With October 10 marking Mental Health Awareness Day, here are some of the actions, policies and initiatives that Vodafone UK is involved in to help support the mental health of customers, employees and wider society.
Customers
For customers dealing with financial, mental or physical distress, Vodafone’s specialist team is here to help. The easiest way to speak to someone is to either start a chat online or call 191 free from a Vodafone mobile.
Importantly, you needn’t wait until things have hit crisis point to get in touch. If life has taken an unexpected turn – whether that’s due to divorce, job loss or an extended hospital stay – and your circumstances have changed, then let us know how we can help get you back in control.
If you need additional support for a mental health crisis, then head to Hub of Hope to find the nearby support that’s right for your situation. As the UK’s leading mental health support database, Hub of Hope brings all mental health and support services together in one place.
Finally, if debt and financial worries are contributing to poor mental wellbeing, it may also be worth exploring whether the Government’s Breathing Space scheme can help. Run by the debt charity StepChange, Breathing Space can help you hit pause on your debts, interest fees or any court action for up to two months.
How LooseHeadz and Vodafone are tackling mental health stigma
The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 is ‘movement’, so what better time to sit down with Rob Shotton, co-founder of Vodafone charity partner LooseHeadz, to discuss how the two organisations have been working together to tackle the stigma of mental health in sport?
Partnerships
Mental health can be affected by a variety of things, from financial worries to social isolation and more, which is why Vodafone works with a diverse range of partners to help people protect and improve their mental wellbeing.
This includes LooseHeadz, a rugby-based mental health charity that is aiming to place a mental health lead into every rugby club around the world. As the company’s Official Connectivity Partner, Vodafone provides free SIM cards to these leads can stay connected with club members.
This work is part of everyone.connected, a campaign that aims to help four million people and businesses cross the digital divide by the end of 2025. In doing so, Vodafone hopes to reduce the social isolation, anxiety and stress that can be associated with a lack of connectivity.
The company’s work with homelessness charity Centrepoint, by way of partner charity LandAid, is a prime example. By donating SIMs loaded with free data, calls and texts, this partnership has helped vulnerable individuals with everything from finding work to arranging temporary accommodation and updating their Universal Credit journal.
Likewise, Vodafone supports those who need to use food banks by providing connectivity – increasingly viewed as a daily necessity in today’s digital society. Approximately 180,000 people have been helped so far through long-term partner the Trussell Trust.
LandAid CEO on how Vodafone SIMs can act as a lifeline to those in need
Vodafone UK’s everyone.connected initiative helps put free, data-loaded SIMs into the hands of those who need them most, including people relying on the services of homelessness charity Centrepoint.
Employees
As part of its commitment to the mental wellbeing of its employees, Vodafone UK provides a dedicated mental health support service for all UK-based staff.
The confidential service delivers everything from guided online therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to Emotional Wellbeing Therapy and Counselling. Meanwhile, a team of more than 200 volunteer Mental First Aiders are in place to help fellow colleagues with spotting common signs of mental ill health.
Vodafone also works with financial education platform nudge to help employees better understand and manage their finances, while legal support is available through the Vodafone UK’s employee assistance programme.
UK employees are able to use a remote GP service to ensure they receive medical treatment promptly when needed, while an independent and confidential Occupational Health service is available too.
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