Thank you for your support to launch the Resilience Task Force campaign this week.

The campaign started on Monday and we’ve already seen some great engagement.

Press coverage

• Two articles featured in Monday’s Telegraph as well as featuring online:
  • Why we need a post-crisis mental health task force
  • ‘New normal’ won’t be simple for everyone, mental health experts warn
• Sir Norman Lamb and Dr Warren Larkin took part in a BBC News interview which aired at lunchtime on BBC 2. The interview also featured a representative from the charity, Hestia.
• Luciana Berger has written a piece on the Huffington Post website, The Nation’s Mental Health Needs Our Attention, in her role as vice president of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and mentioned the Resilience Task Force in the article.

If you have any suggestions on raising the profile of the campaign through the press, please get in touch with Warren.

Online activity

The social media campaign has focussed on garnering support through #resiliencetaskforce and directing people to the website where they can pledge their support.

With the backing of supporters and other influencers, we have seen:

• Over 550 visitors to the website
• Over 60 new pledges of support
• Great support across social media, with a potential reach of well over 250,000 people on Twitter alone.

The website is being developed so that we can add quotes and blogs from supporters. If you’d like to contribute please email Warren.

Please continue to show your support on Twitter and LinkedIn from your personal and your organisation’s profiles. Campaign assets are available on the Resilience Task Force website.

Supporters

As well as the 80 organisations and individuals who have signed the open letter to Matt Hancock, we have also seen additional support pledged from:

• Lemn Sissay, author and broadcaster
• Terry Waite, campaigner and author
• Kate Silverton, journalist and broadcaster
• Luciana Berger, former MP and mental health advocate
• Professor Paul Burstow, former MP and Professor of Health and Social Policy at Birmingham University

Warren is currently working with them to explore how they can support the campaign and will be looking at how we announce their support in due course.

Working with Government

This week letters have been posted to Matt Hancock, Vicky Ford, Rishi Sunak, Gavin Williamson, Boris Johnson and Lindsay Hoyle. These letters will be followed up by email, with the aim of discussing the Task Force further with them.

Sir Norman Lamb has also asked if the Resilience Task Force can feature on the agenda of the APPG on Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Please get in touch if you have any ideas to help move the proposed Resilience Task Force up the political agenda.

What next?

Your continued support and voice are vital to the campaign.

We will be looking at ways to convene supporters so we can discuss how we can work together now and in the future. But in the meantime, please keep in touch and support our call to action.

The campaign will continue as long as it takes to progress this agenda and we will update you regularly with progress.

Thank you for your support.

Dr Warren Larkin

Sir Norman Lamb