A MENTAL health charity urged workplaces to encourage staff to talk more openly about their mental health as it launched a new campaign.

Oxfordshire Mind hopes that staff in the emergency services, local government, schools and other workplaces will open up about their personal experiences for a new book being put together for World Mental Health Day on October, 10.

The book will feature a collection of thoughts and opinions on mental health, and people are being encouraged to submit a pledge, photo, art work, poem or any other contribution before the day itself.

Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds, who visited the charity's Osney Mead base in West Oxford on Monday as part of her support for the campaign, said: "It is really important that people's experience of having a mental health problem can be shared with others.

"The figures show us that so many people will experience these problems in their life time and this book is a great way of highlighting that you do not have to face these things alone and that there is help out there.

"It can also be uplifting and show people who are struggling that these problems can be overcome."

Oxfordshire Mind is also planning an ‘Olympic relay’ style event on the day itself with four different teams of people visiting various workplaces across Oxfordshire to share pages from the book.

Schools, colleges, businesses and hospitals will be all be stops on the relay before the teams converge on County Hall in Oxford at 4.30pm, where the campaigners will submit the book to Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth in the hope that some of the contributions will influence policy decisions on health at the local authority.

Oxfordshire Mind's CEO, Dan Knowles, said: "Mental health in the workplace is becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

"Most recently we've seen firefighters having to take long term mental health leave, particularly after the Grenfell tower fire.

"Let's hope that nothing like that ever happens here, but if it did, we need to make sure that staff are properly equipped with the training and support to be able to do their job.

"We are trying to make sure the voice of mental health is heard and we need everyone to get involved."

Oxfordshire Mind will be accepting contributions to the book until October, 10 and they can be made anonymously.

To submit a contribution go to oxfordshiremind.org.uk/world-mental-health-day