TIME TO TALK DAY AT PARK LANE STABLES ON FRIDAY
Teddington’s Park Lane Stables is hosting a Time To Talk Day this Friday (between 10am until 2pm) as part of the annual campaign by the mental health charity MIND.
Time to Talk Day is a great initiative for promoting conversations about mental health and wellbeing, whilst reducing the stigma and social isolation that people impacted by mental health problems tend to face.
In the last couple of years the event has attracted had dozens of visitors who turned up for tea, a pony cuddle and a chat.
Founder Natalie O’Rourke says: “There is no pressure or expectation to talk about mental health, we just provide a safe space to do so for anyone who wants to. In previous events, many visitors really connected with one another and spoke openly about their struggles, touching on topics such as grief, nostalgia, family conflicts, body image and loneliness.
“Simply providing space for people to come along as their true selves, and having the support from the team and volunteers on the day to offload or access support felt rewarding for all involved. It also showed the power of community and the importance of having open conversations about mental health.
“After all, 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health difficulties in each year. That’s 1 in 4 of your friends and family members, people all around you who could be finding it difficult to open up about their problems and for whom a first positive step may be about finding time and space to talk.”
Since 2024, regular Riding for the Disabled Association participant and mental health activist, Naomi Ghafoor, has volunteered to facilitate the hashtagTimeToTalkDay events.
She says: “I’ve had my own challenges with mental health, chronic illnesses and late-diagnosed neurodivergence, and Park Lane Stables has always felt like a safe space where I can show up and be accepted, regardless of how I’m feeling.
“Poor mental health can be very isolating and I often feel worried about burdening others with my difficulties, but I truly believe that building connections with people who can relate and being able to truthfully say “actually, I’m not okay right now” can feel like a huge weight lifted.
“It’s why I’m so passionate about working with Park Lane and the RDA to foster open conversations around it.”
“Our hashtagTimeToTalkDay event is a perfect example of Park Lane’s ethos in practice. It’s about community building, mutual acceptance and celebrating what we can do. Do join us if you can!”