Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Mental Health Foundation

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Formation
  
1949

Chief Executive
  
Jenny Edwards CBE

Region served
  
UK

Headquarters
  
Colechurch House 1 London Bridge Walk London SE1 2SX United Kingdom.

Website
  
www.mentalhealth.org.uk

The Mental Health Foundation was founded in 1949. It is a British charitable organisation that provides information, carries out research, and campaigns to improve services for people affected by mental health problems. It now incorporates the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.

Contents

History and origins

In 1949 Derek Richter, a neurochemist with an interest in mental health, and Ian Henderson, a stockbroker, formed the Mental Health Research Fund (MHRF), with the aim of raising funds to award grants for research in mental health. In 1972 the Fund merged with another fundraising body, The Mental Health Trust, and in 1973 was renamed the Mental Health Foundation.

Aims

The strategic objectives of the Mental Health Foundation are to help people understand, protect and maintain their mental health. The Foundation takes a public health approach, focusing on the prevention of mental health problems in the first instance. The Foundation runs programmes with a variety of groups who are most at risk of mental ill health, including single mothers, older people, children in care and single mothers. It also aims to sustain its development through excellent management and high quality fundraising and support services. In 2007 the then Chief Executive described the main purpose of the Foundation as "to try to mainstream mental health as an issue so it is a core part of everything else".

Organisation

The president of the Foundation is Dinesh Bhugra, and the patron is Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy. Keith Leslie, the Chairman of the board of trustees was appointed in 2014. The Chief Executive, Jenny Edwards, was appointed in 2013.

Campaigns

The Mental Health Foundation campaigns to raise awareness of mental health issues in the media and raise the profile of mental health in political and social agendas. Recent campaigns have included:

  • Be Mindful - A campaign to promote the use of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for treatment of long term depression, as an alternative to prescribed medication.
  • Research Mental Health - A joint venture with the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London to promote the importance of mental health research in the UK.
  • Right Here - A five-year project in conjunction with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation which is aimed at 16- to 25-year-olds in the UK, and is focused on helping young people improve their mental health and reduce the chances of developing mental health problems in later life, as well as tackling the stigma attached to such problems.
  • Mental Health Action Week- This is a nationwide annual event held each spring to raise awareness of various mental health issues. Topics have included: Fear (2009), Anger (2008), Friendship (2007), Alcohol (2006) and Exercise (2005).

    • Funding

    The Foundation's income for 2011-12 was £4.9m, with sources including donations (individual and corporate), legacies and grants.

    References

    Mental Health Foundation Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA