Togetherall

Challenge​

People living with poor mental health, or experiencing psychological distress, are facing increased challenges in accessing support or treatment. Traditional, or one to one, services are not easily accessible and have increasingly long waiting times, with the ongoing demand outstripping the ability to supply. Although one in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem, the majority won’t get treatment. ​

Given the clinical threshold to access support can be high, the early stages of mental health issues often go untreated, increasing longer-term issues, or more severe manifestations, which puts increased pressure on traditional services.

​Approach​

Togetherall is a population-based solution providing a safe, clinically managed online community where people living with mild to moderate mental health problems can talk anonymously to their peers about their feelings and experiences. It also offers courses and resources for users to self-manage their mental health and is monitored by trained practitioners 24/7. ​Togetherall received investment to grow their service from LGT Lightstone's £36 million Impact Ventures UK fund, into which Big Society Capital invested £15 million. Revenue is generated through commissioning organisations including national health providers, provinces, states, government departments, the armed forces and higher education institutions. It is free at the point of access for all individuals within these populations.

​Impact​

Togetherall members get instant access to 24/7 peer-to-peer support with 70% of members joining because it is easy to access, and over 50% use the service outside of normal working hours where other services are limited or non-existent.

Over 255,000 people from UK, North America and New Zealand have been supported through the Togetherall platform to date with 84,000 joining in the last 12 months. Togetherall also successfully supports the traditionally hard to reach populations who suffer from stigma, isolation and practical access issues; such as males, unemployed, homeless and BAME communities.

​Responding to COVID​-19

As a result of the pandemic more people are experiencing heightened levels of isolation, anxiety, and depression, and the demand for online mental health support services has increased.​

​Togetherall was well-positioned to respond, thanks to its established service proposition and online delivery model. It has not only seen a significant increase in the number of people accessing the platform from existing partnerships but has also been able to onboard many new partnerships over a short period of time.

​Stockport and Glasgow City Councils have now commissioned the service to support local residents. The University of Oxford has also recently become Togetherall's 98th UK higher-education client, increasing the number of UK students who can access the service to nearly 1.5 million. Meanwhile Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that all Canadians over the age of 16 would be able to access the Togetherall platform via Wellness Together Canada.

Rebranding for the future

This year they changed their name from Big White Wall to Togetherall.

It’s a name that communicates a message of safety and belonging to all people, regardless of ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religious belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Because mental health is for all.

Hundreds of studies have looked at the powerful role of social support in mental health. By offering a welcoming community for all people, that helps them to cope, feel better, and even thrive, Togetherall is defining a new way.