Cumbrian businesses unite to protect vital mental health services through powerful new awareness campaign

Businesses from across Cumbria join forces to support Always Another Way, sending a clear message that our communities cannot afford to lose another vital mental health service.

Businesses and organisations from across Cumbria have joined forces to create a powerful new mental health awareness video, highlighting the importance of accessible, community-based support and the vital role organisations such as Always Another Way play in helping people through some of life's most difficult moments.

The campaign brings together businesses from across the county's nuclear, engineering, construction, professional services and creative sectors, united by one shared belief: mental health matters, and the services supporting people in our communities must be protected.

Following the loss of mental health support provision in Cumbria, the campaign aims to remind businesses, decision-makers and the wider public that organisations such as Always Another Way are not simply another charitable cause. For the people who depend on them, they can be a vital source of hope, understanding and support.

Behind every statistic is a person

Mental health challenges do not discriminate. They affect men, women and children, people from every background, every industry and every walk of life.

Behind every statistic is a real person. A colleague, a friend, a parent, a partner or a child.

And while conversations around mental health have become more open in recent years, the campaign highlights a difficult reality: encouraging people to speak up is only part of the solution.

We must also ensure that when someone finds the courage to ask for help, there is somewhere for them to turn.

Because telling someone it's okay not to be okay means very little if the support they need is no longer there.

A community coming together

The campaign has been made possible through the collective support of organisations from across Cumbria, including:

Saturn Four Media, Adamedia, Business Toolbox Cumbria, AECOM, BECBC, Altrad, NRL, People First, HOCHTIEF, Always Another Way, Precision HR, Movantra, Amentum, William King Construction, AJ Security, Cyclife and Cartmell Shepherd.

The collaboration demonstrates what can be achieved when businesses look beyond their individual commercial interests and come together to support something that matters to the communities in which they operate.

Rather than simply raising awareness, the campaign hopes to encourage more businesses to recognise the importance of local mental health services and consider the role they can play in helping sustain them.

We cannot afford to lose another service

Across Cumbria, mental health support services are facing significant pressures, making the work of community organisations increasingly important.

The loss of any service can have consequences far beyond the organisation itself, affecting individuals, families, workplaces and entire communities.

For many people, the hardest part of seeking help is taking that first step. Knowing that someone is there to listen, without judgement, can make an enormous difference.

But what happens when that support is no longer available?

The campaign calls on the wider business community to recognise that protecting these services is a shared responsibility.

Mental health support should not be something we only appreciate when it's gone.

A message from Always Another Way

Lyn Cavaghan, CEO of Always Another Way, said:

“Accessible mental health support is vital, particularly in rural communities like Cumbria, where services are often sparse and people can struggle to find somewhere to turn. At Always Another Way, we provide an important step before statutory services, helping people access support when they need it and breaking down the stigma around mental health.

“With increasing financial pressures on charities and the third sector, and the loss of vital local provision, it is more important than ever that we come together to protect these lifelines. The support of the wider community means so much to us. It is not just about funding; it is about raising awareness, building connections and helping us reach the people who need us most.

“Together, we can make sure fewer people feel they have to face things alone.”

Businesses stepping up for their communities

Daley Rogers, Director of Saturn Four Media, one of the businesses supporting the campaign, said:

“We talk a lot about the importance of mental health, encouraging people to speak up and reminding them that they're not alone. But we also have to ask ourselves a difficult question. What happens when someone finally finds the courage to reach out, only to discover the support they need is no longer available?

“We've already seen the impact that losing local support services can have, and we simply cannot afford to keep losing organisations that make such a difference to people's lives.

“What makes this campaign special is the number of businesses that have come together, not because there's a commercial benefit, but because they recognise that we all have a responsibility to look after the communities we work and live in.

“If this video encourages just one person to reach out, or inspires another business to support organisations like Always Another Way, then it will have achieved something worthwhile.

“But our ambition is bigger than that. We want to help build lasting support for the people and organisations who are there when our communities need them most.”

More than a video. A call to action.

The campaign is intended to start conversations, challenge perceptions and encourage meaningful support for organisations delivering mental health services across Cumbria.

Businesses of every size are encouraged to consider how they can contribute, whether through financial support, volunteering, partnerships, raising awareness or simply ensuring their own employees know where to turn when they need help.

The message behind the campaign is simple:

Nobody should have to face their darkest moments alone. And no community should have to lose the organisations that help people find their way through them.

The awareness video will be shared across the participating organisations' communication channels, with the hope of reaching people throughout Cumbria and beyond.