This Mental Health Awareness Week, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is celebrating the power of community.
As an organisation, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) understands that being part of a strong, supportive community is vital for the wellbeing of our colleagues and their mental health.
NEAS employs over 3352 who work in a variety of different roles across the organisation, from emergency care, scheduled care, the emergency operations centre, support services, training & education, and our volunteers.
This year’s focus for Mental Health Awareness Week is the role that community plays in mental health. During the week NEAS is highlighting all aspects of community across the service, as created by its people, from sports and social clubs to wellbeing walks and staff networks.
Andy Walton, staff psychological wellbeing advisor, said,
“For our colleagues to do their best for patients, we need to be able to do our best for them.
“We know emergency service workers are more likely to experience poor mental health and so we invest heavily in promoting wellbeing, with a range of support in place for staff.
“A strong sense of belonging, and a shared purpose, plays a key role in the overall wellbeing of our colleagues.”
Director of People and Development, Karen O’Brien added, “Whilst working in a demanding and often high-pressure sector, staying connected with colleagues, family, and friends, helps us develop in our roles and continue to deliver the best possible care to the region.
“It’s amazing to see colleaguesstaff across our from such a large organisation come together and enjoy a hobby together or spark a discussion on something that they’re passionate about, whatever makes them feel like they’re part of the NEAS community.”
NEAS is home to many staff networks and clubs which allow like-minded staff to express how they feel and access support if needed.
Being a part of a community with the service can have multiple benefits to mental health, below are some case studies from the people who run or are part of these communities:
Sandeep is the Co-Chair of our staff network Together@NEAS, which supports colleagues who are from an ethnic background.
Sandeep said:
“Being part of this community is special to me because it gives me a connection and sense of belonging.
It’s a space where I can be myself—no need to explain, no need to filter. There’s comfort in being around people who understand the unspoken stuff. We lift each other up, push for change, and celebrate the beauty and diversity in our experiences and cultures. That support means everything.
“I think the benefits of being part of this community are that I feel seen, heard, and understood. It’s empowering, supportive, and social—we share advice, laughs, and hard truths.
“This community also reminds us that we are not alone, and our feelings and reactions are valid, especially when things get tough.
“Being part of a community is good for someone’s mental health because it gives them a safe space. You’re surrounded by people who get it, who listen without judgement, and who lift you up.
“It’s that feeling of being understood and supported that can really help lighten the load.”
Pauline is the chair of one of our staff networks, Able@NEAS, supporting and representing colleagues who have a disability.
“I am the chair of the staff disability network Able@NEAS.
“Being part of this community is important to me because I can help people. Working with a disability, health condition, neurodiversity, returning to work following cancer treatment etc can make an already tough job feel impossible. When you struggle with such things, it can be incredibly difficult to advocate for yourself or even know what you think you need that will help.
“Knowing you have network of people who I can tap into, use their subject matter expertise to help bridge that gap for my colleagues is a real privilege.
“There are so many benefits to being part of this community, knowing that you are not alone, knowing that you can dip in and out as you need if you need support or you just want to know more about us. We support managers too and support our wider colleagues such as HR, recruitment, joining colleagues in meetings, case discussions and more if needed to offer support, advocacy and guidance.
“Community is vital, it can be any kind of community but find one that helps you to thrive. You deserve to thrive in the workplace.
"I think being in a community is beneficial for everyone’s mental health. It’s in the right community we feel seen, we feel heard.
“We can make connections with like-minded people, we can grow and learn and feel part of something wider than ourselves. These are all vital components to our mental health and overall wellbeing. NEAS is proactive in creating communities and takes wellbeing very seriously.
“You might not think you need to be part of any community or staff network, but I say to you – you never know when you will need the care and support of those around you so find your tribe and hold on to them!”
Georgina is a clinical team leader, working out of Alnwick, and is also part of the NEAS women’s football team.
Community is important to our colleagues, Georgia shared why it is important to her,
“Being part of this community is special to me because I am passionate about the importance of sport in promoting physical and mental wellbeing. We have team members from all corners of the organisation and it is a great opportunity to build relationships between colleagues who may not normally meet each other at work.
“There is a definite sense of pride in representing the ambulance service in a sport we all love to play and in competing against teams from other emergency services and local leagues.
“We also provide recreational football for players of all abilities and experience levels, allowing the group to be open to anyone who wants to get involved.
“This community is beneficial because it provides a space for friendship and comradery. Physical activity is well known to have massive psychological benefits and this is particularly important for our operational colleagues who may experience stressful situations whilst on shift.
“Having a safe space to speak to colleagues in an informal setting has been important to people within our community and it is clear to see the positive impact this has had on players in the team.
"Being part of the football community has introduced me to colleagues from other areas of the organisation and given me an insight into the shared challenges we all face.
I think being part of a community is good for people's mental health because it allows people to develop friendships with people based on a common interest."
Jack is a paramedic at NEAS and part of the Wellbeing Walks team too.
“Being part of this community special to me because I enjoy meeting new staff who I've never met before and old friends who I can catch up with on our walks. It gives people a chance to connect and engage with others at their own relaxed pace and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the north east.
“There are so many benefits, the service has such a massive number of interesting and unique individuals who do so many different roles. It's really great to connect and learn more about each other.
“Being part of this community allows staff to, meet colleagues and bond over common experiences, have conversations, and have sense of belonging too. We're all human and sometimes you need to have a community to fall back on even for a coffee, a rant and a walk.”