On Thursday 7th February, Coles Funeral Directors held a community Coffee & Cake morning at its new funeral home in Birchgrove as part of the nation-wide push to get people talking more openly about mental health. Well-attended by the Coles team, residents, local business people and local councillors Graham Hinchey (below right) and Lyn Hudson – by the end of the morning, the Community Pledge Wall was full of personal pledges to change the way we think, talk and act about mental health.Led by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and organised by Time to Change, Time to Talk Dayis a campaign intended to change how we all think and act about mental health problems. Since its launch in 2014, the day has sparked millions of conversations in schools, homes, workplaces, in the media and online, and attracted support from celebrities such as Freddie Flintoff, Stephen Fry and Frankie Bridge.
Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change, said:
Mental health problems are common and can affect any one of us, yet too often people are afraid to talk openly about mental health for fear of being judged…
And too often, the team at Coles Funeral Directors finds its services requested by families grieving the loss of someone who has died prematurely due to mental illness. Passionate about changing perceptions and encouraging people to seek support before its too late, the Coles team was keen to take part in Time to Talk Day this year. Director Gareth Coles (below left) explains:
“1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, but many of us are too afraid to talk about it. Its really important to me, particularly in our line of work supporting families in their darkest hours, that our team knows there is a support network should they ever need it… Anything we can do as a local employer to encourage our team, customers and partners and the wider community to talk about mental health, is time well spent. Having these all-important conversations can make a big difference to people. And the more we talk, the more lives we can change.”
Starting a conversation about mental health might seem daunting but simply sending a text, checking in on a friend or sharing something on social media can break the ice. More tips can be found at www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Media Enquires
For more information please contact:
Francesca Coles, Head of Communications
[email protected]
029 2079 7516
For access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories please visit: www.time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.
About Time to Change
We are Time to Change, a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. Our voice is stronger and louder thanks to funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund using funding from the National Lottery. The campaign is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and thousands more organisations have joined us to make change happen. For more information go to www.time-to-change.org.uk
About Coles Funeral Directors:
SAIF accredited, Coles Funeral Directorsis one of the last remaining independent funeral providers in Cardiff and the only funeral business in Wales to be recommended by the Good Funeral Guide. The company has won many awards for excellence in funeral planning and innovation in the industry, and was voted Cardiff Business of the Year by customers.
Delivering traditional religious ceremonies, woodland and eco funerals, and all types of humanist, celebration of life, and direct cremation services – Coles is dedicated to serving Cardiff’s diverse community and ensuring each and every funeral is the perfect reflection of the life of the deceased.
In November 2018 the business opened its second funeral home in Birchgrove – the perfect location to better service Coles’ growing customer base in Cardiff North. In 2019, Coles intends to launch a community focussed Bereavement Hub from the same premises and is investing in continued renovation to prepare the space.
Regulated by the National Association of Funeral Directors, Coles rigorously follows their code of conduct demonstrating its commitment to raising standards in the funeral and death care industry in Cardiff and the surrounding areas. Coles Funeral Directors has also signed the Fair Funeral Pledge and is committed to tackling funeral poverty.