Communications Toolkit – Dec 2020
About this toolkit
This communications toolkit is designed for London partners, including health and care organisations, local authorities, and third sector bodies. This is a resource for you to adapt and to use locally when communicating to the general public, particularly European Londoners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and winter months about available resources and services to support resilience, mental health and wellbeing.
It builds on the signposting and engagement work undertaken by Thrive LDN and partners since March 2020.
Recommendation: Please incorporate our messages and assets into your communications channels over the weeks and months ahead.
Context
Research and evidence suggest the pandemic has widened mental health inequalities; groups that had the poorest mental health pre-crisis had the largest deterioration in mental health during lockdown.[1]
Furthermore, many Londoners with no history of accessing mental health services have been impacted by COVID-19, either through loneliness, anxiety, bereavement or in some cases trauma, or from adjusting to social distancing or life after lockdown, alongside financial and job stresses.
Collectively we must encourage Londoners (especially European Londoners coping with the UK leaving the EU/ Brexit) to seek help and support where appropriate.
This campaign
We are signposting our target audience to the Good Thinking website. While in recent years we have seen a positive change in attitudes and greater public understanding of the issues surrounding mental health, many Londoners are not seeking the support available early enough. Good Thinking provides an alternative to traditional health services, it can be accessed 24/7, online from anywhere in London. Visitors to the site can download and access tools and tips to suit their needs. We have included translated copy and messages provided by Doctors of the World and Thrive LDN in this toolkit.
[1] Institute for Fiscal Studies (2020) The mental health effects of the first two months of lockdown and social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK
Resources
Cover email to networks and partners
Translated mental health messaging