South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, based in Tooting, is proud to be  launching its popular #upliftingimage competition again for 2017. The theme for this year’s competition is ‘mental health through your lens’ and will end on World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2017. 

Each year, the Trust runs the digital photography competition which is open to everyone living across the five boroughs that the Trust covers – Sutton, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth. 

Mental illness is far more common than many people think, yet it is still often met with ignorance and discrimination. Imagery is a great way of stimulating discussion, promoting understanding and changing attitudes. 

The competition offers the chance to talk positively about mental health and go into the running to win a prize. The idea is to inspire, explore and talk about it.

This will be the third time the Trust has run the competition which is proving to be incredibly popular across South West London, with entries from schools, the public and Trust staff.

Chief Executive David Bradley said, “We want #upliftingimage to help raise awareness of peoples connection with mental health through photography. The aim of the campaign is to get as many people to share a picture that helps to promote a better understanding of mental health.

“We know that one in four Londoners will experience a diagnosable mental health condition in a year. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about mental health – we should give our mental health as much attention as we give our bodies.

“Through getting people involved in #upliftingimage, we want to reach out to more people than ever before to challenge the stigma and discrimination still associated with mental health”.

The closing date for entries is 10 October and you can submit your entry here. Prizes will be available for the best entries during Mental Health Month.