Mental Health Awareness Week: Taking action for better mental health

AnyBODY Can Dance: movement, expression and connection

Our AnyBODY Can Dance project gives customers in our mental health and learning disability services a chance to socialise, express themselves and stay active through therapeutic dance.

As well as supporting physical wellbeing, the sessions help people build confidence, connect with others and enjoy shared experiences in a safe and welcoming environment.
The programme already reaches around 150 customers across roughly a quarter of our services, showing how creative approaches can make a meaningful difference to mental health.

For a fantastic video with more information about AnyBODY Can Dance, click here.

Arts for All: opening up creativity and community

Arts for All is a new initiative supporting customers in our Hackney mental health care home services to enjoy arts, crafts and culture while connecting with the wider community.

The project is about more than creativity alone – it helps people build friendships, develop confidence and strengthen relationships beyond their immediate circle. By creating opportunities for participation and connection, Arts for All is helping people feel more included, inspired and supported.

For more information about the project, click here.

Barnsley Street: a new model of neighbourhood mental health support

Co-designed and operated with East London NHS Foundation Trust and Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance, our Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre is the first of its kind in England. It offers a community-based alternative to long hospital stays and in some cases admission altogether, helping people access the right support closer to home.

This collaborative approach shows how action at a local level can create more compassionate, responsive mental health services.

Did you know the service recently featured on BBC One’s flagship programme The One Show? Watch the segment here.

Breaking the cycle: making the case for supported housing

We recently launched our report, Breaking the Cycle: Supported Housing as an Enabler of Mental Health Hospital Discharge and Community Mental Health Service Delivery, in partnership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the National Housing Federation.

The report highlights the vital role supported housing plays in helping people leave mental health hospital care successfully and in improving outcomes for both individuals and the NHS.

The launch is another example of how taking action means not only delivering services directly but also influencing the wider system so that more people can get the support they need, when they need it.

For more information on the report and its findings, click here.

Mental Health Awareness Week is a chance to reflect on what action looks like in practice. Whether it is through creative activities, community-based support or partnership working that shapes national conversations, these initiatives all show that better mental health is built through consistent, practical steps.

At Look Ahead, we are proud to keep taking action that helps people feel connected, supported and able to thrive.