Great Festival in Manchester
We had a fantastic time at our Festival of Ideas in Manchester on Friday, which looked at Better Mental Health. Many thanks to all those who attended for making it such an enjoyable and productive day.
Here is Richard Jones, Chair of the North West JIP, our partner at the event along with the Mental Health Improvement Partnership, talking about the day and the work of the JIP.
Work towards the event started months ago with locating and inviting the right commissioners and investors from across the region and beyond. We surveyed them about the long-term challenges they face and used this and other data to select innovation projects to attend the event. The event was attended by the following projects (click a project for information about their work and contact details).
Mindapples
Community Network
Horsesmouth.co.uk
The Recovery In Sight Centre
Eating Disorder Recovery
Back to Life
Music in Hospitals
Bubble Enterprises
Kitbag
Onling Interactive Coaching
Star Wards
YouthNet – First Step Finder
Big thanks to all at Innovation Exchange, another stimulating event, have made a number of links via the day…and really pleased that a number of our key local commissioners were present, have had some useful conversations with them following the event… as it seems to have “shifted” their thinking on developing more innovative solutions and on utilising the capacity of the sector more creatively.
Also useful from my perspective(Age Concern) in establishing the potential of individual social innovators joining up with larger/medium locally focused third sector orgs,(who local health & social care commissioners/elected members know and recognise).
Thank you, Ken. It was great seeing you on Friday and we’d be really interested in hearing about the progress you make with the commissioners and innovators you met at the event. In fact, may be you could write another blog soon and let us know if this ’shifted’thinking creates any opportunities for you (- you can’t blame a girl for trying!). Keep in touch!
Good advice. We often advise our students to take a step back and understand what they are getting into. This article reinforces that concept with some practical advice.