Trust ‘commended’ for community mental health programme at Wandsworth Chamber Awards
Our Trust was thrilled to be commended at the 2025 Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce Awards for our innovative mental health training programme.
In partnership with Mental Health First Aid England, and funded by the Trust Charitable Fund, the programme has seen over 200 Champions trained in across 18 sessions.
Mental Health First Aid training is a key part of the Trust’s work to raise mental health awareness, challenge stigma, improve mental health literacy and support community engagement. By equipping people with the skills and confidence to support their own and others’ mental health the Trust hopes to foster better understanding of mental health and mental ill health.
In its first phase, the Trust’s Mental Health Frist Aid programme has supported the opening of the new Springfield Village and the integration of Springfield Hospital with this new community. The village includes a new 32-acre park, a public square, new mental health facilities, retail outlets and over 1,200 new homes, with a third affordable. All new residents have been offered the opportunity to take up the training.
Better Communities Director Ian Garlington said:
‘Our ambition has always been to create a community with mental health at its heart, and this programme has been central to achieving that aim. We wanted to provide new residents with the chance to understand more about mental health, to visit our site and see for themselves what a modern, codesigned mental health facility looks like. Above all, we want to ensure as many people in the communities we serve have the confidence and skills to support their families, friends, colleagues and communities.’
Looking ahead, the Trust is preparing to launch the next stage of its programme with the introduction of a new ‘Train the Trainer’ model, aimed at ensuring the sustainable roll-out of Mental Health First Aid training in the years to come.
Feedback from the programme has been extremely positive, with 90% of Champions feeling confident to help someone as a result of the training.
Importantly, attendees have told us that following the training, they have been able to put their training into practice. ‘I have a close family friend who was recently diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder, and also experienced a manic episode. The course helped me apply techniques learned, to practice engaging, non-judgemental conversations.
The Trust has worked closely with the Chamber since becoming a member in 2024, and hosted one of the networking events in our new Trinity Building. At the session, attendees heard more about the Trust – including our employment services – and were offered the chance to sign up to future MHFA training dates.
