Local businesses invited to ‘Punt & Pastry’ event

Punt & Pastry is one of many events taking place on Mental Health Awareness Week – a week-long campaign that takes place every year in May. This year it takes place on 11-17 May 2026. It highlights the importance of good mental health, challenges stigma and promotes practical actions people can take to support their own wellbeing. It’s one of the most high-profile public health campaigns in the UK, reaching millions of people through media, workplaces, schools, and community events.

The Punt & Pastry event takes place on Tuesday 12^th May and offers attendees the chance to network with a difference, away from the office environment and encourages us to pause and take notice of our natural environment.

The event will invite local businesses to connect with other local organisations and find out more about CPSL Mind’s vital services, including how the charity has been successfully supporting people through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) WorkWell programme. The event will also focus on CPSL Mind’s Wellbeing in the Workplace training and how businesses can support their teams.

The event is supported by Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, who recognise the importance of this national campaign.

Reflecting on working in partnership with CPSL Mind, Zoe Brennan, Events and Training Manager at Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, said, “At Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, we recognise that supporting mental health is not just the right thing to do – it’s vital for a healthy, productive business community. Our collaboration with CPSL Mind during Mental Health Awareness Week highlights the important role local organisations can play in breaking stigma and encouraging open conversations in the workplace.

“Poor mental health has a very real impact on businesses, from increased absenteeism and reduced productivity to the wider cost of staff turnover. By working together with local employers and charities like CPSL Mind, we can raise awareness, provide support, and help create working environments where people feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.”

The need for employers to support staff wellbeing couldn’t be greater; 22.9 million working days were lost due to stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25¹ and poor mental health cost employers £51 billion annually in 2024². According to Mind, 1 in 4 people experience a mental health challenge in any given year.

CPSL Mind tailors its mental health training courses to suit individual business needs. There are many benefits from attending mental health in the workplace training courses, for example, participants will gain skills to be able to recognise signs of stress in the workplace, understand how to develop an open team culture, and develop strategies for supporting staff with their mental health.

Ashley Bunn, Chief Executive at CPSL Mind, said, “We are delighted to be hosting our Punt & Pastry business networking event on Mental Health Awareness Week 2026. We are looking forward to offering businesses the opportunity to network with local people and learn new perspectives on supporting mental health in the workplace.”

Event participants will also enjoy a nature walk (15 minutes) from Chesterton Road through Jesus Green to meet the team at Let’s Go Punting. A group of 3 punts will then meander down the River Cam, taking in the historic sights, and continuing important conversations from the seats of a punt.

By attending this event, you will be helping CPSL Mind to support more people in its communities. All funds raised locally, say local. CPSL Mind is a local and independent charity and supports 8,000 people each year.

£15.00 from each ticket booked will be donated to CPSL Mind.

*Please note there are limited tickets available for this event, so please book early to secure your spot.

*There is no on-site parking available at the CPSL Mind office, so please consider use of public car parks or public transport.

Event Details

Date:
12 May 2026

Time:
9.45am-12.15pm

Location:
CPSL Mind Office, 100 Chesterton Road

To book your place, visit the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce website: https://www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk/events-training/events/punt-pastry-mental-health-awareness-week/

CPSL Mind will be running a number of events throughout Mental Health Awareness, including in Cambridge, St Neots, Peterborough, and South Lincolnshire, which are around the theme ‘Moments of Joy’. This reflects the work the charity does every day – supporting people on their recovery journey so they can reconnect with the things that bring them happiness and meaning. Whether through music, exercise, art, gardening, or connecting with nature and conversation, CPSL Mind will aim to help people find their own Moments of Joy within their local communities.

To get involved with CPSL Mind’s ‘Moments of Joy’ campaign throughout Mental Health Awareness week, visit: https://www.cpslmind.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/

CPSL Mind will be using the hashtags #MomentsofJoy #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #CPSLMind throughout the week.

References

1 Working days lost in Great Britain – HSE  (HSE 2026)

2 Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year for employees | Deloitte UK (Deloitte 2024)