Supporting the local community is something we feel responsible to fulfil as a business. This month, to mark World Mental Health Day, we’re championing Off The Record (OTR), which is a mental health social movement by and for young people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Find out more about the work they undertake below:

OTR is a mental health social movement by and for young people. OTR provides mental health support and info to young people aged 11-25 across Bristol and South Gloucestershire. OTR’s services are free, confidential, self-referral and provide a variety of support projects to combat mental and emotional health needs such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, OCD, abuse, eating disorders, family breakdown and substance abuse. OTR works in schools, colleges and youth clubs to promote good mental health and provide tips and tricks to look after your wellbeing. One of OTR's projects is The Resilience Lab, a stress-busting group workshop which shares guidance on how to deal with life's ups and downs. OTR also provides specialist support for anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ and young people experiencing bullying, self-harm or wanting to campaign against mental health stigma. OTR sees mental health much like physical health - it needs to be looked after and maintained. You can sign up for OTR's various services online at otrbristol.org.uk, or drop-in to one of OTR's Hubs - an informal space to learn more about what we do and how to look after your mental health.

• £10 buys a young person a one-to-one session with a counsellor
• £50 buys a creative group workshop on understanding and managing stress
• £100 buys a six-week group for young people who self-harm

We have over 50 years of experience in youth counselling. In 2017/2018 we have supported 16,739 young people:

• 2% - 430 - intensive support (OTR & NHS)
• 7% - 1,239 - early intervention (one-to-one therapy, groups)
• 29% - 4,820 - mental wellbeing support groups
• 61% - 10,250 - self-help, information, education
• We have reached a further 89,000 individuals online.

How we do this is just as important as what we do because our approach is grounded in a set of beliefs and assumptions about mental health we think it’s important to be transparent about:

1. We believe that mental health is social and political as well as personal, so our approach embraces social action and tries to influence systems and policy.
2. We believe that in the face of contemporary diversity, all theoretical models are wrong, but all of them are useful. As a result, we build our team from diverse backgrounds, experiences and disciplines.
3. We believe that relationships are what make the difference - so our approach is fundamentally relational.
4. We believe in the power of networks, and so we emphasise peer relationships, professional partnerships and organisational collaboration in our approach.
5. We believe enabling young people starts with recognising their capabilities before their vulnerabilities, so our approach is fundamentally strengths based.
6. We believe participatory services are more sustainable than transactional ones, so young people play a large and active role in designing, delivering and communicating our work - not just consuming it.
7. We believe what we do should be a vocation - and we love what we do! So our approach and team are full of enthusiasm, imagination, curiosity, and talent.

Follow OTR on Facebook, Twitter and Instgram or visit the website