The first week of November marks Advocacy Awareness Week. ASC specialises in Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA), Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) and Community Mental Health Advocacy in South Wales. This week, we hope to raise awareness of the vital role advocacy plays in empowering people with mental health illnesses to speak out and we're calling on local businesses to help us raise vital funds to support our advocacy service.

When someone is suffering from mental health illness, they can often feel they are unable to have their voice heard or make their wishes and feelings known, resulting in a sense of helplessness and isolation. ASC's mental health advocates provide vital support to people with severe mental health illnesses, as well as those with learning disabilities, autism, brain injuries and dementia, in hospitals, mental health settings and in the community. They empower people to speak out and ensure their rights are upheld.

Please help us fund our advocacy services to ensure we can continue to provide our support to those who need us most.

AAW21 #AdvocacyInAction #HearMyVoice #MentalHealth

Here at Advocacy Support Cymru, we believe everyone should be able to turn the work they do into good and this Christmas we want to help you make a positive impact that expands far beyond the work you do, supporting local people in the heart of your community.

The spending power at Christmas is huge and for a large proportion of the nation's 5.8 million small businesses, Christmas is when sales peak. Seeing as Christmas is also a time of giving, we’re excited to shine a light on the Welsh small business community; who want to support the causes they care about through their sales and use their businesses for good.

Advocacy Support Cymru is a local mental health charity that specialises in Independent Mental Health Advocacy and Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, in hospital settings as well as care homes and the local communities of South Wales. As our services are independent, we act solely on behalf of our patients and are not governed by the NHS, Local Authority staff or families. Advocates offer people help and support, empowering them to have a say in their treatment and the things that affect their lives.

Christmas can be an extremely difficult time for people suffering with mental health illness, and we often see a peak in demand for our advocacy services. So, here’s where you can help: we’d love to hear from you if you would like to support our cause and help raise customer donations through Work For Good’s Christmas Star Campaign.

How can you get involved?

1. Work for good - Pledge a £ or % from the sales of your products or services via the Work for Good donations form, in the lead up to Christmas. Login or sign up for free: www.workforgood.co.uk

2. Make a one-off donation – if you’d rather make a donation to our work, you can pledge to donate to our work – any donation, no matter how big or small will help us continue to support people in the local community with mental illnesses.

3. Share your fundraising - tell your customers about your fundraising and make them feel part of something special this festive season. We can help you promote your support with your customers by providing use of our logo and supporting materials, and will also share with our supporters to encourage them to support your business this Christmas.

By raising vital donations through your Christmas sales, you can help ensure we are there to empower local people with mental illnesses to have their voices heard. We shine brighter when we work together, let’s make this Christmas magical.

Contact our Business Development Manager, Claire Phillips, if you'd like to discuss ways you can support our work - cphillips@ascymru.org.uk.

This #worldmentalhealthday we are asking for your support in funding our vital mental health advocacy services in South Wales.

The vital role that advocacy plays in supporting the return to health of those experiencing mental health issues cannot be underestimated. ASC provides Mental Health, Mental Capacity and Community Advocacy services across South Wales. Our service is available to all those eligible.

Demi, ASC’s Community Mental Health Advocate says “unfortunately, we live in a society where there is still stigma and stereotypes surrounding mental health. This can only be tackled by raising awareness, and most importantly, tackling these barriers head on.”

“As a mental health advocate, my aim is to empower people to speak up and put their views and wishes forward without the worry that they are being judged and discriminated against due to their mental health. I help people be heard and give them a voice when they feel they don’t have one.”

The need for mental health, mental capacity and community advocacy is ever increasing at a time when funding is limited. Our services and fundraising have been impacted by the pandemic and we are facing a shortfall in funding for 2021 and 2022.

Your donation could help us to ensure our advocates can uphold the rights of people with severe mental health illnesses, giving them a voice and empowering them to speak out.

Please consider fundraising for ASC this month to help us be there to empower more and more people suffering from mental health illnesses in South Wales.

If you need the support of a mental health advocate, you can check eligibility and request a referral on our website www.ascymru.org.uk or by calling us on 029 2054 0444.

Thanks for all your support.