With summer finally gracing us with its presence, there are plenty of reasons to head to the pub for a drink or three after work, languish in the welcome sun, catch up with friends and unwind after a hard day in the office.

Unfortunately, those of us who frequent the UK’s many pubs often aren’t aware of others around us that aren’t there to celebrate or relax.  Mental health carries with it a stigma which means many who suffer tend to be quite insular, preferring not to mention it in fear of the reaction from friends, family, work colleagues and employers.

1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem at some time in our lives and three quarters of us know someone with a problem.  The facts show that it’s a lot more prevalent than we realise and only exacerbated by the effects of a hostile economy at the moment.

See Me is a Scottish charity set up to tackle the stigma and discrimination around mental health.  Knowing that many people struggling with mental health turn to drink in a bid to escape, See Me are currently running a campaign in 100 Scottish pubs using 300,000 beer mats to deliver the message that See Me is there to listen to anyone in need.  It also reinforces the need for the rest of us to be more aware and more supportive when we know someone that struggles with mental health.

The campaign was booked through Out of Home International (http://www.oohinternational.co.uk/) and the Media Agency Group (http://www.mediaagencygroup.com/) and is running through the month of June.  Beer mats are an extremely cost-effective way of achieving mass-market impact.

Maybe you’ll See Me in a pub near you!