Alliance and CoLab host successful engagement event at Exeter City Football Club
Following on from a similar community engagement and networking event in Tiverton a couple of days earlier, on Thursday 15th September 2022 the Devon Mental Health Alliance and CoLab Exeter were excited to host a mental health creative solutions event at Exeter City Football Club. 60 mental health stakeholders and professionals gathered together from across Exeter to hear about each other's experiences and explore solutions to improve mental health services.
The event began with everyone sharing on tables what mental health support they see working in their communities, and which groups of people are struggling to access the support that they need. After taking a break for refreshments and networking, conversations continued in themed discussion groups about increasing access to group interventions, providing better support to those in crisis, enabling VCSE organisations to access more training, and the cost of living crisis.
Matt, Community Mental Health Development Lead for Exeter, East and Mid Devon, and one of the organisers of the event, commented: “It was amazing to see the level of enthusiasm and engagement in wanting community mental health services improved across Exeter for those who need it most. There is a lot of work to do that will require even more collaboration and partnership, as well as time and resources, but this event was a great first step towards that future.”