Making a difference with Mental Health UK: colleague stories

Kevin Toovey, Senior Bank Manager, Guildford

Kevin has been with the Group for more than 33 years and he is a stalwart of our Mental Health UK fundraising.

In 2019, Kevin was one of thirty-five colleagues who took part in the Walk the Talk trek in China, a five-day hike along the Great Wall of China.

Walk the Talk aims to get people walking and talking about mental health, helping to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness whilst raising funds for Mental Health UK. And he was the top fundraiser on the trip, collecting more than £16,000 from sponsors.

Kevin has organised annual team fundraisers for Mental Health UK ever since, recruiting colleagues from the South Central region to get involved too.

In 2020, the South Central team raised more than £15,000 for Mental Health UK and even at the height of the pandemic during 2021 they managed to raise more than £18,000 through their Mission Slimpossible challenge, losing lbs and raising £s by running, cycling, swimming, dancing and more.

Niki Garcha-Davies, Head of Financial Crime, Commercial Banking, Telford

Niki was one of the first Lloyds Banking Group colleagues who signed up to become a trained mental health advocate.

She was inspired to make a difference after experiencing mental health problems in her own family and struggling to get the right support.

Now she works to help tackle mental health stigma in the workplace by encouraging open conversations among colleagues and equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to protect their mental health.

Niki was also one of 70 Lloyds Banking Group colleagues who took part in the second Walk the Talk fundraiser in 2019, which saw them trek for five days across Cambodia to Angkor Wat, raising more than £200,000 along the way.

Gavin Eastwood, ARA Team Manager

Gavin knows the importance of supporting people with poor mental health only too well.

As someone who has suffered himself after facing some personal challenges, Gavin has turned his energies to helping others and the dedication and effort he has shown are an example to all.

He’s seen first-hand how the right help can change lives for the better, and his work to make sure everyone can access the support they need is nothing short of inspirational.

He has completed the Belfast Marathon as an individual and as part of a relay team for the last four years and he will join a team of 30 adventurous colleagues taking on another gruelling fundraising trek.

And Gavin has helped grow the Bloom programme in his community, referring a local school which went on to train 100 teachers to better support their pupils’ mental health resilience, helping them maintain their mental health through the changes and challenges of life.