Welcome

The 'Flights of Hope' project is completely designed and managed by service user and carer members of The Mental Health Forum.

Where would you like to start?

"Everyone has a need for mental wellness, just as we all have a need for physical health. When these are challenged by life circumstances or illness it's important to know that help IS available and that it's OK to ask for help."

"This living archive curates real stories from real people in the Southern Trust area. We present encouragement, hope, and inspiration directly from the people who  'get it', and who have actual lived experience of navigating it and emerging into a safer, strengthened life. Most of all, we offer reassurance that no matter what you are going through, you don't have to feel alone with it. We all sought help to find the tools and supports that worked for us and you can do it too."

"Some of our service user and carer contributors have engaged with statutory mental health services and treatment plans and others have not. However, they all share the belief that positive change is possible and that each of us have the potential to reclaim our lives and thrive despite any illness or setbacks we are dealt. We call this personal journey 'Recovery' and while each person's path is different, the common starting point is HOPE."

"We believe 'Flights of Hope' can help create individual and community resilience, and even help to save lives. It will also help to bring a positive and hopeful balance to the mental wellness and suicide-prevention narrative online in a way that can challenge stigma and encourage people to recognise that its ok to seek help when faced with struggles."

"Our authentic voices will express Hope in different ways, and we encourage you to visit with us to read or to share your own messages and stories. Let's help eachother"

"Because we know how important it is to be able to get the right info or help when you need it, we've included 'Clickable links' in the back pages of our booklet.

These will take you to Useful Information & Contacts as well as Helpful Resources.

Follow the Download link in the menu above to access them."

The Flights of Hope Project Team

Team thoughts about our Project Logo

When we designed our 'Flights of Hope' project logo, it was important to us that it represent our team's strong affinity with the imagery of butterflies. 

As well as demonstrating the transformative journey of personal recovery, butterflies speak to us about the difference one person can make in the life of another. 

One of our members describes it like this:

"The delicate butterfly takes nourishement and rest at each flower it visits, and also gifts pollen with it's visit. It doesn't feel a need to compare itself to the bee or other insects, and it has a delicate and confident beauty that is unique only to it.

The butterfly doesn't concern itself with trying to personally create a whole garden or meadow yet by the cumulative impact of it's efforts it does make a huge difference in the world. That gift matters enough on its own and yet there is also the way butterflies create smiles and help us to pause, to notice, and to be inspired. If a small butterfly can make a difference one flower at a time then we can be inspired and know that WE can all make a difference...

One day at a time, one person at a time, of moment of reassurance and inspiration at a time. Our archive of stories and insight is our community garden.

Those of us who have had lived experience of mental health challenges want to share that "Hope, Choice, Joy, Gratitutde, Strength, Recovery, Wellness, Example, and Potential do exisit. We know because we sought help and we came through to a place where we can see them and live them."

We would also like to thank our partners, Southern Protect Life Implemetnaion Group, for allowing us to mirror the specific butterfly from their logo. It was coproduced to evoke a sense of compassion, hope, and positve wellbeing, and our team also appreciated the subtle unbroken yet diverse flow of the wing outline.