People in Wales deserve access to mental health support – ‘no matter who they are, or where they are’.
That’s the message key decision makers around mental health in Wales were given at the launch of this year’s Mind Federation in Wales’ annual impact report, ‘Mental Health is Everything, Everywhere, Everyone’.
Highlighting the vital services 15 independent Mind charities in Wales provide, alongside national information and support from Mind’s helplines and online peer support platform, the 2026 report was launched by Mind Cymru Associate Director Julian John alongside co-host Lexy Gingell, of Mind in Gwent’s Mind Our Future project.
Covering the period April 2024 to March 2025, the latest Mind Federation in Wales impact report, ‘Mental Health is Everything, Everywhere, Everyone’, shows that within that time:
- Local Minds delivered more than 160 different services to communities and supported 32,246 people with their mental health across Wales.
- Volunteer efforts meant £670,815 worth of time was generated.
- Mind’s four helplines, which include advice on welfare and benefits as well as emotional support, received 1,710 calls from Wales, with 37% referred to their local Mind for support.
- £332,253 worth of time was given by volunteers across Mind charity shops in Cardiff, Llandudno, Prestatyn and Rhyl, generating £277,770 in income.
A panel discussion held at the event in Cardiff also included Cwm Taf Mind CEO Keiran Harris and Mind supporter Francesca Murphy, who spoke about the life changing support she received through Mind after a sailing accident affected her own mental health, as well as Mind Our Future Project Officer Kimberley Hodges.
Working with youth services, the Mind Our Future project is a collaboration between Mind in Gwent and ProMo Cymru led by a group of 11 Peer Service Designers aged 16-24, who have been formally recruited to help develop new approaches to supporting mental health and resilience in young people across Gwent.
Now in its fourth year, in its early phase the project gathered insights from over 200 11–27-year-olds – revealing key issues including limited awareness of services, stigma and the need for flexible and consistent support – which are now being used to drive the delivery of more responsive, youth-led mental health solutions.
As one of those hired, Mali Jones says within the report: “We found that people were having trouble accessing services and we really just wanted to make sure we could upskill young people to support themselves, support their peers, and also we wanted to target professionals too, to make sure that when they’re supporting young people they’re doing it in the best and most efficient, and kind way.”
Lexy, a fellow Service Designer, adds: “Mind Our Future acts as a way of presenting young people and their voices…I think it’s needed now more than ever. Young people deserve a chance for mental health support – no matter who they are, or where they are.”
The project is just one example of the many different services being delivered across the Mind Federation in Wales that support aims outlined in the Welsh Government’s 10-year strategy for mental health, and which launched in 2025 with a focus on greater collaboration across services, service users and sectors to provide people with the right mental health support, when they need it.
Julian John, Associate Director at Mind Cymru, said: “We’re really thankful to everyone who took the time to hear about the life changing work our local Minds continue to put into supporting the mental health needs of people across Wales. I’m particularly grateful to the young people from the Mind Our Future project and to our panel in sharing their own experiences for the benefit of others, which isn’t always easy.”
“We all want to see a mental health system that works for everyone, and we’re fortunate to have a dedicated mental health strategy here in Wales to support this. It is only through the hard work of staff, volunteers, campaigners and supporters within our communities that we can ever hope to achieve these aims.”
“It’s been both touching and poignant, therefore, to gather together and collectively acknowledge the impact that Mind continues to have on both a local and national level, and bearing the wider ambitions for mental health we have as a nation in mind.”
