The Stress Matters Support Line was set up in April to support event professionals struggling with their mental health, especially in the wake of Covid-19. It was only supposed to run for three months, but extended its services to support people until the beginning of September.
In its place, Stress Matters are launching The Support Circle in conjunction with James Hitchen (I Am James…) and Sam Wilson (Syntiro Associates). The idea behind the initiative is to create a space where people can come together and share their experiences, offering a listening ear and support to each other. The service is free and, importantly, confidential. People are able to stay anonymous throughout the call.
Every Wednesday evening at 8:30pm a core group of volunteers will join a zoom call which is open to anyone. No registration is needed and people can drop in (anonymously or not) as they wish. The first session is tonight! Zoom details are below:
ID: 82595995950
Password: 455098
Guidelines for the Circle are as follows:
- We are here confidentially
- We are here to share our experiences
- We are here to listen to each other
- We are here to support each other without judgement
- We are here to help each other find solutions
- We are here to support ourselves
- We are here to create a circle of support
Sam Wilson says, “We are keen to hold a space where everyone feels safe and now feels the right time to do this. It isn’t just for those that have been affected by redundancy, it is open to all, business owners and employees. It’s our open house.”
Stress Matters are part of the Event Wellbeing Alliance which are looking at a way to bring the Support Line to the industry in a more sustainable way. EVCOM are also a part of the Event Wellbeing Alliance.