Scroll to
Most innovative mental health intervention
Most innovative proactive wellbeing intervention
Inspirational mental health story (over 18s)
Public nomination for an outstanding professional
Outstanding contribution to the mental health and wellbeing sector
Most Innovative Mental Health Intervention
Set up in 2013 by a psychiatric patient who had recently experienced suicidal crisis herself, Suicide Crisis is a registered charity which provides Suicide Crisis Centres in Gloucestershire. It also runs a separate Trauma Centre providing a combination of services such as home visits and emergency phone lines for clients, training, psychiatric advise, and alike.
Innovation
Suicide Crisis Centre clients decide how often the specialists will visit them, what kind of care and support they will receive, and they even decide when they feel ready to leave the service. The client has control to make decisions as much as possible, while professionals actively intervene to protect their life when they are at risk of suicide.
The wider impact of the Suicide Crisis Centre is described in the book “Suicide Prevention Techniques: How A Suicide Crisis Centre Saves Lives” (published in 2018 by Hachette UK). The book explains in detail why all Suicide Crisis clients have survived under their care. You can purchase the book here.
Most innovative wellbeing intervention
Black Dog Outdoors are passionate about outdoor activities and helping people to improve their mental health. Qualified outdoor professionals together with Mental Health First Aiders organise walking, climbing and paddle sport events throughout the UK that are free to attend for those affected by poor mental health. Black Dog Outdoors provide an opportunity to meet like-minded people without fear of being judged, and gain confidence in own abilities.
Innovation
Black Dog Outdoors offer events free of charge for those affected by poor mental health. Events are run by volunteers who give up their time to provide a fun, supportive and safe experience for the attendees.
Black Dig Outdoors events also involve trainee leaders / instructors to help them gain experience of group management. Outdoor setting is beneficial to upskill and empower people to get out on their own.
Click to the links to learn more about the Black dog Outdoors: Mental health and outdoors, Join the Black Dog Outdoors Big Day Out, Green Exercise for Mental Health, Virtual Award Winners, How project managers can look after their mental health in trying times
Support During the Pandemic
Team BEDS&LUTON bring together a range of groups across Luton, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire, including community organisations, national governing bodies, coaches, clubs and volunteers to support, develop and promote physical activity in the local area.
Making an impact during the pandemic
Bedford Borough Council and Robert Lindsay reacted swiftly to the initial lockdown in March 2020. They set up online sport and physical activity sessions, delivered by a qualified coach with the opportunity to socialise at the end of the session to make new friends and ensure the community felt connected. With many of the participants being on their own this really helped motivate and improve mental health during a very lonely time.
Watch this video of a couple who was impacted by online classes during the pandemic.
Nordoff Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity dedicated to bringing high quality music therapy to as many people as possible. Through the use of music they enrich the lives of people with life-limiting illnesses, disabilities and feelings of isolation.
Making an impact during the pandemic
The pandemic required a creative approach by the music therapists to continue their work. They discovered different activities that would benefit to service users, which included songwriting, music appreciation sessions and musical ‘discovery’ projects – group members introducing their musical passions and new discoveries to each other, singing together with users muted (only the music therapist is heard).
Read more about how the Hospice Choir continued to practise via Zoom
onHand is an award winning volunteer matching solution. IBM describes us as an “Uber for Volunteering”. Their mission is to make it simple for businesses all over the UK to engage employees whilst also giving back to communities.
Impact during the pandemic
We developed our tech to meet the growing need for help. Our project now delivers systems innovation, using tech to find and automate matching of volunteers with people in need. The onHand app has the ability to vet and track volunteers and allows volunteers to instantly claim shopping refunds, payment of which are then automated back to the volunteer.
Inspirational story
Harry Bliss
For a long time, Harry has been aware of the importance of mental wellbeing. After experiencing his own mental health struggles during university, he graduated determined to use his knowledge to galvanise change in the way people view, approach and deal with mental wellbeing in the workplace.
At the age of just 24, he took a leap of faith, and founded his own company: Champion Health. Champion Health would work with organisations to help them be proactive about looking after the mental health of their employees. In doing so, they would ensure that struggling employees could quickly get the help they needed.
Interview with Harry Bliss; The why behind Champion Health
Kate Rodgers
At the very young age of 24, Kate began to show signs of not being well. Kate did not end up in the big theatre in Down town Toronto as she hoped, but ended up in the psychiatric wing of the big hospital in downtown Toronto. So began her journey of mental health and mental illness, but more so, her journey of maintenance and recovery.
Based on her personal experience and research, she wrote a play called ‘Cracked Up’ to tell her story in the hopes that it would help people with their recovery journey. The play became incredibly successful and was played in Canada, New Zealand, England and Ireland.
Currently Kate is also one of the directors of a theatre company for people with mental health challenges. The entire members have now found a voice and a platform on which to use that voice.
Public nomination for an outstanding professional
Sue Bell
Sue Bell founded Kids Inspire in 2007, a not-for-profit organisation providing mental health and trauma recovery support for children, young people and their families. It is a unique organisation with over 100 paid or voluntary staff working across Essex, and beyond. The aim of Kids Inspire is to support disadvantaged children, young people and their families to build resilience, heal from trauma and reclaim their lives.
Sue is extremely well known in her community for her support of children’s mental health. She has the backing of her local MP, local authority and numerous community groups including the Rotary, Lions and Round Table.
A poem that one of Sue’s close friends has written in response to her achievements.
Find more about Kids Inspire.
Outstanding contribution to the mental health and wellbeing sector
Alison Donkin
Ali is the heart and soul behind the creation of a new Recovery College for North Tyneside. Ali works for VODA, a registered charity that passionately believes in the power of volunteers and community groups to change people’s lives for the better. For nearly 30 years VODA has been the ‘beating heart’ of the voluntary and community sector in North Tyneside, providing essential support to hundreds of volunteers and community groups each year.
Ali’s commitment to partnership working and collaboration has helped to sustain and grow the level of mental health provision across the borough of North Tyneside by applying different approaches to supporting local residents such as sports and creative writing.
Find more about VODA and the impact that they are making.
Annalise Baker
Annalise is Oakleaf’s Client Services Manager, responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity’s client-facing staff, and ensuring high-quality service provision for our hundreds of clients managing their mental ill-health.
Since Covid-19 Annalise has been on the front line of successfully adapting Oakleaf’s services to be delivered remotely, managed the huge increase in need and poor mental wellbeing within our client base, created innovative ways of supporting clients, and has looked after the wellbeing of team. Annalise and her team worked incredibly long hours at the start of the pandemic to reassure and support clients on an individual basis.
