Watch the webinar
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, Reed and leading mental health charity SANE held a vital and inspiring webinar. This event is part of our Mental Health at Work Campaign, a commitment to building compassionate, inclusive, and high-performing workplace cultures.
Mental health is no longer just a personal issue — it’s a business imperative. Join us for a dynamic and insightful conversation that will empower you to drive real change within your organisation.
Panel discussion highlights
Mental health challenges and employer responses: Jamie Summers highlighted key employee concerns like cost of living and remote work isolation, stressing the need for open communication and support programmes.
Signs of mental health struggles: The panel emphasised the importance of managers recognising behavioural changes and maintaining regular, culturally aware communication.
Changing mental health handling in organisations: Rachel Kelly advocated for early intervention and lifestyle-based support to help employees manage mental health proactively.
Training and mental health first aiders: Both speakers underscored the value of mental health first aid training and the need for diverse, well-supported first aiders.
Psychological safety in the workplace: They emphasised fostering psychological safety through open dialogue, reduced fear of mistakes, and a compassionate culture.
Creativity and mental health: Rachel and Jamie discussed how creative outlets like music and poetry can enhance mental wellbeing and workplace connection.
Supporting young employees: Rachel addressed young workers’ anxieties and stressed the importance of training and development to build confidence.
Start by watching this webinar, and join us in shaping a future where mental health is seen, supported, and celebrated — in every single week.
Our panel
Rachel Kelly, Writer and Author
Rachel Kelly is a bestselling writer, public speaker and mental health advocate. She is an ambassador for several mental health charities, including SANE and Rethink Mental Illness. Rachel is also an affiliate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London.
She shares evidence-based strategies on how to stay calm and well and is the author of five books covering her experience of depression and recovery and her steps to wellbeing from poetry to nutrition.
A few years ago, Rachel turned her focus to young people’s mental health, as a mother of five, and now runs well-being workshops for adolescents in schools and universities.
Her books include her memoir Black Rainbow about her experience of depression and four subsequent books about her recovery and how to stay calm and well - Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness; The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food; and Singing in the Rain: An inspirational workbook. Her latest book, You’ll Never Walk Alone: Poems for Life’s Ups and Downs was published in 2022 by Hodder. Rachel is a member of the Speakers Collective, a group of speakers with lived experience of mental health conditions.
Rachel’s upcoming book The Gift of Teenagers is now available to pre-order. It is being published by Short Books on the 8 May 2025.
Jamie Summers, Services Operations Manager, SANE
SANE is a leading national mental health charity set up in 1986 by its Chief Executive, Marjorie Wallace CBE. The charity, which is independent of government, campaigns to improve the quality of life of people affected by mental illness.
A member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, his experience includes therapeutic counselling within the NHS. He is responsible for the operation of SANE’s frontline emotional support services, including their nightly helpline SANEline, and their Call Back service.
Melissa James, Singer-songwriter
Melissa James is a singer-songwriter described by BBC's Tom Robinson as "the best current British blues singer I know."
A long-time ambassador of SANE, in 2016 Melissa created the SING4SANE Big Sing and mental health initiative, inviting people to join her in singing her song, "Live Again" to connect people with an understanding of mental ill health. This song was recorded alongside members of the public who joined her at RAK Studios.
All sale proceeds from this recording are being received by SANE.
