On September 11–12, the MentBox consortium gathered in Koper, Slovenia, for its annual Plenary Meeting, hosted by the University of Primorska – Andrej Marušič Institute. This was the first opportunity for partners to meet in person since the project’s launch, marking one year of progress and collaboration.

Over two days, partners reviewed the advances achieved so far and discussed the next steps to ensure the continuity and impact of the project.

Key topics covered:
🔹 Review of progress across all work packages.
🔹 Findings from the first round of interviews with communities and planning for stage two.
🔹 Ministries engagement – progress to date and upcoming consultations.
🔹 Contribution of FAKALI – Federation of Roma Women’s Associations, addressing stigma and participation in MentBox.
🔹 MH-Toolbox – digital format and content.
🔹 Opportunities to promote MentBox across Europe.
🔹 Project coordination and upcoming deliverables.

The meeting concluded with MentBox’s participation in Community Day 2025, also hosted in Koper. A highlight of the event was the keynote session “Two Faces of Depression: Personal Experience and Professional Insight”, featuring two separate lectures by Prof. Ulrich Hegerl (EAAD) and Erik van der Eycken (GAMIAN-Europe), offering both clinical and lived-experience perspectives on depression.

This gathering was an excellent opportunity to align efforts, share knowledge, and reinforce the consortium’s joint commitment to building effective, locally adapted mental health tools across Europe.