St Neots Shifties’ Liveathon allowed people to ‘Speak Up’ about their mental health

On Blue Monday, wrongly considered the most ‘depressing’ day on the calendar, Monday 16 January, Shifties, the small business community founded by Cambridgeshire-based entrepreneur Alex Hughes, hosted a 24-hour ‘Speak Up’ Liveathon to support individuals struggling with mental health issues.

The whole day exceeded expectations with over forty speakers being fully vulnerable and brave to discuss various topics that has or still affects their mental health. Topics include from obesity to running marathons, mindsets when it comes to business, living with tourettes, agoraphobia, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties and the current danger to our climate and the environment.

The Speak Up Liveathon started streaming at midnight and ran through the 24 hours of 16 January 2023. Broadcasting on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, it reached over 12,000 people, with over 3000 page visits.

“It was amazing to listen to incredible people speaking up for mental health and what it meant to them,” stated Alex. “Whether it was lived experiences of diagnosis of ADHD or suicide awareness to financial literacy, unpaid carers or dealing with emergencies. It was a fascinating day.”

Co-hosting with Hughes this year was Luke Newman, founder of ‘For Men To Talk’ – a mens’ peer support group based in St. Neots and the surrounding areas. The group, which holds physical meetings at locations such as The Crown Hotel in Biggleswade and St. Neots Golf Club, as well as virtual meetings via Zoom and monthly walking events, aims to provide a safe and supportive space for men to share their thoughts and feelings.  

“Listening to to those who have struggled and in some cases still do, but how they continue to fight, the Speak Up Liveathon was just an inspirational day.” added Luke. “The number of cases involving young suicides, especially in Cambridgeshire, is worrying. So this has given viewers the perfect opportunity to see the support available in our local community and how they have helped others.”  

Hughes and Newman encouraged audience members to share their concerns and questions in the live feed, where there was also opportunities to interact with the guests. Many donated money to support the event and prizes that have been kindly donated will be drawn in early February at Time to Talk day.

The 2023 Liveathon raised over £2,000 on just the day for CPSL Mind, a charity devoted to supporting people with mental health concerns and their families across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, and South Lincolnshire. As the region faces an expected difficult year due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever to provide resources and support for those struggling with their mental health.  

Gary Sutcliffe, Fundraising Manager at CPSL Mind added “Awesome is one of many words to describe the ‘Speak Up Liveathon’. Life affirming, inspirational, community, emotional, proud. I could go on. Thank you to Alex, Luke and everyone else who were involved from the bottom of all our hearts from us all at CPSL Mind . What an incredible effort.”

In addition to Shifties, Hughes is involved with other local organizations such as St Neots Initiative, Shift Momentum, and Inspire 2 Ignite CIC. With a focus on promoting positive mental health in the community, Hughes and Newman hope the Liveathon will encourage individuals to seek out the support they need and ultimately enjoy life in their town.