Champions for Change Kingston
(formerly Time to Change Kingston)
Champions for Change Kingston is a local movement led by volunteers (Champions) who have a lived experience of mental ill health. The Champions share their experiences in a variety of ways, openly or anonymously, to help bust myths and demystify stigmas.
Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, ashamed, and worthless. At Champions for Change, we are working to reduce people’s negative attitudes and behaviours in Kingston and want to work with people of all ages and backgrounds to create a mental health friendly Kingston. This includes tackling stigma in schools, workplaces and local communities.
The Hub was coordinated by Healthwatch Kingston until the 31st of March 2021, when Mind in Kingston took over the Time to Change Kingston coordination role. At this time, the national Time to Change campaign also came to an end, and in November 2022, we formally changed our name to Champions for Change.
What is Mental Health Stigma?
Mental health stigma is negative attitudes, pre-judgements, prejudices, and behaviours towards people with mental health conditions. Stigma includes misconceptions about the risks posed to the public by people affected by mental health problems, and the use of pejorative language in describing mental illness and those affected by it. Stigma may be exacerbated by the negative portrayal of mental illness in the media.
What is a Champion?
Our campaign is led by Champions, people who consider themselves to have experience of poor mental health and/or who are currently living with poor mental health. You do not have to have a formal diagnosis of mental illness to be a Champion and you do not have to disclose (share) all of your experiences with us.
If you have experience of mental ill-health, whether formally diagnosed or not, and you are looking to share your experiences (openly or anonymously) to help bust myths about what someone with mental ill-health is like, and to end the stigma of talking about mental health, then this could be the role for you.
“What it gives to me personally to be a champion is a sense of empowerment, to be able to tell my own story in a safe and supportive environment. Secondly, its hugely rewarding as well to be able to volunteer and help reduce the stigma around mental illness. I think ‘giving’ is scientifically proven to be able to help ones own mental health, not only are you helping others, but you are also helping yourself as well.” Champion Fabian
If you would like to sign up as a Champion, please fill out this brief form here
Meetings
- Champion Network meetings – Champions meet once a month, either online via video platform Zoom, or if in person, a venue in Kingston. This is a meeting to check in with each other and workshop ideas Champions have for running a campaign/activity.
- Steering group – we hold a quarterly steering group meeting where our steering group members (a mix of local organisations and charities) and Champions come together to help us with our strategic direction and priority setting.
- Virtual Café – this is a virtual online drop in café set up by Champion Tom and Coordinator Sarah. This runs on the last Wednesday of every month, 6pm-7pm. An opportunity to drop in and have a chat. Conversations are easy and light, can be about anything. Open to everyone.
Want to get involved?
The Hub’s role is to get people in Kingston to talk about mental health and change the way people act and think about mental health. This could be a chat over coffee, a talk, a music event or an open day. These different events are led by champions.
We are always looking for champions; people with lived experience of mental health who want to change behaviour and attitudes towards mental health in a more positive way.
Champions will receive training and support so they can talk about mental health and help promote the Hub’s work. To find out what a champion does, click here.
If you would like to sign up as a Champion, please fill out this brief form here
Champion’s Projects
Watch recordings of our online events on YouTube
Discover Time to Change Kingston’s Online Living Library
Browse our Kingston Champion’s Lockdown Tips
Read the Time to Change Kingston Zine
Han Mind Film – collaboration between Champions for Change, the Magpie Project, Mind in Kingston and Connect North Korea.
Made by and for the local Korean community, it is an inspiring exploration of the important topics of wellbeing and mental health. Featuring the voices of Korean community members and leaders, in both English and Korean languages, this film is a moving and courageous call for action on ways we can journey together as a community, from stigma to support.
Watch the full film here: Han Mind
Living Library – A digital collection of Champions stories sharing their lived experience of mental ill health to reduce mental health stigma, demystify misconceptions, and open up the conversation on mental ill health.
The Living Library allows people to ‘borrow’ Champions and listen to their stories, using social interaction to confront mental health stigma head-on.
Online version coming soon.
Follow us on social media
How to get in touch
The Champions for Change Kingston Hub is supported by our part-time Coordinator Sarah Hollebon, who is also a champion. Sarah organises the Champions’ and Steering Group meetings, helps to coordinate activities, and promotes Champions for Change Kingston across the borough.
You can contact Sarah at sarah@mindinkingston.org.uk.
This project is funded by Public Health at the Royal Borough of Kingston.
