North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has teamed up with illustration students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to raise awareness about mental health.

They aim to promote the message of how important talking about mental well-being is through their artwork.

The 19 students, who are studying illustration degrees at UCLan have done this as part of their university module, encouraging people in Preston and Lancashire that small steps could make a big difference when it comes to mental health.

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Mental health conditions were in the top 10 reasons for 999 calls to NWAS over the past two winters, with Lancashire being one of the areas with the highest amount of calls.

Craig Davies, NWAS Operations manager for South Lancashire, visited the students who took part on 23 January, to thank them personally and reinforce the message of talking and listening to people.

He said: “We see that Lancashire has big numbers when it comes to mental health issues which is why we reached out to UCLan to promote the message of speaking out.

“I lost a family member to suicide, so for me, it is a really personal message to tell people not to suffer in silence.”

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Holly Gallagher, 23, a student at the University created a series of three illustrations, showing a journey through mental health and displaying how people can feel at each stage.

She said: “I think that art can capture attention and communicate messages because of how subjects like this can connect and resonate with people.”

Classmate Elizabeth Baines, 20, used digital art to break the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health through an animation.

She said: “Too many people don’t talk about mental health and are too scared, I think the art that we all made will help people to open up and make it less of a stigma.”

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Shorter days during the winter months mean less light, cold and extreme weather can influence people’s mood, making it a difficult time for many.

Lesley Jones, Head of Mental Health for NWAS, said: “We were really passionate about teaming up with the students and getting them on board with our winter messaging around mental health and the importance of opening up.  

“The reason for this is because we understand that mental health and the stark rise of people, particularly young people, impacted by mental health issues can have a real, detrimental impact on the wellbeing of local people today.”

If you are struggling with your mental health, the NHS has a Talking Therapies service that anybody aged 18 or over living in England can access. Your GP can refer you or you can refer yourself at nhs.uk/talk.

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