Virtual event held to mark World Mental Health Day
This year’s World Mental Health Day, was marked with a virtual event in Slough for the first time. The event was a collaboration between the council and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, under the umbrella of Enabling Town Slough was held digitally for over three hours with over 50 people presenting.
The focus of the conference was connectedness and mental health professionals and residents affected by mental health came together virtually to commemorate and raise awareness of the national day.
Natasha Berthollier, senior lead for co-production, inclusion and recovery, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We chose the theme of connectedness for this year’s celebration and its importance for our mental health. When we say connectedness, it means connecting to others but also to ourselves, to our own emotions and struggles, to the environment around us, both social and physical, and to our Slough community as a whole.”
Seb Byrne, head of mental health services, Slough Borough Council continued: “Connections are now more important than ever. As we adapt to a world altered by Covid-19, levels of isolation and distress increase – but the need for physical distancing should not impact our connections. Connections with others are vital in ensuring all good mental health and wellbeing.”
Other speakers at the conference were Susanna Yeoman, divisional director for mental health services, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, who focused on the importance of partnership-working in Slough in her speech and also talked about the event being a testament to our collective determination and commitment not to let the pandemic come in a way of connectedness as a community. Alan Sinclair, Slough Borough Council director for adults and communities spoke about the connectedness during the pandemic through #OneSlough response and the importance of our co-production model with peer mentors, evident through the awards mental health services have won over the last year.
Sue Foley, the council’s public health service lead, spoke about how the foundations built before the pandemic allowed for the continued connectedness and to grow stronger through it.
Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Councillor Natasa Pantelic, said: “Despite this year presenting us with a number of barriers with the way we communicate and stay connected to others, it has been wonderful to see how people have found the ways to adapt. We need to build on these as a community here in Slough and today’s conference has given us the opportunity to connect again.”
Visit www.EnablingTownSlough.org for more information.
The focus of the conference was connectedness and mental health professionals and residents affected by mental health came together virtually to commemorate and raise awareness of the national day.
Natasha Berthollier, senior lead for co-production, inclusion and recovery, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We chose the theme of connectedness for this year’s celebration and its importance for our mental health. When we say connectedness, it means connecting to others but also to ourselves, to our own emotions and struggles, to the environment around us, both social and physical, and to our Slough community as a whole.”
Seb Byrne, head of mental health services, Slough Borough Council continued: “Connections are now more important than ever. As we adapt to a world altered by Covid-19, levels of isolation and distress increase – but the need for physical distancing should not impact our connections. Connections with others are vital in ensuring all good mental health and wellbeing.”
Other speakers at the conference were Susanna Yeoman, divisional director for mental health services, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, who focused on the importance of partnership-working in Slough in her speech and also talked about the event being a testament to our collective determination and commitment not to let the pandemic come in a way of connectedness as a community. Alan Sinclair, Slough Borough Council director for adults and communities spoke about the connectedness during the pandemic through #OneSlough response and the importance of our co-production model with peer mentors, evident through the awards mental health services have won over the last year.
Sue Foley, the council’s public health service lead, spoke about how the foundations built before the pandemic allowed for the continued connectedness and to grow stronger through it.
Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Councillor Natasa Pantelic, said: “Despite this year presenting us with a number of barriers with the way we communicate and stay connected to others, it has been wonderful to see how people have found the ways to adapt. We need to build on these as a community here in Slough and today’s conference has given us the opportunity to connect again.”
Visit www.EnablingTownSlough.org for more information.
