You may or may not have heard that I will be leaving Centre for Mental Health in December to become the new chief executive of Mind. I am going with a heavy heart, but I am so proud of what we have achieved as a small but mighty organisation. Rest assured I’ll keep fighting tooth and nail for equality in mental health in my new position. A huge thank you for your continued support for our work over the years.
In other news, we’ve published a new report and podcast exploring BBC Children In Need’s A Million & Me programme and what it can teach us about supporting children’s mental health through encouraging play and positive relationships.
As it’s Black History Month, we encourage you to take a look back at this event marking 20 years since we published Breaking the circles of fear, and reflecting on the change still desperately needed to improve relationships between mental health services and Black communities in the UK.
Evaluating BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me programme
Our evaluation of A Million & Me finds that play and the everyday interactions between children and the adults they trust are vital to give children the best chance of having good mental health.
Drawing on our evaluation of a BBC Children in Need programme, Juliet Snell discusses the rediscovering the power of relationships, fun, creativity, and self-expression in building children's mental health.
In her final piece, Dr Amy Pollard reflects on her residency's journey, from acknowledging the way people with mental health problems have been 'banished' from society to encouraging a 'coming together' which recognises our shared humanity, beyond reason.
