More than 300 people accessed early mental health support, hundreds more were trained to help others, and awareness events reached thousands, making 2025 a year of real impact for Guernsey Mind… so, what’s on the agenda for 2026?
The mental health charity said it aims to grow its workplace partnerships and further improve service accessibility, though securing consistent non-governmental funding still remains a primary challenge, as the team shared with Express…
Highlights
A whole host of events, alongside providing support to the public make up the charity’s highlights for 2025.
A spokesperson for the charity stated that this year has been “an exciting year” with a focus on the development of the charity, and the range of support services and programmes they offer, adding that they’ve, “continued to build on the success of our Workplace Partnership and Supported Self Help programmes”.
Specifically they pointed to that Supported Self Help programme as one that could make a tangible difference to young people’s lives.
“This free early intervention service is available to anyone aged 18 and over. It offers six one-to-one sessions with a trained practitioner who guides users through practical exercises and resources to help them understand their feelings and find ways to manage them. Over 300 people have benefitted from initial appointments this year.”
Somebody who had participated in the programme said: “Guernsey Mind helps you realise there is a solution to anxiety problems or others. The tools given are a great help and support for daily basis and help to build more confidence.
“A lot of kindness and no judgement made me feel very comfortable. Thank you.”
The charity also points towards their numerous events and the continued training in Mental Health First Aid.
“Our events have gone from strength to strength. Over 700 walkers joined our Sunrise Walk of Hope to raise awareness around suicide prevention. We introduced a new coastal route for our 10K Challenge, which proved very popular, and for the first time, 80 dogs, and their owners, took part in our Walkies with Guernsey Mind event.”
“Our training team has been busy too, with a number of people completing Mental Health First Aid training. To support them, we launched our own MHFA Community of Practice this year.”
Challenges
Like so many in our third sector, and in our community, funding and finances continue to prove a growing concern, with Guernsey Mind describing funding as their “biggest challenge”.
Although a spokesperson for the Charity pointed to some developments at the Board Member level that could point to big things in 2026.
“Like most charities funding remains our biggest challenge. Our small team works tirelessly to provide the best possible support, and we are committed to ensuring mental health services remain accessible across the Bailiwick. However, although we receive some funding from the States of Guernsey, we are reliant on our corporate, individual donors and fundraisers, and those who use our ‘paid for’ workplace programmes to be able to provide our services.
“We recruited 4 new Board Members in 2025 and look forward to working with them and our existing Board over the next year.”
The 2026 Wishlist
Guernsey Mind plans to have a simple wish for the new year, but one that will make a distinctive difference for many. With making a positive impact in 2026 their top item, and a focus on growing programmes, and ensuring easy to access services, not far behind.
“Next year, we’ll continue to grow our Workplace Partnership programme, helping organisations create mentally healthy workplaces through practical, measurable actions. We have some exciting plans to further develop our support for workplaces in 2026 so keep an eye out for details. We also plan to increase awareness around mental health and wellbeing, ensuring our services remain open and easy to access.
“With continued community support, we hope 2026 will be another year of positive impact for mental health in our islands.”