Time to Change

Mental Health Media, Mind, Rethink and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London have been awarded £18 million over four years from the Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief to challenge stigma and discrimination around mental health.  The portfolio is entitled Time to Change.   

Time to Change is based on consultation, read our latest research - Stigma Shout, international best practice and partnership working.  It will stamp out stigma and discrimination by raising people’s aspirations, improving public understanding and encouraging people to stand up for their rights.  This will be the largest amount of money ever invested in England to address discrimination.

Our innovative approach uses physical activity to draw people together from diverse backgrounds, promoting inclusion across local communities and social contact between people with similar interests but very different mental health experiences.

Time to Change is an integrated programme made up of distinct but overlapping projects which will work together to achieve our common, shared outcomes.  The projects are:

• An England-wide anti-stigma marketing campaign to raise awareness and reduce stigma and discrimination. 
  
• Promoting inclusion in communities. A network of 28 community-based physical activity projects.
  
• A series of annual mass participation opportunities.
  
• Targetted audience anti-stigma training.  A targeted project of training and education reaching almost 10,000 people who have the capacity to directly influence the welfare, well-being and social inclusion of people with mental health problems.
• A powerful empowerment project:
  Open Up
  
• Legal challenges, helping change discriminatory legislation and policy
  
• A comprehensive evaluation plan.