Mental health charity Mind and the Co-op have today issued a joint response to the Levelling Up White Paper

Mental health charity Mind and the Co-op have today issued a joint response to the Levelling Up White Paper. The Co-op is working in partnership with Mind, Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and Inspire to bring communities together to support mental wellbeing and build resilience. 

They said: “Communities play a critical role in support the mental health and wellbeing of people - during this pandemic we saw communities go to great lengths to come together and support people in need. But partnership research by Mind and the Co-op found that some groups are at risk of being left behind, including children and young people, newcomers to communities and ethnic minorities, and people living in poverty. 

“So while we welcome the principle of levelling up communities, the UK Government’s White Paper is a missed opportunity to put mental health and wellbeing at the heart of its approach.  To truly level up, we need UK Government to prioritise mental wellbeing at community level, with more attention being given to the role and capabilities of communities in promoting positive mental wellbeing.”