National Highways has teamed up with a leading mental health charity to help people get support quickly and easily, as part of a new 12‑month trial focused on early intervention and preventing crises.
New signage with QR codes will be put up in busy locations near motorways and major A-roads, helping connect people to trusted, local mental health support services. The partnership with the charity Chasing the Stigma, through its Hub of Hope platform, aims to provide timely, accessible support for people who may be struggling, helping them to find help before reaching crisis point.
National Highways continues its work to keep people safe on our network, with traffic officers and control room teams regularly responding to welfare-related calls and working closely with emergency services.
Tragically,around 50 suspected suicides are estimated to occur on motorways and major A-roads each year, accounting for approximately 20% of all deaths on our network.
Nicola Tweedie, National Highways’ Suicide Prevention Lead, said:
“This partnership is an important step forward for National Highways as we continue our work to reduce and prevent harm across our network. We know mental health is complex and not something we can tackle on our own. We don’t want anyone to come to harm on our roads, which is why working with Chasing the Stigma is so important. It allows us to bring together the right expertise to better support people who may be struggling.
“Access to help at the right moment can make all the difference. By making it easier for people to find support quickly, we hope to help people get the help they need sooner and, most importantly, before things reach crisis point.”
Chasing the Stigma already works successfully with major organisations including Network Rail, local authorities and a wide range of community settings such as shopping centres, GP surgeries and libraries.
The Hub of Hope platform brings together more than 14,000 mental health support services across the UK, allowing people to quickly find help that is appropriate to their needs and location.
Jake Mills, CEO and founder of Chasing the Stigma, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with National Highways. By working together to provide signposting to the Hub of Hope through signage across the road network, we’re making it easier for people to find help, wherever they are. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to improving access to mental health support and encouraging people to reach out before they reach crisis point. Together, we want everyone to know that support is available, and that nobody has to face their mental health challenges alone.”
Insights gathered throughout the trial will be shared with partners to help build a better understanding of local need and inform more targeted mental health support and provision in the future.
(Picture: National Highways)
