Colleagues from local savings provider Kent Reliance, recently provided free mental health first aid training to their charity partners Demelza, the Sittingbourne based children’s hospice XL@Football, a female only football club to enable both organisations to provide qualified mental health support to anyone they interact with.
Eight members from Demelza and XL@Football are now certified Mental Health First Aiders after taking part in the training which included a learning framework to help them to listen without judgement, and signpost available support via both professional and charitable organisations. The course also covered the importance of a family and friends support network to a person’s mental health journey, as they can be hugely beneficial to a person’s road to recovery.
The two-day intensive training course was gifted to both organisations, saving them both in the region of £3,000, meaning the equivalent amount can be used for vital services instead.
As part of the sponsorship with Demelza, Kent Reliance also has a Children’s Savings Account which annually donates the equivalent of a percentage of total average of balances held to the hospice. In 2023, the total donation to Demelza was over £70,000 which included colleague fundraising, donations and fund matching.
Oliver Spencer, Marketing and Comms Storytelling Officer, Demelza said: “The Mental Health First Aider course was so valuable. My role at Demelza means I spend a lot of time with different teams across the whole organisation, so I’m really well-placed to recognise someone who might be struggling with poor mental health. Having completed my qualification, I now genuinely feel like I have the tools to support others. Carly and Richard from Kent Reliance were great – they gave us space to discuss difficult concepts and take breaks if we needed to, and there were lots of chances to practice our new skills too!”
Richard Barrett, Group Head of People Development, Kent Reliance said: “We are delighted to have provided Demelza & XL@Football with training and certification for their new team of Mental Health First Aiders. The work that each of these organisations provides to the local community is exceptional and really makes a difference to so many people. This training will help both organisations to offer support to anyone experiencing difficulties with their mental health. The teams were really engaged and receptive to the training so I know the knowledge we shared will be put to good.”