New look centre named in tribute to staff member

A recently refurbished unit at Kendray Hospital in Barnsley has been renamed after a former colleague who recently passed away.

The James Barnes Centre has been updated to provide counselling rooms for community mental health teams. The service is provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

James worked for the Trust for many years, originally as a team leader and then as part of the senior management team for community mental health in Barnsley. He then moved on to work with NHS England for a while. Sadly, James died from cancer in December 2015.

The facility was opened by the Trust’s chief executive Rob Webster and James’ mother and father. The ceremony was attended by James’ wife, members of his extended family and colleagues.

Rob said: “The centre is a fitting memory to James’ dedication to mental health services in Barnsley. It was a real honour to open the building and hear his mother’s tribute to the boy who wanted to be a hero when he grew up. That dream came true and the centre will be a lasting reminder of James’ generosity of spirit and commitment to helping others.”