Brighter Journeys campaign set to breathe life and joy into railway stations this May: Brighter Journeys-4

Monday 9 May 2022

Brighter Journeys campaign set to breathe life and joy into railway stations this May

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National
  • Rail industry seeks to make people smile and encourage help-seeking behaviour during Mental Health Awareness Week
  • Brighter Journeys campaign will be rolled out across railway stations from 9-31 May in partnership with Chasing the Stigma
  • The campaign hopes to lift peoples’ spirits amidst rising concerns over the effect of the pandemic, with nearly three quarters of UK adults (70%) revealing their mental health has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus   

Mental Health Awareness Week will see the Brighter Journeys campaign grace the concourses of Britain’s railway stations as a way of making them brighter, happier community hubs. The joint campaign between the rail industry and mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, aims to support passengers’ wellbeing as people return to the railway since the lifting of Covid restrictions.

The Brighter Journeys campaign will bring the outside to stations, with bursts of colourful flowers in bloom greeting passengers as they embark on their journeys. The aim is that these sensory installations act as a pleasant surprise which lift people’s spirits and put smiles on their faces as they head to work, or for days out with their family.

Research shows that interacting with nature puts people in a more positive mindset and makes them feel more grounded and calm. This campaign uses the power of nature to make people feel happier and more connected to their local railway station, while raising awareness of the Hub of Hope app, which signposts people to support services if they are struggling with their mental health.

The campaign comes as new data from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) reports nearly three quarters of UK adults (70%) say their mental health has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with nearly a fifth (19%) describing their mental health as poor*.

Rupert Lown, chief health and safety officer at Network Rail, said: “We recognise that life since the pandemic is difficult for many people, with many challenges yet to be overcome. We hope that by running this campaign, we are bringing happiness and cheer to many passengers as they go about their daily lives, reminding them to take a pause and have a moment to connect with nature. And if they are struggling, the Hub of Hope is a great resource which offers a range of support services in their local area.”

Jake Mills, founder of Chasing the Stigma and Hub of Hope app, added: “It is great to be working with Network Rail and the wider rail industry on the Brighter Journeys campaign. Nature is really important for mental health, so we hope commuters enjoy seeing these floral installations and they put a smile on people’s faces.

“We also hope that this acts as a reminder that no one is ever alone, and mental health support is available at any time, you don’t have to be in crisis to get help. If anyone is struggling or knows someone who needs help, please download the Hub of Hope app.”

Dr Lisa Marzano from Middlesex University works with the rail industry to support passengers’ wellbeing. She is an expert in mental health and is supporting the Brighter Journeys campaign. Dr Marzano said: “Interrupting someone’s routine with a vibrant, positive display could contribute to their wellbeing if they are having a tough day – especially something which centres around nature as research shows this can really lift someone’s mood. Although restrictions have been lifted, we are still dealing with the after-effects of the pandemic and the mental health of many people up and down the country will still be in a fragile place. This campaign aims to direct those who are in need to support services no matter where they are, while sparking some positivity among those travelling by train.”

Brighter Journeys will signpost people to share and download the Hub of Hope app if they, or someone they know, are struggling with their mental health. The Hub of Hope – provided by Chasing the Stigma – is a free app that connects people to more than 4,000+ mental health support services and groups across the UK.

The Brighter Journeys campaign is also being supported by station retailers (at Liverpool Street Station only). Pure will be providing vouchers for free coffee on Monday 9 May, and Neal’s Yard Remedies will be handing out free samples of some of their best-selling products on Tuesday 10 May, 4-6pm.  

The sensory installation will be available to visit on the following days:

London Liverpool Street, 9-11 May

Leeds, 13-15 May  

Edinburgh Waverley, 17-19 May

Birmingham New Street, 9-10 May

Stevenage, 12-13 May  

East Croydon, 15-16 May

Cardiff, 18-19 May  

Notes to Editors

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 5136 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9 – 23 February 2022.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 16+).

For background information only:

This piece of work aims to encourage people to seek help before they reach crisis point and present themselves on the railway, either as a call for help, or to take their lives – sadly, an ongoing challenge that the rail industry faces. Last year, 247 people died by suicide on the railway. Despite the limited number of passengers and rail services throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, people are still making their way to the railway to end their lives, with this number steadily increasing as the restrictions around lockdown begin to ease.

Findings from a pracademic review have recommended tackling the appeal of the railway as a place to end your life by dissuading people from coming there in the first place. The findings included trying to inject more hope into people’s lives, training people to become good listeners and making railway stations ‘happier places’ as some suggestions for how to dissuade suicidal behaviour.

With all of this in mind, we’re launching Brighter Journey’s, a campaign which aims to turn stations into positive community hubs, as well as signposting to the Hub of Hope – an app run by our charity partner Chasing the Stigma offering further support for those struggling with their mental health.

About Chasing the Stigma:

Chasing the Stigma is a national charity committed to normalising mental health. We make it easy to find help through the Hub of Hope support app, we create an environment of understanding through our Ambassador of Hope training, and we campaign for change, every day.

The Hub of Hope was established in 2017 and was the brainchild of Liverpool Comedian, Jake Mills. Following his own suicide attempt in October 2013, Jake realised when talking through his own personal experience that many people didn’t know where to turn for help with their own mental health issues, so he and his team created the Hub of Hope – an app to bring together all of the mental health support available to someone in any given area.

To date, the Hub of Hope - which currently has 4,000+ services registered - has directed more than 300,000 people to life-changing and even life-saving help. The site has proved particularly popular amongst men aged 25-54, who are often cited as being most likely to die by suicide.

The Hub of Hope is free to download and use and free for organisations to register and it is available from App Store, Play Store and via www.hubofhope.co.uk. Mashbo works continually with the charity to develop the app in response to need and has created an iFrame that enables the app to be embedded seamlessly in third party sites, as well as creating admin access for third parties which allows them to update listings on the site directly. The app is also the foundation of the charity’s Ambassador of Hope training, which focuses on how to talk about mental health, how to effectively signpost those who need help to appropriate support and how to deal with a mental health crisis.

For further information about Chasing the Stigma visit: www.chasingthestigma.co.uk, to arrange an interview with Jake Mills, or to find out more about the Hub of Hope, contact: Marie Carter on 07949 029787 or email marie@queenbeecommunications.co.uk  Chasing the Stigma can be found on Twitter @ChasingStigma, Instagram @Chasingthestigma and Facebook Chasing the Stigma

About the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

At BACP’s heart is the message that counselling changes lives.

As the largest professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists, we champion the counselling professions and the expertise of our 60,000 members. We work to raise professional and ethical standards within the field and offer training, development and networking opportunities to our members.

Our register of members aims to protect the public and help them find therapists they can trust. We want clients, employers and the general public to know that a BACP registered practitioner adheres to high standards of proficiency, professionalism and good practice.

BACP uses the word 'therapy' to cover talking therapies, such as counselling, psychotherapy and coaching.

For more information visit www.bacp.co.uk

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Charlie Oven
Senior media relations manager, campaigns
Network Rail
charlie.oven@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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