ONE of the UK's largest mental health providers is joining Southampton Pride this weekend.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust will be joining the party on August 24 to provide mental health advice and support to the LGBT community by asking festival-goers #HowRUToday.

Those who identify as LGBT are nearly twice as likely to experience a mental health problem, research has shown.

Southern Health will be hosting a stall on the day inside Southampton Guildhall from 11am, where staff members will be posing the question ‘HowRUToday?’ to pride-goers with the aim of opening up a conversation about mental health.

There will be clinicians available to talk to those who recognise they need support, as well as contact cards to take away with them.

Diversity and inclusion lead Sarb Birk, who will be leading Southern Health’s involvement said: “Our hope is that we will be able to provide advice on how to access support services both on the day, and by giving out handy contact cards with useful numbers.

"We know that this community often suffer with mental health illness and we want to be able to support them. Our contact cards give vital information on how you can get support any time of the day or night.”

Julia Fountain, workforce business manager at Southern Health added: “Pride represents the importance of being with others who want to change the world for the better, to stand in unity; it is so important that I belong to a Trust that continues to stand up for us, for our rights and for equality, a Trust where I belong and I matter.”