The Altering Images of Mentality (AIM) group evolved from the Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Promotion Department’s ‘World Mental Health Day Planning Group’. The founder and Chair of the planning group, Alison Cornish, who died in May 2005, was a helpful, caring and dearly loved colleague.

In early 2003, the members agreed that they would like to promote positive mental health across the whole year instead of just focusing on one day.

The group’s constitution was adopted in February 2003 and AIM became a charity in August 2003 (Charity Number 1098973).

The object of the charity is to enable and empower the local community to address all issues surrounding mental health in an effort to tackle discrimination and to reduce the stigma felt by people with mental health problems.