Mental Health Innovation of the Year: Springfield Village celebrated at HSJ Awards
South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust was delighted to celebrate Springfield Village at the 2025 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards in central London on Thursday evening.
A finalist in the category Mental Health Innovation of the Year, the Trust’s and its partners nomination recognised the transformational impact of the redevelopment of Springfield Hospital and the creation of a new, stigma-breaking mental health community in the heart of Wandsworth.
Trust Chief Executive, Vanessa Ford, said :
“A huge thank you to all our patients, carers, staff, partners and our wider community who have helped us to create Springfield Village over the past decade. It has been inspiring to see the impact in terms of tackling mental health stigma and delivering better outcomes for our patients.
“Our vibrant new estate is testament to what can be achieved when a whole community comes together to create something truly innovative. This recognition is for everyone who has been on this amazing journey with us.”
Simon Allen, Project Director, at Sir Robert McAlpine said:
“We are proud to have worked alongside South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust and STEP as main contractor to deliver a truly transformative project for mental health care. This award is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation, and to the vision of creating inclusive, welcoming spaces that support wellbeing for all.
“Springfield Village stands as a national example of what can be achieved when communities, healthcare professionals, and developers unite with a shared purpose. We congratulate everyone involved and look forward to seeing the continued positive impact on patients, residents, and the wider community.”
A landmark partnership
Springfield Village was created thanks to a joint initiative between South West London and St George’s and Master Developer STEP (a joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Ventures and Kajima Partnerships), together with Main Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, and wider development partners including Barratt London, London Square, and City and Country.
Designed to break down mental health stigma, tackle health inequalities and create inclusive, welcoming spaces where everyone feels they belong, Springfield Village stands as a national example of how mental health care can be delivered with openness, inclusion and community at its core.
Springfield Village now includes:
- A 32-acre public park with sensory gardens, ponds, a pavilion café, a trim trail, areas for informal sport and an amphitheatre - opening green space to all and promoting active lifestyles
- More than 1,200 new homes - with nearly 40% affordable
- A new care home - offering support to the wider population
- Shops, cafés and leisure facilities, designed as shared spaces for patients, residents and local people - creating an inclusive community
- State-of-the-art inpatient facilities, Trinity and Shaftesbury, co-designed with patients, carers and staff - providing therapeutic, healing environments
- Improved transport links, including new bus routes - boosting accessibility for patients and residents alike
Thanks to the innovative design of the new Trinity and Shaftebsury buildings the Trust saw a 36% reduction in patient incidents in the 12 months following their opening. This was coupled with a 20% reduction in the Trust’s vacancy rate, highlighting the impact of the new facilities in supporting recruitment and retention.
Harriet Gladwell-Phillips, Head of Public Partnerships at Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Ventures and STEP Project Lead, said: “
We are delighted that our longstanding partnership with South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust has been recognised by the HSJ Awards.
“Delivering Springfield Village alongside the Trust team and our development and construction partners has been a complex challenge, but hugely rewarding. I am very proud of the supportive community that has been created at Springfield, it’s a place with mental wellbeing at its heart and where everyone feels welcome and respected.”
Richard Coe, Project Director, Kajima Partnerships Ltd:
“ It is wonderful to see Springfield Village recognised for its innovative approach to delivering mental health services. Throughout the project, the STEP partnership worked closely with the Trust to realise its vision of building a genuine community alongside state-of-the-art mental health facilities. After witnessing service users, staff, and local residents come together at the official opening of the site’s 32-acre public park this summer, I can confidently say that this vision has been achieved.”
As part of the innovative design, the Trinity and Shaftesbury buildings feature 20 world-class artworks created in partnership with arts and mental health charity Hospital Rooms.
Delivered through one of the largest art programmes in the history of the NHS, Hospital Rooms ran 150 workshops with patients, carers and staff, sparking meaningful conversations and creative ideas. From this collaboration, artists co-designed vibrant, uplifting artworks that are helping to shape a new creative landscape for mental healthcare in South West London.
All together, Springfield Village is a flagship part of the Trust’s Better Communities Programme which is delivering further investment across the NHS estate in South West London.
Following Springfield Hospital’s transformation the Trust and its partners are now investing £110m to redevelop Tolworth Hospital in Kingston and £30m to transform Barnes Hospital in Richmond.
Find out more about the Better Communities Programme.
