I AM delighted to announce that Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has signed the “Time to Change” pledge to transform the way we think and act about mental health at work.

Earlier this year, Worcestershire County Council announced that the county had been chosen as one of a handful of areas in England to change how we all think and act about mental health locally.

Worcestershire has been named as one of the “Time to Change” Hubs, which have been created to support communities, workplaces and schools to take action to end negative attitudes and behaviours towards people experiencing mental health problems.

“Time to Change” Worcestershire is made up of Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, Worcestershire Health and Wellbeing Board, Worcestershire County Council, Community First, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, University of Worcester, West Mercia Police, Redditch and Bromsgrove District Councils, Unison and local workplace Champions.

I am pleased that the Chamber is leading on the employer element of the movement, and is driving a campaign to establish how partner companies can encourage the local business community to sign up to support the Time to Change group.

One way in which we are promoting the campaign is by appointing “Time to Change” Champions within the Chamber, and encouraging Chamber Members to sign the pledge and nominate ambassadors in the workplace.

Time to Change Champions use their experience of mental health to help end the negative attitudes that stop people with mental health problems getting the help and support they need. Pauline Knott, director of marketing and sales, Gail Dendy de Santos, international trade adviser, Lucy Allen, PR executive, and Steve Winstanley, business engagement officer at Worcestershire Business Central, have all voluntarily pledged their time to become the Chamber’s Time to Change Champions.

If you are interested in signing the pledge or finding out more about becoming a Time to Change Champion, visit time-to-change.org.uk