May 2025 was a very busy month when separate key initiatives and series of exciting events took place all over Europe in the area of mental health such as:  

Mental Health Awareness Week  and European Mental Health Week

As JADE Health is committed to share innovative solutions that support people´s mental wellbeing across the life course and reduce health inequalities as well as elevate societal awareness against stigma, we have asked our project partners and affiliated entities to inform us about programmes which build inclusiveness and support communities in order to promote well-being, cater various needs and lifestyles. 

We have received interesting news from Germany from the Federal Institute of Public Health 

‘Making children strong’ tour 2025 (original: „Kinder stark machen“-Tour) 

‘What you experience by yourself leaves the strongest impression’ - this is the motto of the ‘Making children strong’ roadshow adventure land touring throughout Germany this year. The tour initiated by the Federal Institute of Public Health´s (BIÖG) started on 1 May, 2025 at the Kulturvolksfest in Recklinghausen, and will visit a total of 13 sports and family festivals across the country encouraging children and their families to take part.  

With this initiative, the Federal Institute of Public Health is strengthening children in their physical, mental and spiritual development. The aim is to encourage them to discover and consolidate their own strengths at an early age - and thus prevent risky consumption of alcohol, nicotine or other addictive substances. 

In the adventure land, children can try out what ‘being strong’ means at various hands-on stations such as the climbing garden, the confidence course and the play stage. By climbing, balancing and doing gymnastics, they gain a sense of achievement, overcome boundaries and strengthen their self-confidence. Parents learn how they can make such ‘empowering’ experiences possible in everyday life. 

In the counselling tent, the Federal Institute of Public Health offers information for parents on how to help children grow up healthy.  

For further details visit: https://www.kinderstarkmachen.de/tour/ 

Participatory campaign ‘Smoke-free in May’ ( “Rauchfrei im Mai”) 

Anyone who considers and wants to stop smoking was invited to register for the nationwide ‘Smoke-free in May’ campaign - initiated jointly by the Federal Institute of Public Health, the Federal Drug Commissioner and German Cancer Aid. Those who remains smoke-free in May has the chance to win up to 1,000 euros. People who want to support a smoker in the campaign can also take part. 

With more than 127,000 tobacco-related deaths per year and around 90 % of lung cancer cases attributed to smoking, tobacco consumption is the greatest avoidable health risk. Quitting smoking is therefore always worthwhile: lung function improves after just a few weeks and the risk of heart disease decreases significantly after a year. Quitting smoking also protects our children, friends and colleagues: Because passive smoking is also harmful to health. 

Further information: https://www.rauchfrei-im-mai.de/ 

Town Hall for health authorities ‘Queer diversity and health’ (“Queere Vielfalt und Gesundheit“) 

The Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) organised an event for Health Authorities on the topic of ‘Queer Diversity and Health’ on 15 May 2025. 

Queer diversity is of great importance in health promotion and prevention. People who are not heterosexual and/or not cis*-gendered face particular challenges with regard to health aspects, some of which are intertwined and can range from psychological stress to their effects on physical health. 

The so-called conversion treatments - measures aimed at changing or suppressing a person´s sexual orientation or gender identity - pose a particularly perfidious threat to health. The consequences of such pseudo-therapies are anxiety, isolation and depression, which can even lead to suicide. Against this backdrop, the Townhall – on the occasion of IDAHOBIT*, the International Day against Homo-, Bi-, Inter- and Transphobia -  hosted the event dedicated to the topic of queer diversity.