Solent Mind, the leading mental health organisation in Hampshire, has unveiled an innovative strategy to place the people it supports at the centre of its initiatives.

This development emerges at a time when self-harm rates in Southampton's most deprived areas are up to three and a half times more than in affluent areas.

The loneliness rate among the city's young population, most notably women, is said to have increased by five per cent since 2018.

In addition, hospital admissions have reportedly doubled to 12.7 per cent for those unable to work as a result of their mental health.

At a recent launched event held at Mayfield Garden Centre and Café in Southampton, Solent Mind's CEO, Sally Arscott, disclosed the non-profit’s new three-year plan named "Reaching High, Reaching Far: Growing Together."

This strategy intends to improve the organisation's reach, alleviate accessibility hurdles and cater to the different needs of the communities its supports.

Ms Arscott said: "This strategy is a culmination of 18 months of engagement and conversation. We’ve reached out to all our stakeholders, to our partners, funders, service users, volunteers and staff, to ensure that we create a truly shared view of our aspirations for the future.

Present at the event were speakers Scott Munro, Peer Support Team Lead of NHS Talking Therapies, and Dr Emily Walmsley, Consultant in Public Health, Southampton City Council.

Both expressed their support of the strategy and shared their experiences regarding the organisation's mental health support.

Dr Walmsley mentioned that Solent Mind's strategy coincides with the launch of a new city-wide mental health strategy by Southampton City Council.

With a rapidly growing number of about 1.14 million people spread across Southampton, Portsmouth, and the southern districts of Hampshire, Solent Mind seeks to address the increasingly common problem of poor mental health.

The organisation's new plan will answer these issues and conform the non-profit’s support to improve its reach, remove hurdles to access and meet the specific needs of the communities its supports.

All this is rooted in the charity's core purpose: supporting everyone to cultivate positive mental well-being, live well and prosper.