JOINT STATEMENT: Time to Change Kingston

13^th January 2021

JOINT STATEMENT:

Dear Time to Change Kingston Hub Members,

We are writing to update you about local plans linked to the announcement that Time to Change national campaign, run by the national organisations, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, will end on 31^st March 2021.

As a result, our local Time to Change Kingston partnership funding from Time to Change will end at the same time.

However, at the beginning of our local Hub campaign the 21 organisations in our Time to Change Kingston partnership signed up to creating a self-sustaining Hub to support the work of Time to Change Kingston beyond the end of the national campaign.

To discuss what happens next, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (Hub Host), and Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames (Hub Coordinator), met with partners and Time to Change Kingston Champions at our December Time to Change Kingston Steering Group.

Champions are supportive about keeping the work going and have asked for a partner organisation to provide minimal coordination to provide continuity and consistency beyond the end of March 2021. Healthwatch Kingston agreed to act as Hub Coordinator and employ the coordinator post (on behalf of the partnership) for the agreed two years that runs up to the end of March 2021.

From 1^st April 2021, Healthwatch Kingston will continue commitments outlined in its ‘TTC Employer Pledge’ action plan and involve interested Champions in its mental health engagement activities. It will also remain as a partner of the Steering Group, supporting activities on an ad hoc basis. Healthwatch Kingston will however, pass on the coordination role to Mind in Kingston, to continue the support of our Time to Change Kingston Champions.

We would like to reassure you that the Time to Change Kingston partners will continue the important work of reducing mental health stigma in Kingston.

If you have any enquiries, please communicate these to Persephone Pickering (Persephone@healthwatchkingston.org.uk) our Time to Change Kingston Hub Coordinator.

Kind regards,

Liz Trayhorn (Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames)

Stephen Bitti (Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames)

Rianne Eimers (Mind in Kingston)