Rural Mental Health Matters

Who we are

Rural Mental Health Matters (RMHM) is a Dorset based national Social Enterprise focused on tackling mental health inequality in rural and remote communities.

Aims and objectives:

Prioritise tackling rural mental health inequality.

Development of support to regional and local capacity and leaderships around addressing rural mental health inequalities. Support local and regional providers to deliver this ambition, by equipping them with the tools they need to bridge the gaps in mental health support/services in rural communities.

Provide training and support to organisations to improve access and increase equity in the planning and delivery of mental health and wellbeing support/services for people living in rural and remote communities.

Develop and deliver innovative outreach engagement projects to raise awareness, reduce barriers, provide early intervention via information/signposting and remove stigma. To improve rural mental health and wellbeing for all.

How do we do this?

We do this by working with organisations, including statutory and Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE), to help them 'rural proof' support/services from planning to delivery stages. This will be via training/workshops RMHM plans to deliver early 2022. RMHM director Amanda Whitlock, as she is a qualified Mental Health First Aid England Instructor (MHFA).

We believe that just as all organisations require (and need) a certain amount of 'physical' trained First Aiders, there is a need to at least provide the equivalent in trained Mental Health First Aiders.

Rural proofing is simply about finding the best ways to deliver the right support/ services, at the right time, in rural and remote communities, and to include early intervention. It also aims to ensure that services/projects and policies are designed so that they reach rural communities and are suited to rural circumstances. We call this being rurally inclusive.