Welcome to MHM Walk Leaders website

In 2016, I set up Mental Health Mates, a community project which was born out of my own experience of not having anyone to talk to about my own mental illness. At the time I was really unwell with obsessive compulsive disorder, which was something I had suffered on and off with since I was a child. I’d gotten to the point where I really needed to talk to people like me and that’s where Mental Health Mates began.

Over the past six years, Mental Health Mates has become a thriving community that only continues to grow! Thanks to our wonderful walk leaders, Mental Health Mates now has over 100 walks across the UK that provide peer support and connection nationwide. 

We recognise that setting up and running your own walk is no small undertaking, which is why we want to provide you with some additional support through our specialised training.

The MHM training is split into five parts which includes: Your Wellness, Self – Understanding, 3 Step Supportive Conversations, Understanding Risk and Becoming a Walk Leader. To help break down the training, we recommend having your learning log at the ready as you go through each step.

We want to remind you that this training isn’t intended to be a test, or an exam – it’s more of a handy toolkit to help you navigate the wonderful work you do for the people who join your walks. There are pointers on how to deal with the trickier conversations, tips on how to tackle crisis situations and ideas on how to look after yourself if things become overwhelming.

Like our walks, we want this to be a safe space where the MHM community can share and connect. There will be a Support and Advice function which will allow you to reach out to the MHM team, a Walk Leader Chat function where you can converse with others taking the training and a Resources section where you can find all important guidance documents.

We hope you find the MHM training useful and that the tools it provides can further support all the incredible work you do for Mental Health Mates, as well as other challenges life can sometimes throw our way!