Touching Mental Health Day gesture

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2024 was mental health at work, and to mark the occasion Adullam’s Sheffield Foundations project bought some flowers, created small posies, and handed them out in their local community of Hillsborough.

Staff members, as well as volunteers and a social work student currently with the team, all took part.

They gave out 42 flower posies and 36 pocket hugs, bringing smiles to dozens of faces.

Learning, Well-Being & Volunteer Coordinator Janice Wilson, who organised the activity, said: “People were touched and thought the gesture was cute.

“The volunteers really enjoyed this task as they have never done this sort of thing before.”

Janice asked volunteer Jason what he liked about doing the task, he said: “It was very good idea, it made me feel happy in myself giving out flowers and brightening up their day.”

He concluded that he would like to do more of this.

He admitted that he liked interacting with the public, but was very nervous at first. However, he clearly benefited, saying that after the first few goes, he gained his confidence.

Jayden, another volunteer who took part in the activity said he liked that he got some smiles from people.

Describing how the task made him feel, Jayden said: “I felt encouraged that more people will recognise mental health and will do more gestures like the one we did today.”

Jayden also explained what he had gained from the task. He said: “I learnt that you don’t have to do something big to put a smile on someone’s face. I learnt not to be discouraged if not everyone accepts small gestures. It costs nothing to be kind.”

This was a task which delivered a range of benefits and saw Adullam’s values in action.