Promoting mental health

Wandsworth Mental Health Promotion Forum

The Wandsworth Mental Health Promotion Forum aims to bring together individuals from local organisations to discuss, share and initiate ideas about how to promote positive mental health and challenge the stigma surrounding mental illness both within their organisations and in the community of Wandsworth.

In January 2006 we celebrated the Forum’s fifth birthday and agreed to become a Wandsworth–wide organisation. We are a diverse group, drawing members from a wide range of local organisations – statutory, voluntary and private.

We operate within the Public Mental Health framework and the Wandsworth Mental Health Promotion Strategy, which demonstrates the role of education, the work-place, the media, housing, environmental and leisure services as well as the traditional health care institutions in promoting positive mental health and challenging stigma.

World Mental Health Day on 10 October each year is a particular focus for us and last year we held a very successful public event at Putney Arts Theatre. ‘Double Take – Challenging Stigma’ used an audiovisual approach in a friendly and relaxed environment.

We meet once a month on a Wednesday afternoon from 1.30 – 3.30pm, usually at Roehampton House, next to the new Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton. It is, of course, not always possible for everyone to attend these meetings but we exist as a network too and useful partnerships are created through the Forum, which continue outside Forum meetings.

We have plenty of challenges ahead in making the Forum a successful vehicle for ‘marketing mental health’ in Wandsworth and would welcome new members to come and join us.

If you would like more information please contact:

Mary Gomez mary.gomez@swlondon.nhs.uk, Administrator

Ros Lobo ros.lobo@swlondon.nhs.uk, Public Health Mental Health

Rose de Boer rosedeboer@onlinepost.co.uk, Chair

Wandsworth Primary Care Trust
Jasmine Tower
Springfield University Hospital
61 Glenburnie Rd, Tooting
London
SW17 7DJ

Tel: 020 8682 6131

Fax: 020 8682 6223