awareness. Keji described what an honour it was to be part of the relay as Lord Mayor of Canterbury, and how emotional the experience had been. She emphasised that her engagement with the Baton of Hope aligns closely with her Mayoral campaign and her support for mental health causes locally.
You can find out more about East Kent Mind, Wellbeing Ambassadors and the Revival Community Awards from the charity’s website here.
You can also read about the Baton of Hope here.
Picture: Keji and Simon join our Past President and Rotary District Assistant District Governor Maxine Blades for a photo. Picture credit: Rotary Club of Canterbury.
