Exploring mental wellbeing at every stage with Your Charity for Life
We’re delighted to announce that our online Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference is back again this year, taking place on 5-9 October 2026.
Join us and engage with industry experts who will share their insights, knowledge and advice on a variety of wellbeing topics.
With over 20 sessions, across five days – we’ll explore practical, compassionate support for the moments that shape our mental wellbeing, at every stage of life.
Session times vary each day so please check the timings carefully so you don’t miss out.
Monday 5 October
Welcome to your conference
9-9:10am
Jonathan Freeman MBE DL, Charity for Civil Servants’ CEO, welcomes you to the 2026 Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference.
Message from Dame Antonia Romeo DCB
9:10-9:20am
A Mindful Way to Start Your Day
9:20-9:35am
Your Charity, here for you
9:35-10am
Steve Kembrey will give an introduction to the Charity for Civil Servants – who we are and our help and support services.
Session title TBC
10:15-11:15am
Former professional footballer, prominent mental health advocate and and recently appointed new chair of Mind, Clarke Carlisle along with Carrie, a dedicated ambassador for Mind, author and wife to Clarke – share their lived experiences. With insightful and relatable conversation, they show how understanding your own emotional state and wellbeing can be used positively as they look at obliterating the stigma that surrounds adverse Mental Health issues.
Men’s Health strategy
11:15-11:40am
Research shows that men’s health has been neglected and statistics show worrying trends. The government launched the Men’s Health Strategy in November 2025, with the main intention of
Expanding access to support services
Helping men to take better care of themselves, and
Ensuring stigma is challenged and men feel empowered to reach out for help.
We want to give managers the tools to help them support their teams and change the narrative around Men’s health, building a more positive culture.
Thriving in the mess
11:45am-12:45pm
The pace of change has never felt greater. New technology, financial pressures, organisational restructures and uncertainty are becoming the norm. It is little wonder that so many people are experiencing change fatigue.
The good news is that while we can’t always control what happens around us, we can build our capacity to thrive through it.
In this practical and thought-provoking session, Janine Chandler and Helen Fisher explore why change feels so relentless, what thriving really means, and how each of us can build the internal resources to navigate uncertainty with greater confidence, energy and purpose.
Appropriate cultural therapy
1:45-3:15pm
An esteemed panel of experts whose combination of voices open us up to the discussion and much needed awareness around the importance of culturally attuned wellbeing. Includes some special additional time dedicated to review and reflect with speaker and author Dr Michele D Moore.
Author, journalist and broadcaster Jamie Bartlett will be discussing AI as part of the workplace, the impacts it can have, address common concerns and ways to navigate it effectively and positively.
Headline Partner
AI
10:30-11:30am
Session led by our Headline partner Accenture.
Mindfulness for health
11:40am-12:40pm
Session led by Vidyamala Burch.
Grief, Bereavement and Loss
1:15-2:15pm
Session led by Julia Samuel and the Cross Government Grief Cafe Panel.
Advocating for yourself and others is a vital life skill. Yet many people find it difficult to express their needs, ask for support, or influence decisions that affect them. This interactive session uses a coaching-based approach to help participants build greater self-awareness, confidence, and personal agency. Participants will leave with greater clarity, confidence, and the skills to develop a personalised action plan to strengthen their voice in both their professional and personal lives.
Civil Service Retirement Fellowship Chief Executive David Tickner will be looking at making the most of retirement, how wellbeing is so important and why you shouldn’t have to retire from life, when you retire.
Steve is the Charity for Civil Servants’ Community Outreach Coordinator and has been with the Charity for six years now, delivering talks across government on all the Charity is able to provide people with. Steve delivers weekly introductory talks on the Charity and bookable talks for groups of over 80. He also heads up the Events Volunteers team.
Darren has worked for the Civil Service for over 26 years and is part of Future Civil Service in the Cabinet Office, where he is a Health, Wellbeing and Adjustments Consultant. He is a Mental Health First Aider and has run Man Down, a Men’s Health Support Group he established in the Civil Service for over 8 years, sharing his own experiences with poor mental health and providing a safe space for colleagues to do the same.
Janine Chandler is Founder of Jump in Puddles, a B Corp consultancy helping organisations navigate change through innovation, behaviour change and creative thinking. A former civil servant with more than 30 years’ experience, Janine has worked with many government departments and organisations including the NHS, Cancer Research UK and the BBC. She specialises in helping leaders and teams thrive through uncertainty by combining behavioural science with practical tools that create lasting change.
Helen Fisher is Founder of TastingColours, a social enterprise dedicated to helping people and groups thrive by creating meaningful connections, purpose, and dynamic communities. She helps people move from surviving to thriving through sustainable behaviour change. Her work is rooted in an asset-based approach that helps people discover their strengths, reconnect with purpose and build lasting wellbeing. Her methodology was developed with Public Health England and independently validated by King’s College London. It has demonstrated measurable improvements in wellbeing, personal recovery, resilience and people’s capacity to thrive.
Julia Samuel MBE is a leading UK psychotherapist who worked for decades in the NHS. She is Founder Patron of Child Bereavement UK and a former Vice President of BACP. In 2021 Julia produced a 5* rated app for those who grieve, Grief Works – a 28-day course to support you in your grief.
Jacqueline Williamson is a coach, communication and people professional with over 25 years’ experience across the Cabinet Office, BBC, NHS and not-for-profit sector. She’s led national campaigns, built award-winning leadership programmes, and delivered culture change at scale. She supports individuals and organisations to align, grow, and thrive. Known for her warmth and strategic mindset, she’s passionate about building capability that lasts.
Thank you. Clearly so much work and thought has been put into pulling this conference together. Cannot think of one aspect of looking after mental wellbeing you haven't addressed, and given really practical advice to put into practice in the future. Amazing!
Best conference I've been to, so much great advice and support. I’m so glad I registered for this!
I have tears of sadness, gratitude and thanks, wow – this is incredible.
This is exactly what I needed, I'm so grateful. I think this has just saved me from something I wasn't even sure was happening.
I’m making time to attend every session of this conference. Last year was great and this year not disappointed either! Thanks for doing this.
Event FAQ’s
Yes, attendance is free. However, we are a charity, YOUR Charity, and we hope you will consider a small contribution to support our work. This means we can keep bringing events like this to you, and carry on with our work to support civil servants facing tough times.
We work hard to bring a great selection of speakers and topics to you, not only to support you in looking after your own mental health and wellbeing, but also to equip you to look after those close to you.
This is not a requirement for us, but if you feel that this is the best course of action, please do seek your manager’s permission in advance. Sharing the link to this page might help them having all the details they need.
If you have any technical issues on the day, fear not! Most of them can be solved by refreshing your browser or you can try to connect by using a different device. If you still have trouble, our hosts Everywhere+ will be happy to help you. Just email hello@everywhereplus.com. For fastest results please share a screenshot of the problem or error message.
Not a problem! We know that plans change at short notice, so sessions may be available as recordings after the event (if this not the case, it will be clearly stated on the agenda).
Yes. The whole event is delivered virtually.
Fill in our Stay in touch form to be up to speed with our latest event, updates, and ways to get involved.
You can attend as many sessions as you like. And if your availability changes, or you can’t attend all those you are interested in, worry not! Most sessions will be available on demand after the event (it’ll be clearly stated on the agenda if this isn’t the case).
Accenture helps the world’s leading organisations reinvent by using AI to create value at speed. In the UK, they work with public and private sector clients, helping them move from ambition to driving real change at scale—applying AI and digital technology responsibly, with a focus on trust, safety and measurable impact. Visit the Accenture website.
"Everyone I spoke to has been so, so lovely… it was very non-judgemental."
Jane
2025 Content available on-demand
Psychological Safety
Watch this insightful session from Pearn Kandola exploring the critical link between inclusion, psychological safety, and wellbeing.
In this session from Thrive, learn practical anxiety management techniques, how to maintain decision-making clarity under pressure, and ways to support you and your team without sacrificing yourself.
Debbie Harris, founder of Autumna, will guide you through some common social care misconceptions and help you navigate a path to finding the best care provision for your elderly relative.
This session explores the Carers UK Digital Resource for Carers as well as practical ways from Mobilise on boosting wellbeing, reducing stress and creating carer-friendly workplaces.
This session explores the intersection of race and mental health in the workplace, drawing on lived experiences and professional insights from across the Civil Service and beyond.
Join the Charlie Waller Trust and the Civil Service Eating Disorders Network (CSEDN) for a discussion on eating disorders, including how they may present in children and young people.
In this session, Anxiety UK will explore medical gaslighting and diagnostic overshadowing experienced by those living with generalised anxiety disorder.
This session, from the Charity for Civil Servants, will consider the connections between our money and our mood as well as looking at the many ways in which the Charity can offer support and assistance.
Whether you’re just starting your journey or looking to deepen your understanding, explore key facts and statistics from Purple Tuesday, learn inclusive language and etiquette, and discover top tips for making your spaces more accessible to disabled people.
This session from CSSC will explore how integrating more movement into daily life can significantly enhance overall happiness encouraging participants to integrate movement for better health, social connection and a greater sense of overall wellbeing.
Whether you’re just starting your own Civil Service career, or supporting others who are, join us for practical insights and thoughtful reflections on what helps us thrive in those crucial early years.