To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, which focuses on the theme of ‘Community’, we asked our Leadership Team to share what community means to them. From running clubs and coaching groups to creative circles and neighbourhood networks, these are the places that bring us connection, support, and joy.

Scroll through the stories below, then check out our photo gallery at the end - it’s a celebration of the many ways we find belonging.

Anne - Founder & CEO

Away from work, I’m part of two very different communities - my local church and the mighty Altrincham Football Club!

Community for me is about connection through service - nobody ‘makes’ me give to my community, it’s something I feel drawn to do the more I become involved. For example, when I was younger, church services used to be occasions that I attended purely as a member of the congregation. Nowadays I’m a reader, I distribute communion and, once a month, I bring two elderly members of the parish to church who could not attend otherwise. This means the world to them and, now I have a little more profile and am on rotas for all of these duties, I have far more connection with my fellow parishioners.

AFC is a relatively new community to me and one which I’m loving being a part of! I’m looking forward to getting increasingly involved by launching a new campaign next season - watch this space!

It’s great to feel known in your community and to get to know others; helping wherever you see there is need, and allowing yourself to be helped in return. I hope this Mental Health Awareness Week encourages anyone who hasn’t yet found their ’tribe’ to give this a go. It can certainly be daunting introducing yourself to a group for the first time so maybe start with a genuine interest or join a group with a friend. Give to get - it’s so worth it.

Jenn - Creative Specialist

To me, community is about having a place where you truly feel like you belong. When I started playing football for Flint in 2023, I felt like I had finally found my people. It’s amazing how one sport can bring so many different individuals together. We all shared similar interests, and before long, we weren’t just teammates - we were friends.

It’s an open space where we can be ourselves, have fun, and work together as a team, all with a shared goal in mind. After only 2 seasons of being together, we won the league! That’s what community means to me - having a space where everyone can be themselves, support one another, and grow together. Up the Silkwomen!

Dom - Project Development & Success Manager

As a sports coach, community means togetherness and collaboration for all involved. It means everyone feels welcomed and supported by the entire team. Individuals can’t be expected to progress or develop if the environment feels harsh, which means we have a real emphasis on creating a platform for the children to feel confident and ask questions about anything they are unsure of.

A particular example includes spending time to understand who you are working with, what they enjoy, what they are looking to get out of joining, etc. Being a part of a community comes with a sense of purpose and belonging as well as a comfort to know you have people around you willing to support whenever you need it. Being able to promote these friendships between players which then grows outside of the football is really encouraging to see. It’s developing a life-long skill which these young people will carry with them.

Jess - Director of Service Delivery

When you lack a sense of belonging you can feel incredibly isolated and lost. The power of finding community is that you improve your general wellbeing and provide a space for people to improve theirs too. By being yourself and letting others be themselves, you create a beautiful atmosphere of acceptance and encouragement. I have found community in various places, all helping me understand who I am and what matters to me.

During my gap year tutoring with Yipiyap I formed friendships with people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. We were a curious bunch, with few things in common other than our gap year, but because of our shared interest in supporting young people we came together as a team and formed unique friendships. It made my gap year a far less lonely time after my school friends all went off to university.

I’ve also found a sense of belonging through my volunteering at an animal shelter. A community of cats? Yes please! Whilst there is scientific evidence of the mental health benefits of stroking cats, I want to focus more on the team of volunteers. Again, we are all very different people but we all care about the same thing; supporting the welfare of the animals in need. When I go there on a Sunday I know I’ll be surrounded by people who don’t judge me for speaking to an animal in a silly voice and that is certainly a place I belong.

Catherine - C0-Founder & COO

Community is all about people with a common purpose who really care and support each other, and that’s exactly what we do at Yipiyap.

There’s always someone bringing in treats or doing something thoughtful that brings us all together (Conor’s famous sweepstakes/ Meg and Sian’s awesome cakes/ Matthew’s 70s wagon wheels and Anne’s Blue Sky Day and legendary BBQs) and if something goes wrong for someone, there’s always a queue to help.

I appreciate that we are all being paid to be here but I think we are blessed to work in a place where people genuinely get on with each other and feel supported and valued.

Cath - Partnerships Director

I belong to the MileShy running community. I’ve been running on and off for years but only in the last 3 have I found a community that is welcoming and supportive.

As a solo runner, I’d give up if things got hard, but with my running buddies, I can have a chat with people who I’d never normally meet, discover new wild and wonderful places but also be with people who help you along in difficult times, someone to support you.

Being outside is my happy place and being with a community makes it even better.

Brooke - Senior Creative Specialist

My ice hockey community at uni helped my mental health so much! On and off the ice, we were family, and would always help each other out, whether it was driving an extra hour to make sure someone could play a game, or lending out socks and sticks. Look out for a picture of us at Nationals weekend after winning second place - it was the best feeling!

So, what does community mean to you?

From football fields to cat shelters, running clubs to office cake clubs – it's clear that community can take many shapes. For our leadership team, it's not just about where you are, but who you're with: people who lift you up, share your passions, and make you feel like you belong.

We hope these stories have sparked some reflection of your own. Whether you’ve already found your tribe or are still searching, this is your sign to lean in, reach out, or even start something new.

Scroll down to see some snapshots of the communities that bring us joy – and maybe think about what yours might look like too.

👉 And if you're supporting young people this week, don’t miss our MHAW resources – a collection of Peerscroller videos that will help spark conversation and connection in your classroom.