JCP Solicitors pledges to support Hafal as its charity of the year

JCP Solicitors has signed up to the first national campaign in Wales designed to end the stigma around mental health issues, by giving its support to Hafal as its Charity of the Year.

JCP recently signed the Time to Change Wales pledge, a campaign being delivered by Hafal in partnership with Mind Cymru, aimed at improving people’s understanding of mental illness and diminishing the discrimination and stigma that surrounds it.

One of Hafal’s Time To Change champions, Stephen Lewis, spoke movingly at the signing event, about his own ongoing struggles with mental health issues, and about how a supportive workplace can help.

Hayley Davies, Director and CEO of JCP Solicitors, said: “We are very pleased to give our wholehearted support to Hafal as our Charity of the Year for 2019/2020. The Time to Change Wales is a valuable initiative that is working hard to change the damaging perceptions around mental health issues, and to give people the support they need to talk and to heal.

“As an employer of 215 staff in offices across Wales, supporting our workforce has always been a cornerstone of our business. Not only is it our responsibility as employers to provide a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment, it also, clearly, makes good business sense. Happy and fulfilled staff are more productive, they contribute more to the company and they stay with their employers for longer.

“We hope our activities in support of Hafal will raise valuable funds and will also raise awareness about this important issue, prompting others to get behind Time For Change Wales.”

Alun Thomas, Chief Executive of Hafal, said: “We are delighted to have JCP Solicitors on board for this campaign and we look forward to creating a meaningful and lasting partnership with them.  Time to Change Wales is vitally needed because although mental health problems are common, people who experience mental illness often face stigma in the workplace, socially and within families. This can make life with a mental health problem even more difficult.

“Time to Change Wales is working to tackle this stigma by: Working with schools across Wales to change the way young people, parents and teachers think and act about mental health; empowering people with experience of mental health problems to become educators, delivering anti-stigma training and telling their stories; getting mental health on the agenda by working with politicians and the media.

“Having the backing of employers like JCP Solicitors is invaluable in helping to spread our message. We look forward to working with JCP as the year unfolds.”