What is London’s Great Mental Health Day?
Great Mental Health Day is an awareness day with the aim of getting Londoners talking about mental health, to highlight the great support available, and, crucially, take the stigma out of asking for help when needed.
For 2026, we are specifically celebrating “everyday spaces” – the informal, trusted places in our communities where support often begins.
Watch our video to help give you a flavour of what to expect.
When is Great Mental Health Day?
Great Mental Health Day returns on Friday, 30th January 2026.
The day takes place annually on the final Friday of January, this will be the fifth Great Mental Health Day celebrated in London.
Who organises Great Mental Health Day?
The day is facilitated by regionally by Thrive LDN.
The day began as a local celebration in the London Borough of Haringey before expanding to become a day of celebration for all Londoners, facilitated regionally by Thrive LDN and Good Thinking.
The day is also supported by the Mayor of London, the NHS in London, London boroughs and the Association of Directors of Public Health London, London Councils, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in London.
How can I get involved with Great Mental Health Day?
You can support or get involved with Great Mental Health Day however you wish!
You could choose to hold or attend an event, promote a local service, take free training or join us marking the day on social media to celebrate the day using #GreatMentalHealth
For ideas on how to get involved, download our Supporter’s Pack.
How do I host a Great Mental Health Day event?
Essentially, however you like! We ask that all Great Mental Health Day events are free where possible and inclusive to everyone. Other than that, a Great Mental Health Day event is whatever you make it but if you want some ideas, you can download a Great Mental Health Day Supporter’s Pack.
You can also watch the webinar recording here: “Watch now: Everything you need to know for Great Mental Health Day 2026“. It covers key steps, examples and how to submit your activity.
Once you’ve organised your event, email info@thriveldn.co.uk with the name of the event, location, time and any other information you’d like to include, and we will post it on our interactive event map.
You can also fill in the form at the bottom of the Great Mental Health Day webpage.
Do you have any tips or suggestions for hosting a Great Mental Health Day event or activity?
- Be as creative as you like! Great Mental Health Day events do not need to follow a specific format or idea, they are not intended to be restrictive. Essentially, the day is whatever you make it.
- Try and make your event inclusive. Events should be free to attend where possible and accessible.
- The aim of the day is to get us talking about our mental health and wellbeing. Think about what you like to do to keep yourself well. Is this something you could share with or teach others to do
- Are there any events you already run locally that you could hold on Great Mental Health Day 2026?
- Look for opportunities to create a safe space or opportunity for those in your local area to get together.
- Your events do not have to be held physically. There have always been a mix of virtual and in-person events.
How can I help spread the word about Great Mental Health Day to my networks?
Download our Great Mental Health Day 2026 Supporter’s Pack.
It provides all the details about Great Mental Health Day, how you can be involved and how you can spread the word about the activities taking place on or before Great Mental Health Day 2026.
You can also download our communications toolkit which outlines suggested copy for digital and print that can be used across communications in the lead up to and on Great Mental Health Day 2026 itself.
Where can I watch the webinar about supporting Great Mental Health Day 2026?
Watch the recording here: “Watch now: Everything you need to know for Great Mental Health Day 2026“. It covers key steps, examples and how to submit your activity.
What types of events have others hosted?
If you’re looking for inspiration for the type of event or initiative you might want to organise, below is a list of ideas and previous GMHD activities to give inspiration for your own:
- Organised group walk around the local area
- Yoga Class
- Coffee morning
- Painting class
- Group Meditation
- Mindful art workshop
- Organised safe space to discuss mental health and wellbeing challenges (e.g., peer support circles)
- Organised tour of local mental health and wellbeing services available to you and your neighbours
- Drama workshop
- Open mic night event (or storytelling session)
- Local poetry competition
- Parent and baby exercise classes
- Pet therapy sessions
- Shared experience talks/panel discussions
- Art exhibition showing local artists
- Community festival with food and music
- Faith-based connection event
How do I attend a Great Mental Health Day event?
You can use our interactive map to search and find events taking place near you or in any London borough on Great Mental Health Day.
If you can’t make an event in-person, you could choose to attend an online event or use the day to take some of our free training. Log on from work or from home to be involved in the day and learn more about improving wellbeing.
Can I use Great Mental Health Day to fundraise?
Great Mental Health Day is an awareness day and is therefore not a fundraising day. We ask that all Great Mental Health Day events are free for those attending, where possible.
How do I let you know about my Great Mental Health Day plans?
You can let us know you’re planning your event by emailing info@thriveldn.co.uk with the name of the event, location, time and any other information you’d like us to include and we will post it on our interactive event map for the day.
You can also fill in the form at the bottom of the Great Mental Health Day webpage.
Can I order Great Mental Health Day printed promotional materials?
For sustainability reasons, we won’t be producing printed materials or resources but we are planning to provide promotional materials which you can access digitally for free, such as downloadable posters, logos and social media graphics.
Download our GMHD supporter’s pack for more information.
What do you mean by 'everyday spaces'?
‘Everyday spaces’ is our theme for 2026. It refers to the informal, trusted places in our communities where we often first feel safe enough to ask for help.
This could be a shared meal at a community centre, a faith group, a sports team, or a library. We want to celebrate these spaces as vital ‘proxy entry points’ to mental health support.
It follows recent community engagement and listening projects which took a closer look at how communities affected by displacement, crisis and conflict are accessing and using mental health and crisis response resources in London, and exploring why some might not be.
While the findings of this work focuses on the experiences of crisis-affected communities, the insights offer important principles for anyone working to support the wellbeing of Londoners.
I'm a small community group, is this for me?
Absolutely. For 2026, we are specifically highlighting the role of grassroots groups and ‘trusted intermediaries’ – the people who show up for their communities every day. Whether you are a large charity or a small local club, your work is a vital part of London’s support network, and we’d love for you to be involved.
I have another question not listed here, who am I best speaking to?
The Thrive LDN team. You can contact the team and we will get back to you to have a chat through your plans and ideas.
