In the public and third sectors, the most effective digital services aren't built in isolation they are grown from the ground up by the communities they serve.
In 2019, our founder engaged The Jiu Jitsu Foundation and Birmingham Mind to challenge the "get on with it" culture surrounding mental health. This effort formed a campaign called the #MentalHealthWarriors which was dedicated to help those struggling with mental illness were heard and supported.
Translating Effort into Life-Saving Support
When we talk about "impact" in service design, we are often talking about real-world lifelines. The funds raised by the Aston Jiu Jitsu community were dedicated to the Birmingham Mind Crisis Helpline a service that, at the time, was underfunded.
The statistics behind this service are a sobering reminder of why our work in the third sector matters:
The Cost of Care: The helpline requires approximately £33–£35 per hour to remain active.
The Value of Time: Just 20 to 40 minutes on the phone can equate to saving a life.
The Scale of the Need: One in four people in the UK suffer from mental health problems, and suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 35.
Research as an Act of Listening
Often, "user research" is framed as a clinical process. However, when tackling sensitive social challenges, research must be an act of quiet service.
By engaging with the community through martial arts based courses, bake sales, and mindfulness sessions, the goal was to understand the barriers that prevent people from seeking help.
The Lesson:
Digital signposting only works if it speaks the language of the community. Before we design a single screen, we must first listen to the lived experience of the frontline.
Service Design Beyond the Interface
Service design is the invisible thread that connects a physical event to a digital resource. For the #MentalHealthWarriors, the "service" was the journey from feeling isolated to finding a pathway to help.
Our role as partners to charities is to ensure that every touchpoint, digital or physical feels cohesive and respectful. Success is measured by how little friction a person feels when they are at their most vulnerable.
A Collaborative Legacy
This campaign was about playing a small part in a much larger mission to ensure that no one faces mental illness alone. We were happy to reach our target of fundraising £3000 for the cause. The JustGiving page can be found here as a digital artefact. By working alongside the Jiu Jitsu Foundation and Birmingham Mind, we saw first-hand that design is most powerful when it serves the community’s most essential needs.
We remain incredibly grateful to the donors, runners, and bakers who led this charge. Their work ensures that lifelines like the crisis helpline remain available for those who need them most.
Sources
Birmingham Mind (2021) Impact Report 2020-2021. Available at: https://birminghammind.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Final-Copy-Impact-Report-2020-2021.pdf (Accessed: 3 February 2026).
Mental Health Foundation (2024) Mental health statistics: men and women. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/men-women-statistics (Accessed: 3 February 2026).
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2024) Suicide in England and Wales: 2023 registrations. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicideinenglandandwales/2023registrations (Accessed: 3 February 2026).
Soren, S. (2019) Help raise £5000 to Mind - for better mental health. Available at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mental-health-warriors (Accessed: 3 February 2026).
Third Sector Human Rights and Equalities (THRE) (2023) Service Design: A Human Rights and Equalities First Approach. Available at: https://thre.org.uk/topic/service-design/ (Accessed: 3 February 2026).