There isn't always one reason why someone struggles with their mental health. Sometimes, it is every little thing.
That is the idea behind the Every Little Thing Festival, which returns to Reading on Sunday 4 October. Founded by Sinead Gibson following the death of her daughter, Diva, the festival brings together conversations about mental health and suicide prevention with wellbeing activities, live speakers, music and opportunities to connect with others.
This year's festival is being held in partnership with Project Salama, a charity that provides support to victims of domestic abuse, with a particular focus on diverse communities. The festival will bring together individual speakers, community organisations and wellbeing practitioners to explore some of the different experiences that can affect people's mental health.
Speakers will include Shocka, a rapper and mental health advocate, Hibu Wardere, a survivor of FGM, and Dr Carly Jones MBE, who will discuss her lived experience with autism along with her work in driving policy change. There will be discussions around men's mental health with Men's Walking and Talking and Construction Buddies. The Adult Autism Team will also be there to speak with anyone who may have questions. These are just some of the speakers that will be attending this year's festival.
Alongside the talks, there will be opportunities to take part in yoga classes, meditation, sound-based relaxation, music, spoken word and creative activities. The idea is not that there is one way to look after your mental health, but that people can explore what is useful or interesting to them.
After Diva's death, Sinead found herself being asked why it had happened and what had gone wrong. But she came to realise that there was not a simple answer. Instead, there were many different experiences, circumstances and challenges that had formed pieces of a much bigger jigsaw. Looking back, she felt that if some of those pieces had been in place, including the right support and understanding, the outcome might have been different.
That realisation became part of the inspiration behind the festival and its name. Our experiences, relationships and everyday lives can all play a part in how we feel, which is why the festival brings together such a broad mix of subjects and activities.
Some might come to learn more about autism, hear about men's mental health, understand an issue they know little about, find out how to support someone else, or some may simply want to spend an afternoon exploring different ways to look after their own wellbeing. There is no expectation that visitors need to be struggling themselves to take part.
The hope behind Every Little Thing Festival is that people leave having learned something, connected with someone, discovered something that makes them feel good, or perhaps just started a conversation they might not otherwise have had. It is about building the foundations for a future where no one has to navigate their mental health alone.
Every Little Thing Festival takes place on Sunday 4 October 2026 at Pentahotel Reading, from 12pm to 6pm. Tickets are £10 and you can buy them on the Every Little Thing Festival website: https://www.everylittlethingfestival.com/. If you cannot attend but would like to support the event, you can pay forward for a ticket so someone else who is struggling financially can attend.
Event venue
Pentahotel Reading, Oxford Rd, Reading RG1 7RH, United Kingdom, Reading
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.