Mental health charity celebrates 10 years of creativity

Creative Minds, a charity who support people’s mental health and wellbeing through creativity and the arts, celebrated 10 years this week.

The occasion was marked by a celebration event held at Huddersfield University on 29 June which welcomed over 100 service users, partners and staff to reflect on key achievements from the past 10 years and look at visions for the future.

Creative Minds is a charity hosted by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, who work with people across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. The charity co-funds and co-delivers projects for local people using physical and mental health services to build confidence, learn new skills and develop their talents.

Since its launch in November 2011, Creative Minds has enabled over 500 projects inside and outside of NHS services, alongside facilitating over 100 sports events, which benefit over 6,500 local people each year. The charity also has around 130 partner organisations working across its four areas.

Throughout the celebration, guest speakers shared their experiences and thoughts of why creative approaches can play an important part in healthcare and a person’s recovery.

Attendees took part in creative taster sessions which included crafting, performance, writing and activities such as yoga and dance.

People also took part in conversation forums about how people with lived experience are a key part of the creative approach to mental health and wellbeing. Local groups also demonstrated how creativity is helping people they work with, including Hoyland Community Choir, Eden’s Forest CIC and heavy metal therapy.

Phil Walters, Creative Minds strategic lead, said: “Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate 10 years of Creative Minds. Especially to those who came to share what they’re doing to help local people live well in their community.

“People with lived experience have, and continue to be, such an important part of the way we deliver and develop our creative approaches. You help us to understand new perspectives and find new ways of supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing. Thank you for sharing your stories and experiences.

“The event really showed how far we have come over the past 10 years in championing creative approaches which is really demonstrated by the wide breadth of projects we are able to support. I am very proud of the commitment of everyone involved in all our creative projects, you have been able to help tens of thousands of people in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. I am very excited to see how we grow, develop and continue to champion creative approaches in our next ten years.”

For more information about Creative Minds, visit their website: https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/creative-minds/home/