Supporting mental wellbeing through community and connection

This year the theme for Mental Health Week is ‘Action’, for yourself, for someone else, for all of us. While awareness is vital, real change comes when we act – and that’s exactly what Mothers’ Union (MU) members do. They support wellbeing by supporting and creating communities where everyone feels welcome and valued. Through local groups and projects, MU members’ grassroots efforts make a real difference in people’s lives, creating places where people can connect, make friends, and feel less alone. 

Llanrumney Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Llandaff, Wales, is one example of a group doing just that. In a local church hall, members and friends gather for a weekly coffee morning affectionately referred to as the ‘Youth Club’. Every Tuesday morning, members and friends gather for activities, games, shared fellowship and lunch – all finished with a round or two of bingo! What began as a request post-covid for social outreach has grown into a thriving community of people sharing in friendship and fellowship. Regular attendees describe it as the ‘highlight of their social calendar’, explaining that it is ‘more than just lunch; it’s the conversation and connection needed’.  

Our groups and branches often reach people at times when support is needed most, offering not only practical help, but also emotional and spiritual encouragement. Work carried out by members often extends beyond traditional settings, with local initiatives developed alongside local partners in churches, schools, hospitals and even prisons.   

In the Diocese of Birmingham, members at St Anne’s, West Heath, support their local foodbank. Alongside providing food and essentials, they provide practical support to help reduce the stress and anxiety that often accompany financial difficulties, ensuring people feel cared for. 

In the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane with Brechin, members support women prisoners at HMP Stirling by providing underwear, socks, toiletries and towels. Care is taken to support women arriving at or leaving prison, ensuring they have essentials and a sense of dignity at a vulnerable point in their lives. Members shared that providing a reusable bag rather than a plastic carrier bag can help restore a sense of self-worth and care.  

The underpinning of faith and prayer in all we do plays an important role in supporting mental wellbeing. Coming together through worship, conversation, and acts of service helps to create a sense of belonging and reassurance.   

Through community projects and partnerships, we help create spaces and opportunities where people of all ages can feel connected, encouraged, and uplifted. As conversations around mental health continue this Mental Health Week and beyond, Mothers’ Union remains committed to playing its part by supporting people experiencing loneliness, strengthening relationships, and creating communities where everyone can feel valued and supported. 

 

Prayer for Mental Health Week 2026 

Loving Lord,
You call us to live out our faith in action, demonstrating our love for You through all our interactions every day. During Mental Health Awareness Week, help us to be more aware than ever of the need to take action to support good mental health. We give you thanks for the positive impact, through our programmes, that our local community work continues to have on the mental health of the individuals and families we work with and for ourselves. As we pray over this years’ theme, as Mothers’ Union members, help us to care for ourselves and to notice when we need rest and support; and give us attentive hearts for those around us, that we may listen well, act kindly, and walk faithfully alongside one another. 

We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen