Wigan’s Month of Hope: Making Mental Health Support Accessible
From handcrafted flowers and community kindness to a bench with a direct link to support, Wigan Council’s Month of Hope has brought communities together to spread hope and encourage conversations about mental health.
Every year, the campaign runs from World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September) to World Mental Health Day (10th October), with the aim of challenging stigma around suicide and reminding people that support is available.
This year, we’re proud that the Hub of Hope has played a part in the campaign, helping people across Wigan discover mental health support.
During Wigan Council’s Month of Hope, 199 people searched for mental health support through the Hub of Hope, making up more than a quarter (26.4%) of all local searches between January and 10 October 2026.
Spreading hope across the borough
Wigan Council brought the Month of Hope to life through a series of community-led initiatives:
The Box of Hope, created by Body Brain Belief CiC, travelled around community venues in the borough, bringing together mood-boosting tips, books donated by Wigan Libraries, cosy crafting kits and Flowers of Hope
Flowers of Hope: Around 2,000 handcrafted flowers were placed in public spaces and shared with community groups, including the Girls Supporting Girls Run Club, spreading messages of hope throughout the borough.
"We enjoy knitting & crocheting to raise awareness for suicide prevention in the wider community because it combines a relaxing, creative hobby with a deep sense of purpose. Crafting the flowers has not only developed our skills, friendships have been formed within the group and some ladies that haven't done any needle work for awhile have once again picked up their needles!" Needles and Natter group, a craft group that meets weekly in the community space at Chandler House Health Centre.
The Bench of Hope was unveiled in Leigh Civic Square in honour of Janet and Noel Taylor, who have volunteered with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide for more than 25 years. The bench also features a QR code linking directly to the Hub of Hope.
Together, these initiatives created opportunities for connection, kindness and conversations about mental health across Wigan.
Helping more people find mental health support
Raising awareness is an important first step, but making sure people know where to turn when they need help is just as important.
The Hub of Hope was created to make finding mental health support easier. It brings together almost 14,000 support services in one searchable directory, helping people find options that are relevant to them and their circumstances.
People searched for support with a range of needs during the Month of Hope, including anxiety, ADHD, trauma, depression, autism and much more. The Hub of Hope brings together services supporting people through different challenges and stages of life, helping them explore the options available in their local area and find support that feels right for them.
Keeping the conversation going
Although this year's Month of Hope has come to an end, its message carries on throughout the year.
A huge thank you to Wigan Council, Janet and Noel Taylor, the community groups, volunteers and everyone who helped make the campaign happen. Your time, creativity and commitment have helped bring people together around an important cause.
“Everything we do as a council is guided by our ‘Progress with Unity’ principles, which are all about harnessing the strength of our communities to overcome challenges and make our borough a fairer, thriving place to live. Our Month of Hope campaign was a perfect illustration of that approach in action. It wasn’t about talking to residents about mental wellbeing, but making a stand with them to show there is always hope and someone to turn to. This year we put the Hub of Hope at the heart of that message, with the help of some of the people and organisations who support the wellbeing of our communities and spread hope each and every day through what they do. We’re particularly grateful to all the amazing volunteers who helped crochet our little Flowers of Hope, which we scattered around the borough for people to find as they went about their day. Each one of them had with it a little card letting people know about the Hub of Hope and all the many services that can offer support when it’s needed. Whether it was the efforts of those volunteers, the quirky positivity of Body Brain Belief CIC’s Box of Hope, or the incredible dedication of Janet and Noel Taylor to supporting those affected by suicide, the stories we were able to tell really resonated with people, which is what made our campaign such a success. We’re really pleased we’ve been able to increase awareness of the Hub of Hope, and we’ll go on working with our communities to spread that message of hope all year round" Rachael Musgrave, Wigan Council’s Director of Public Health
If you or someone you know is looking for mental health support, visit hubofhope.co.uk to explore services and find support near you.
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