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Last week I, along with colleagues and members of our community, attended Healing our Broken Village – the 16th annual Black Mental Health Conference. The conference overall marked a positive development in how we work together for our community.

Our Trust was first established in 1994 as The Pathfinder National Health Service NHS Trust before changing to its current name in 1999. So much more has changed over the past three decades - across our sites and our services, but also in terms of attitudes to mental health and mental illness. 

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust comes together with the nation to mark Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day to honour all those who have served, sacrificed, and endured through times of conflict. On Armistice Day on Monday November 11 2024, we will observe a two-minute silence at 11am. This moment allows us to pause and reflect, honouring the bravery and resilience of those affected by war, both past and present.

This week, we are thrilled to celebrate Occupational Therapy Week, an opportunity to recognise and appreciate the invaluable contributions of our occupational therapy team at SWLSTG. Occupational therapists play a crucial role in supporting individuals with mental health challenges, helping them to engage in meaningful activities that enhance their wellbeing and quality of life.

In celebration of Ask Your Pharmacist Week (4-11 November), we caught up with Henry, our Advanced Specialist Mental Health Pharmacist, to discuss MindMeds – a free smartphone app developed by our pharmacy team in partnership with individuals from our lived experience network.

This year’s London to Brighton ride was a tremendous success. with 15 riders fundraising specifically for our Trust charity. Together, they raised an impressive £2,881 to fund essential mental health services within our community.

In partnership with mental health charity MoMark, the South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Charitable Fund is thrilled to launch its first Winter Appeal - The ‘We Care Christmas Gift’ campaign, which will run from 1st November to 25th December . Christmas can be a trying time for patients who need to be in hospital over the festive season, particularly for those who are struggling with mental illness.

The Government are asking for your help to give your views on the strengths and weaknesses of the NHS to help inform their new 10-year Health Plan, which they aim to publish in Spring 2025.

A joint Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England team (NHSE) has been established to deliver the plan, which aims to set out how they will deliver an NHS fir for the future by creating a truly modern health service designed to meet the needs of our changing population.

Whether you have a little to say or a lot, your views, experiences and ideas will shape immediate steps and long-term changes: a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS. Please go to the dedicated website which will collect your views and go towards shaping the plan.

Today is World Occupational Therapy Day, and we’re excited to celebrate the amazing work of occupational therapists (OTs) who make a real difference in people’s lives every day. At SWLSTG, our brilliant OTs are key to helping patients on their recovery journey, improving wellbeing, and empowering them to achieve their goals.

Our Trust was delighted to host members of the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce as part of World Mental Health Day celebrations. The theme this year was ‘Workplace Mental Health’, so we were thrilled to be able to share top tips for looking after your mental health, as well as showcasing the work of our Employment Specialists with a range of employers from Wandsworth.

South West London and St George’s has partnered with Phase Space Ltd to launch an innovative pilot programme that uses specially designed hypnotherapy-based virtual reality (VR) to support patients with psychosis on their journey to recovery. 

Springfield Village Park is a new 32 acre new green space in Tooting. It will open in stages, with the first stage now being enjoyed by local communities. The full site will have a pavilion café, amphitheatre, gardens, children's playgrounds, ponds, a new footbridge and a youth shelter. There will also be areas for sports activities that are accessible to all.

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust are pleased to launch additional free mental health training programme for local residents. Designed to break mental health stigma, raise mental health awareness and improve mental health literacy, the programme has so far trained over 130 community Champions as is still growing!

It’s OCD Awareness Week (13-19 October), a worldwide event dedicated to raising awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition characterised by unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviours that can significantly impact daily life.

On World Mental Health Day (10 October), the Trust joined development partners to host two local schools at Springfield Hospital as part of our celebrations. In the newly opened area of Springfield Park, we first welcomed students from Saint John Boscoe College to cut the ribbon on a youth shelter which was designed by former student Stephanie.

Vasile Taut, a specialist pharmacist, has been named as the winner of the Trust’s Exceptional People Award for August 2024. Vasile joined SWLSTG in November 2022 and has been a highly valued member of the pharmacy team ever since.

Today, we celebrate the vital role pharmacy technicians play in healthcare. These dedicated professionals work behind the scenes to ensure our patients receive the right medications, safely and on time. At SWLSTG, we’re proud to have an exceptional team of pharmacy technicians who go above and beyond for our patients. Join us in celebrating three of our exceptional pharmacy technicians: Joy, Sumathi and Jay!

Today on Allied Health Professions (AHPs) Day, we’re proud to spotlight Jessika, an occupational therapist, and Ross, a specialist dietitian, who are both making a real difference in our eating disorder services.

Kistnen Kiswah has been a devoted member of our Trust for nearly three decades, serving as a Community Psychiatric Nurse within the Merton Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). His long-standing commitment has been instrumental in supporting the mental well-being of older adults in the community.

New signs have been installed on benches across Springfield Park, offering a simple yet impactful way to raise awareness of mental health support, especially in times of crisis. The signs display the Trust’s 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line (0800 028 8000) and the recently launched NHS 111 for Mental Health service.