Thursday 1st February 2018 is ‘Time To Talk’ Day, an initiative led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness to encourage people to talk about their mental health.

With around 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem this year, the stigma around mental illness can be as bad as the mental health problem itself. Emergency services staff are particularly vulnerable to stress, and it is vital that we all feel able to talk to a family member or work colleague if things start to get on top of us.

For more information on how to get involved, follow Time To Change on Twitter. The Disabled Police Association is committed to supporting wellbeing and mental health in the extended police family – visit our resource pages for links and articles.

22nd-28th January 2018 is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, organised by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. The theme for this year is “Reduce Your Risk” – with around 3,000 women in the UK being diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, looking after your health is vital. This means:

• Attending cervical screening when invited
• Knowing the symptoms of cervical cancer and seeking medical advice if experiencing any
• Taking up the HPV vaccination if aged 11-18
• Talking to friends and family to ensure they know how they can reduce their risk
• Knowing where to find support and further information

We will be tweeting about cervical cancer this week – join us using the hashtag #CCPW. You can also get involved with the #SmearForSmear campaign (lipstick optional!)

Today marks the start of National Hate Crime Awareness Week, running from the 8th to 15th October 2016. Our colleagues over at Stop Hate UK and 17-24-30 are doing some great work raising the profile of hate crime in all its forms, and how we can all work together to stop it.

We’re pleased to see that Theresa May has given her personal support to #NHCAW, although it’s a little disappointing that no reference was made to disability hate crime, which still suffers from being under-reported and under-recorded across the UK.

In the coming week we will be tweeting to raise awareness of disability hate crime. Follow us at @disabledpolassn for news, views and interesting links around disability issues.