As Mental Health Awareness Week takes place across the UK, it serves as an important reminder that behind the headlines, social media posts and public campaigns are real people quietly fighting battles many others never see.
For Lee B Rayment, founder and editor of Charity Today, the week carries deep personal significance.
Over the years, Lee has spoken privately with countless charity leaders, fundraisers, campaigners and supporters who have struggled with anxiety, stress, burnout, depression and the emotional toll that often comes with caring deeply about causes and communities. But alongside reporting on those stories, he has also faced his own mental health challenges.
Lee believes there needs to be greater understanding around grief, trauma and PTSD, particularly around the way these experiences can affect someone long after the original events have passed. Having experienced multiple bereavements in a short space of time himself, alongside traumatic events that led to symptoms of PTSD, he understands first-hand how deeply these experiences can impact everyday life, mental wellbeing and even a person’s sense of identity long after the moment itself has gone.
Throw in running a national media platform, leading multiple initiatives, and carrying the responsibility of growing a respected voice within the charity sector. It can often look rewarding from the outside. However, behind the scenes, the pressure can become overwhelming.
Like many people, Lee says there have been moments of self-doubt, exhaustion and mental strain, periods where the weight of responsibility, expectation and constant pressure became difficult to carry.
Mental health struggles do not always present themselves loudly. Often, they exist behind professionalism, ambition, humour and the daily routine of simply ‘getting on with it’.
For Lee, Mental Health Awareness Week is not simply about hashtags or corporate messaging. It is about honesty, compassion and creating a culture where people no longer feel ashamed to admit they are struggling.
Too often, people in leadership positions, particularly men, feel pressure to appear strong at all times. In reality, opening up can be one of the strongest things a person does.
The charity sector itself is filled with individuals who spend their lives supporting others, frequently while neglecting their own well-being in the process. Long hours, emotional stories, financial pressures and the constant drive to make a difference can quietly take a toll.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is therefore an opportunity not only to raise awareness but to encourage meaningful conversations and genuine support.
Lee believes one of the most powerful things anyone can do is simply check in with people properly, not with a passing ‘How are you?’, but with real intent to listen.
He also believes it is important for people to understand that mental health recovery is rarely linear. Some days are productive and positive, while others can feel heavy and difficult without an obvious reason. That does not make someone weak, incapable or failing.
It makes them human.
Through Charity Today, Lee has long championed organisations working in mental health support, suicide prevention, community wellbeing and crisis intervention. But this week, the message is also personal.
No matter someone’s position, achievements or outward appearance, mental health can affect anyone.
No one should ever feel they have to face it alone.
- NHS 111: Call 111 for urgent mental health support and to be connected to local crisis teams.
- Samaritans: Call 116 123 for free, 24/7 confidential listening support.
- Shout: Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 for 24/7 text-based support.
