Brand-new publisher takes benefits of cards to next level funding wellbeing resources
The message that greeting cards are good for mental health has been made loud and clear – and now new publisher Brilliantly Brave is taking it to the next level.
Based in the north of Scotland, the business has launched with four card ranges aimed at encouraging, supporting, amusing, and positively impacting anyone in need of a lift while also channelling the profits into providing free-at-the-point-of-delivery mental wellbeing training, coaching, and peer-support.
The team of graphic designer Stuart Cox and mental health trainer and coach Jean Pryde have joined forces to nurture mental wellbeing “one card, one course, one life at a time”.
“This approach is our answer to the growing need for accessible mental wellbeing resources,” said Stuart, who is also the creative genius behind the I Like Birds brand, “especially at a time when public funding is increasingly limited.
“By combining Jean’s first-hand knowledge of what works for individuals, and my graphic design and greeting card background we’re creating a business with one outlook and a dual purpose. We’re hoping to create a virtuous circle, turning everyday sentiments into powerful tools for mental wellbeing.”
He has worked in health and social care in Scotland for over 20 years mainly in a mental health setting before moving to the corporate team where he’s working on the design side, while Jean is a seasoned professional in the field, and the founder of Green Ribbons Mental Health Coaching & Training.
Based in Moray, her organisation is at the forefront of delivering mental health first aid training across the region. Jean’s leadership in Green Ribbons is distinguished by her commitment to enhancing mental health awareness and support, underpinned by her belief in the power of knowledge, empathy, and resilience.
Jean explained the philosophy behind Brilliantly Brave: “By intertwining the art of thoughtful communication with the science of mental health support, we’re hoping to break new ground in community wellbeing.
“Whether you give or receive our cards we hope they give people a lift and in doing so they’re funding tangible mental health and wellbeing training and support in the community. We think that’s a win/win!”
It isn’t just the recipient who benefits psychologically from receiving a card, the sender does too – the GCA has flagged up research showing that being kind and generous leads to more positive moods and less anxiety. The evidence certainly points to the fact that sending and receiving cards leads to greater happiness through keeping people emotionally connected.
And the industry association says the benefits of cards to mental wellbeing are numerous. The recipient can feel more socially connected and less alone. Reducing a sense of isolation through sending a card is an easy way to make a difference and show that you are thinking of that person.
Stuart won’t be taking a penny out of the company, working with Jean to ensure “profits go toward a more resilient community” – selling 1,000 cards will provide a two-day mental health first aid training course to 16 people, or set up a longer-term peer-support group and, if the cards take off, they’ll be looking at hiring freelance specialist trainers in fields such as adhd or neurodiversity.
Working with The Imaging Centre as its print house, the trade website is now open – with Calladoodles in Carshalton placing the first order – as Brilliantly Brave has launched with four distinct and visually diverse ranges, Bob-Cut Boosts, Cheerful Chapters, Benevolent Blooms and Woolly Wisdom, and the aim is to expand the collections in the summer then update a couple of times a year.
With the publisher’s social media at Facebook and Instagram already gaining attention, there’s a launch party planned in Moray in February to put Brilliantly Brave and its greeting cards crafted with the purpose to encourage, support, amuse, and positively impact anyone in need of a lift, well and truly on the map.
