Business leaders to discuss approaches to mental health

BUSINESS leaders are coming together for a discussion on mental health in Leeds next week as part of the city’s efforts to improve how companies think about and address those issues.

Alastair Campbell, former spokesperson for Tony Blair, ex-footballer Clarke Carlisle and Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan will speak at the Leeds Community Foundation’s annual lecture.

Each speaker has been personally affected by mental health issues and have a vested interest in working to resolve the issues that mental health can present.

Mr Riordan said: “Mental Health affects one in four of us at some point in our lives and has a significant impact on individuals and families, on businesses and on whether Leeds can achieve our ambition of being a compassionate city with a strong economy.

“As someone who has been affected all my life by mental health issues within my family, I am proud to be the council’s designated mental health champion, and I strongly believe that the more we speak out about our personal experiences of mental health, the easier it will be for people to overcome their own challenges.”

Leeds Community Foundation launched The Leeds Fund earlier this year, which is currently focusing its attention on mental health.

Sally-Anne Greenfield, chief executive of Leeds Community Foundation, said: “Leeds Leads: Healthy Minds for a Thriving City is a call to action for businesses to ‘play your part’ in recognising, understanding and supporting mental health issues in the workplace and the city.”

The event, at Asda MCE on October 10, which is world mental health day. To register, visit www.leedscf.org.uk/Leeds-Leads-2016