Each year, Mental Health Awareness Week serves as an important moment to focus on what’s important: the mental wellbeing of our people. This year’s theme, community, feels so significant to us, given that communities are intrinsic to our purpose, helping you prosper. It highlights the power of connection and belonging in promoting positive mental health. The prosperity of our people and communities is always at the heart of everything we do and reminds us that we all must look out for each other, to listen and create safe, inclusive spaces where everybody feels seen, supported and valued.
This year’s theme deeply resonates with UHY as our communities play a vital role in driving prosperity. Whether that is within our teams, for our clients, our local areas, or our wider professional network, we’re reminded that true prosperity is not measured in financial success; it is about creating environments where everybody has the freedom to be themselves and to thrive. We believe each of us must leave others and our communities better than we found them and to collaborate, so that together, we can make a real difference.
Mental health at UHY: a year-round priority
While the annual awareness week shines a light on the importance of mental health and opens conversations on the topic, the mental health and wellbeing of our people is something we prioritise all year round.
Across our network of 20 offices in the UK, we’ve committed to building a culture of support where people feel they can speak up and ask for help. In our London and Nottingham offices, we launched our in-house wellbeing group in 2019 with the primary objective of us looking at proactive ways we could support wellbeing in the working environment. The group of volunteers continues to prioritise the mental, physical and emotional health of our employees by organising monthly initiatives and wellbeing-focused activities, as well as ensuring ongoing support is readily available when required. The creation of the group has emphasised how important wellbeing is in shaping a thriving and happy workplace – something we are extremely proud to have fostered at UHY.
Often, supporting mental health isn’t solely about big campaigns or grand gestures, it’s about the smaller, everyday actions and connections we build that leave a lasting, positive impact. Taking five minutes to check in with a colleague and maintaining open and ongoing communication links are some of the behaviours that, together, create a culture of understanding. Yet, Mental Health Awareness Week is a culmination of everything we strive for year-round and offers a chance for us to come together and celebrate the progress we’ve made, as well as reflect on our plans for the future.
Connecting through conversation: our ‘Time for a Cuppa’ initiative
Towards the end of last week, we held our ‘Time for a Cuppa’ event to kickstart the first of our Mental Health Awareness Week celebrations. The initiative was a reminder that sometimes, the simplest of everyday actions, such as catching up over a cup of tea, can have the greatest impact. Taking the time out of our day, and importantly, stepping away from our desks and connecting with one another for a chat was really rewarding for everybody involved.
We were especially privileged to welcome Brenda, a volunteer from our 2024/26 national charity, Dementia UK. Brenda spoke about her experience working with the charity. Her insights were moving and inspiring, and offered a real glimpse into the lives of those impacted by dementia and the incredible difference Admiral Nurses make.
The event was a great success with a brilliant turnout from several departments across the office. It was refreshing to see so many people getting involved. It is these moments of community spirit and engagement that capture what Mental Health Awareness Week is all about.
Continuing the conversation
As Mental Health Awareness Week draws to a close, we encourage everyone within our network to reflect on what community means to them. It’s a chance for all of us to nurture the connections that make our communities so strong. Let’s keep the conversation going, this week and beyond.
