Publish date: 30 May 2024
Local people with lived experience of mental health were welcomed to a celebration event organised by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust.
The in person ‘Specialised Services – Lived experiences Celebration Day’ was co-produced by members of AWP staff, involvees, peer mentors and peer support workers.
The event featured a number of interactive workshops, and celebrated the contribution of people with lived experience including those now in peer support and mentoring roles.
Rachel Heron Specialised Clinical Lead at AWP, said: “The event highlighted the breadth of involvement at AWP including service development, peer led service evaluation, advocacy, peer mentoring and peer support.
"Our involvees, peer mentors and peer support workers shared their own inspirational stories throughout the day, discussing how involvement has supported their own recovery journeys and recognising how their contribution is both valued and respected by the organisation.”
Vicky Horner, Peer Support Worker at AWP, said: The importance of lived experience and service user involvement is sometimes not given the gravitas it deserves. Shaping services and truly making a difference relies on such input and the true impact shone brightly at the event.
“As someone with lived experience and the privilege of having a job where I can use it to shed a glimmer of hope in someone’s time of hopelessness, I truly understand the magic of peer support and service user involvement.”
Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) provides healthcare for people with serious mental illness, learning disabilities and autism in inpatient and community-based settings. We service a population of around 1.8 million across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Swindon and Wiltshire, and Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
For more information on involvement at AWP click here.
