In Leek and all over the country, the Co-op supports local causes through its Local Community Fund, which helps to build stronger communities.

Every year we as a society are becoming more aware of the vital importance of mental health and wellbeing, and this was at the forefront of many people's minds for World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

Following World Mental Health day we caught up with Rotten Park Road, a Co-op supported production company in Leek doing amazing work to aid mental wellbeing in our town.

Rotten Park Road is dedicated to writing and using creativity to raise awareness of mental health issues and to improve wellbeing. They offer sessions in film, theatre, creative writing and child safeguarding, providing interactive theatre workshops with task-based training. They also employ local freelance creative practitioners to produce high-quality, engaging projects for our local community and beyond.

Patrick McConnell, a writer and director for Rotten Park Road, spoke more about how they are supported by the Co-op.

He said: "Rotten Park Road was absolutely amazed and thrilled to be chosen to be one of Co-op Leek's local causes, and the project we had specifically in mind when it came to making our application to the Co-op was to facilitate and deliver some creative writing sessions to people in Leek and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

"We are so looking forward to launching our creative writing sessions in the new year, which we are excited to announce soon - we have found that delivering creative projects boosts the mental wellbeing of all of the participants involved, whether it be through drama, creative writing, or film making.

"Our aim is to keep minds active and to try and regain the creativity that is in us all, that we can often lose when we get bogged down with things that life throws at us. We have done a lot of work with young people in the past, however this project will be aimed at anyone aged 12 and over. It will also be free to attend, so it's accessible to those who may have financial barriers too.

"Our past recent projects have largely been geared around guerrilla-style film making - learning how to make a film with a tiny budget, or using a mobile phone to make your film (including during lockdown), and part of that has always involved story telling. In this project, though, it'll be purely about the creative writing, whatever form that takes - screenplays, stage plays, poetry, short stories... anything!"

To help you look after and find support for your and others mental wellbeing, Co-op created Be Kind To Your Mind. It includes activities from Co-op and its partners as well as general tips and how to seek support from Co-op's charity partners, Mind, SAMH and Inspire.

If you need support with your mental health or know someone that does, the following can help:

- contact Mind for support in England and Wales on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday), text: 86463 or email [email protected]

- text SHOUT for support anywhere on 85258 Co-op membership helps support Co-op's national charity partners and Local Community Fund causes. When you buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 2p for every pound spent goes to you and Co-op gives the same to local communities. See www.coop.co.uk/membership

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