STUDENTS from Crowdys Hill School were singing at the top of their voices today as they joined charities in the town to mark Mental Health Awareness week.

The day was organised by charity TWIGS (Therapeutic Work in Gardening in Swindon), based at Manor Garden Centre, who arranged a number of events for people to get involved with and enjoy.

This included relaxation sessions, planting seedlings and getting the youngsters from the special school to perform. They treated onlookers to some of their favourite songs, such as Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.

Among the other charities there were Mind, Rethink, Samaritans and Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide.

Steve Carr, 40, who recently walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats, also shared the story of his epic feat, which he did to raise awareness of homelessness and mental health issues, something he has had personal experience of.

“We were really happy for him to be a part of it. He has managed to raise mental health awareness very effectively,” said Alan Holland, service manager of TWIGS.

“We also had the MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland here. Justin was telling us that he is very involved in making it a fairer and better world for people with mental health issues, and how important the work of the charities in Swindon are for people in the town.

“The Crowdys students singing was lovely, they sang with a lot of feeling. It has been a very positive day and lovely seeing all the charities come together.”

Meanwhile Network Rail’s leadership team in Swindon has signed a pledge with the charity, Mind, to raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and encourage all those affected to seek help.

With one in four people in the UK experiencing a mental health condition, the company wants to help break down the stigma associated with mental health, and ensure its employees have the support and training they need to recognise when colleagues may be suffering in silence and the positive steps they can take to help them.

Mark Langman, Network Rail’s managing director for the Western route, said: “Mental health is a subject that is hard to talk about at the best of times, let alone in the rail industry that has traditionally had a macho culture.

“That culture is changing, but there is still more we can do which is why this pledge is so important. Only by committing to raising awareness of these issues and encouraging our staff to speak out, can we ensure those affected receive the help and support they need.”

Dr Donna Lovell, acting CEO of Swindon Mind, said: “Poor mental health is now the number one reason for staff absence so it makes sense that managers have training in mental health awareness and how to spot signs that an employee is struggling and might need support.

“Swindon Mind is getting more and more requests from employers for mental health awareness and this is a step in the right direction.”