This World Mental Health Day, health and beauty retailer, Superdrug is proud to announce a new fundraising initiative to support Mind in its fight for mental health today, and every day. The partnership will help raise awareness and vital funds for those living with mental health problems, as 1.6 million people await care and sit on mental health waiting lists across the country.
The new partnership will see Mind collaborate with Pennies – a micro-donation platform that allows Superdrug customers to easily ‘tap and donate’ at checkout while purchasing their beauty and skincare essentials.
Timed to launch around World Mental Health Day, (October 10th), Superdrug and Mind aim to reach over one million people through the two-month campaign, which will be live in store from 8th October to 1st December.
To celebrate the new launch, the campaign will feature a series of impactful activations designed to raise awareness and encourage public engagement. Within the Stratford Westfield store, customers will be invited to contribute to physical “walls of pledges,” sharing personal commitments to support wellbeing and mental health. In addition, Mind will be spotlighted through Superdrug’s in-store radio, with lived experience voices sharing their stories and messages, alongside signposting to local Mind services and support.
The Pennies mechanic makes it easier than ever for Superdrug customers to contribute to Mind’s important cause, as by simply rounding up their total to the nearest pound, shoppers can help fund critical work carried out by the charity and its volunteers.
When it comes to donations, every little helps, and through the public’s valuable donations, Mind hope to fund more of the following:
· £1.04 creates 10 information booklets, providing trusted information on mental health that is urgently needed.
· £7 helps distribute 100 leaflets with quick tips to better mental health and wellbeing.
· £10 helps Mind’s Infoline advisors pick up the phone to someone with nowhere else to turn.
· £50 helps offer 500 information leaflets to a school, giving young people trusted and verified mental health information.
· £100 helps advise four people through the Legal Line. The Legal Line advisors help people understand everything from discrimination to the rights you have in a mental health hospital.
· £500 helps give campaigners the resources they need to fight for mental health. This could be anything from help writing to an MP or support to share their story publicly.
· £1,122 helps keep the online peer community open for a whole day, helping people find a place where people understand what they are going through.
The partnership will help Mind continue to provide trusted information in its fight to challenge the stigma and misinformation attached to mental health. Everything the charity produces isn’t just informed by clinical or academic expertise, it’s also based on the lived experience of those who have experienced mental health problems themselves.
Last year (2024), Mind helped 600,000 people across England and Wales, (an annual increase of 25%), including 29-year-old Francesca, who experienced a rapid decline in mental health after a serious sailing accident. Mind helped her understand different medical terms to navigate health care, as well as providing access to a mental health advocate, who helped her to survive numerous self-harm and suicide attempts.
Superdrug trading director, Megan Potter said: “We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Mind on this important campaign. Mental health and wellbeing are issues that affect so many people, and it’s vital that we play our part in raising awareness and encouraging open conversations with customers, colleagues, and our communities. By working together with Mind, we can help signpost support, share lived experiences and create moments of connection that truly make a difference.”
Andrew Berrie, head of corporate partnerships at Mind, said: “We’re really grateful to Superdrug for their support and pledge to raise awareness and funds for Mind over the next few weeks in their stores. It’s so important that people experiencing mental health problems are able to access the support they need but we know that right now, this isn’t always the case. For example, growing numbers of young people are facing challenges with their mental health. Tens of thousands are not getting the support they need, forcing many to wait until they are in crisis before care is provided.
“Every donation made to Mind at the Superdrug tills will help us be there for even more people who need us. This includes through our national services and network of local Minds, campaigning for change and challenging stigma, to make sure everyone can access the support they need.”
Francesca, age 29, from Fishguard has lived experience of eating disorders and being sectioned. She said: “It’s great that Superdrug are supporting Mind so more people can access the support they need. Mind has really helped me in the past. When I looked at the Mental Health Act online, it was overwhelming because it was so massive. Mind’s website has bite-sized summaries that helped me understand what the different sections meant. I’d print things off, highlight the key points, and be like, ‘This is what I can do. This is what I can’t do.’ It helped me know what I needed to look at in more detail, which was really useful.”
