Since summer 2023, Change Mental Health has had the opportunity to work closely with Craig Swan, who currently works as an Operations Manager at Lloyds Banking Group. Between the two, a relationship has blossomed built on shared values, trust and a commitment to tackling mental health stigma in the workplace. 

Craig already knew about Change Mental Health’s work through wider mental health initiatives in his workplace and connections across the sector. The relationship began when he invited the Change Mental Health team to take part in his team’s Summer-fest event. The aim was simple: to create a space for open conversations about mental health and to encourage staff to access support when they need it. From the outset, it was clear there was a strong appetite among colleagues to engage with mental health and to challenge stigma, both at work and beyond. 

That early engagement became a building block for a collaboration that has grown naturally over time, informed by awareness-raising, volunteering, training and fundraising. 

From Craig’s perspective, the relationship has worked because it has felt relational rather than transactional. Openness and mutual respect allowed trust to build and the connection to develop in ways that felt meaningful. 

Change Mental Health’s work focuses on supporting people early, reducing stigma and creating spaces where conversations about mental health feel normal rather than exceptional. That approach resonated strongly within Craig’s team, where there is already a clear emphasis on supporting colleagues, customers and the wider community. 

Craig explained:

“Looking after people in my team is fundamental. If colleagues are supported, trained and able to have open conversations about mental health, they’re better able to support customers too. We invest in different types of wellbeing support and training because healthy colleagues don’t just benefit the workplace; they’re part of the wider community and that matters.”

Following Summer-fest, Change Mental Health was invited to host further awareness stalls at different workplace sites. These sessions helped raise awareness of local and national services and continued to create space for meaningful conversations about mental health. 

volunteering, fundraising and staff engagement 

As the relationship developed, volunteering became a key part of the collaboration. Colleagues supported on-street donations outside Murrayfield Stadium ahead of a Six Nations game and gave up their time for other large-scale fundraising events. Their hands-on involvement helped events run smoother and allowed messaging to reach more people. From Craig’s perspective, the key shift was ownership.  

“What’s made the difference is people choosing to get involved themselves. Whether it’s volunteering, fundraising or just spreading the word, it’s felt genuinely personal rather than something people were told to do.  

“While volunteering, our people could see the impact directly – not just in numbers, but in the difference it makes to people’s lives.” 

Through internal volunteering policies, time given was also backed by financial contributions, with £10 donated for every hour volunteered. Combined with staff-led fundraising challenges and matched funding, colleagues have raised over £5,000 so far. 

Across 2025, colleagues took part in a wide range of fundraising challenges, including abseils at the Falkirk Wheel and Forth Bridge and team participation in the Great Scottish 10K in Glasgow.