Mental Health Awareness Week falls on 10-16 May. This year’s theme was “Nature”, with the Mental Health Foundation’s CEO noting that walks in nature and being in green spaces have been the nation’s top mental health coping strategy during the pandemic (according to their research).
At Poole, the Recruitment and Compliance Officer Sophie Goulding co-created with the team a “Positivity Door” and a “Mental Health Awareness Board” with poems, quotes, helpline, and contact numbers for support lines.
From Bexley, the Manager Bharathy Maheswaran collected and curated a handful of useful resources to help with mental health.
You can download free apps here:
Thisal Madhusan, the manager of Langton Way, also shot a gorgeous video on the theme of nature and mental health.
We also hosted a session with Valerian Spicer, the Commonwealth boxer, and Andy Cole, a behaviour therapist, on the SPICER method of handling stress.
You can find all the latest videos HERE.
Despite a successful stint as one of the youngest finance directors in London, specialising in mergers and acquisitions for a prominent advertising company, Marc found his professional success to be hollow. Driven by a desire to serve the community, he left the lucrative world of finance to establish an accountancy practice and business consultancy in Lewisham. His mission was clear: guide local start-ups and small businesses toward financial transparency and profitability.
As Marc’s consultancy flourished, he received a crucial call from Eleanor in 2005, who was struggling to keep her nursing agency afloat after 26 years. Marc took on the challenge, initiating a leap of faith that marked the beginning of a transformative journey. Today, the Eleanor Healthcare Group stands as a model business in the care sector, with over 1500 dedicated members, fluent in 112 languages, supporting over 3000 clients. The senior staff, with a combined experience of over 100 years in health and social care, has been instrumental in guiding and participating in the organisation’s remarkable growth.
Marc draws inspiration from his team of staff, care workers, and frontline keyworkers, acknowledging their role in preserving the life and dignity of the most vulnerable in the community. He emphasises that Eleanor is an organization with people at its core, having created a paradigm shift in the care sector with the driving principle that social care is about people, not processes. In 2009, Marc introduced the concept of person-centric care, responding to a request from Richmond Council. Eleanor Healthcare Group led the transformation, offering tailor-made services and pioneering an outcomes-based approach in collaboration with local authorities. The organisation then took a leading role in preventive care, integrating health and social care services and introducing a novel caring model to Lewisham Council based on the Buurtzorg model.
Despite numerous achievements, Marc sees success as just the beginning. The Eleanor family remains ready to take another leap of faith, with trust in people above processes. In the face of mounting challenges to health and social care systems, Marc has been steering Eleanor to the forefront of much-needed innovation within the UK and globally. Eleanor Healthcare Group takes pride in its identity, never compromising integrity, and always preserving its true essence. The commitment to taking the road less travelled is evident as it approaches the next fork in the future of healthcare, promising to continue breaking new ground and redefine possibilities.