May marks Mental Health Awareness month—a time to raise awareness and educate people about mental health issues and help reduce the stigma that so many people experience.
Mental health represents a vital part of our overall health. It affects how we think, act, and feel.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people will be affected by mental or neurological disorders in their lifetime. And during the first year of the pandemic alone, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%.
Online communities can provide a lifeline for people affected by mental health issues—providing help, support, resources, company, and more to people in need.
Hivebrite is honored to partner with some incredible communities focused on mental health and wellbeing. And in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are shining a spotlight on these communities and their extraordinary work.
Club Peloton
Club Peloton is a charity and community of people who love to cycle, network, and fundraise. The community works predominantly in the built environment sector and combines members’ passion for cycling with the opportunity to network and fundraise for several projects.
As a charity, Club Peloton actively works to raise money to improve the lives of young people. Since 2006, it has raised £4.5 million for various projects.
The community’s flagship events include the women-only pedElle ride, Cycle to MAPIC, and the long-running Cycle to MIPIM. These events create unique team efforts that form memories and friendships for life. At the heart of the community’s ethos is its friendly and interactive atmosphere.
| “As a fundraising community focusing on charity cycling challenges, wellbeing and mental health are very much at the center of what we do.
In addition to our multi-day challenge events, our community also comes together for regular training rides and off-bike networking events. For many of our riders, cycling isn’t just a way to stay fit physically and mentally: it’s an outlet to relieve stress, relax, and enjoy the great outdoors. Over the years, we’ve found that engaging our community through our events, rides, and great content helps bring people together and provides a friendship and support network that lasts long after the ride has finished.” Nick Hanmer, CEO, Club Peloton |
Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia
The Network is an exclusive online community platform for people who understand mental illness firsthand.
The Network community links people from diverse backgrounds, roles, and skills to provide pathways for those with lived experience to share their stories and utilize their unique insights to create lasting positive change for others.
The community’s tagline is “the greatest force we harbor inside of us is the power of our Lived Experience”.
The Network provides opportunities to connect with peers, leadership development, access to live events, resources, and links to organizations and projects about lived experience leadership.
The Network’s initiative, “Finding My North–Lived Experience Stories”, showcases lived experience leaders’ stories of recovery and leadership to learn from and inspire each other.
| “For those who have had to tread carefully about how they describe their mental health story, the community is an opportunity to find freedom and empowerment, speak, listen, and build a collective voice with others who understand the complex reality of mental illness.
We are committed to amplifying the voice of lived experience and strive to ignite hope and inspire people who struggle with mental health issues to live a healthier life. I am learning to own my voice, story, and personal journey of recovery. I have recognized that no one is beyond saving and that no one is broken beyond help, myself included.” Zoey Ka, Project Lead, Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia |
The Rifles
The Rifles are the largest infantry regiment in the British Army.
The Regiment is distinguished by its strong solidarity, tradition, and professionalism.
The SWIFT community was launched for Rifles veterans and people currently serving in the regiment.The community offers a safe space for members to connect, start discussions, and share stories and job opportunities.
The Always a Rifleman Program (AARP) provides support to members within hours of an emerging crisis. Members can request a call back for themselves or someone else from the AARP support team by clicking a button in the community. The initiative is available 24/7 and provides mental health support by offering mentoring and face-to-face coaching. It has positively impacted members’ well-being and saved many lives.
| “Like many British Armed Forces regiments, the Rifles have instances of mental health problems.
Hivebrite is central to our strategy in this critical area.The platform empowers us to foster comradeship and connections among Riflemen worldwide. The community is instrumental in supporting our members and offers a vital port of call in case of problems. Our Engagement Team can monitor user interaction through analytics and provide a bespoke focus on critical communications tools such as the payment portal and the event booking system.The platform is comprehensive and flexible and enables us to scale our community’s growth. “ Simon Hazlitt, Community Manager, The Rifles |
The Network: TUFH
The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) is a global network that unites individuals, organizations, and institutions to promote global equity in health.
TUFH is a global, intersectoral, and intergenerational community. It plays a significant role in fostering community-based innovations in healthcare. Through curriculum reforms, it drives positive changes in educational institutions worldwide.
The community pledges to unite diverse experiences, ways of thinking, and resources to enable its members to challenge the status quo. Members are encouraged to challenge boundaries, launch healthy, vibrant initiatives, and share best practices to tackle health issues locally and globally.
| “At TUFH, we believe in the African proverb ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’
The Network: TUFH is a global community where everyone teaches, learns, and works together for unity of health. Our community members strive to help each other by sharing their successful initiatives, so others can implement them to tackle similar issues within their community. We are committed to improving well-being locally and globally and supporting our community members. Afterall, if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of others.” Aricia De Kempeneer, Operations and Programming Director, The Network: TUFH |
Togetherness Hub
Created in the midst of the pandemic, Togetherness Hub was inspired by the outstanding initiatives and individuals worldwide advocating for mental health and providing solutions and knowledge to combat loneliness.
The platform empowers members—including global practitioners—in a safe and interactive online space. Members are encouraged to share best practices and collaborate on innovative solutions to overcome loneliness.
| “When creating the community, our goal was to invite extraordinary changemakers onto a platform where they would be visible to each other.
We believe that uniting these key players in one place would encourage them to join forces to raise awareness, exchange ideas, and foster collaborations. Today our platform represents the first international and interdisciplinary community platform fighting loneliness. It brings together global thought leaders, researchers, social entrepreneurs, and projects on social health, loneliness interventions, and the future of human connection for all age groups in an interactive setting. We believe everyone deserves help to find healthy and meaningful connections and discover a sense of belonging.” Rahel Herczeg, Co-Founder, Togetherness Hub |
Suggested read: Meet Four Incredible Women-Focused Communities.
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