The idea of the Kingston Living Library is that you can borrow a person to speak to about their lived experience rather than borrowing a book. Thereby helping others to understand the impact mental illness can have on people’s lives and to reduce the stigma.

The Champions wanted to share their experiences virtually to give people the option of learning more about mental health from the comfort of their own home.

On this page, you will find Champion’s written stories and audio recordings on various mental health topics, talking from their personal experiences. If you would like to learn more about someone’s story, simply click on their page. 

We hope you find it interesting and informative!  We regularly organise Living Library events throughout the year, where you will get the opportunity to speak with our Champions in person. Our upcoming events are advertised here.

Eli

Kingston Voluntary Action’s Directory- Information about voluntary and community organisations registered with Kingston Voluntary Action. 

Marie

POhWER - Independent Health Complaints Advocacy for people who wish to make a complaint about treatment provided under the NHS.  

Martin

RISE (Recovery Initiative Social Enterprise) - RISE is a social enterprise, community interest company, but first and foremost, it is a community. They hold a weekly Community Cafe - open to all which provides free food & drinks, games, poetry and more - every Wednesday 1pm to 4pm in the Kingston Quaker Centre. 

Rachel

SEND Family Voices (SFV) - bring people together into a community to improve services, share support and strengthen a common voice. By ensuring families are heard, SFV empower children, young people, and their families to obtain the best possible care and services. 

Ryan

Staywell- Offer a range of services and projects, both centre-based and in the community, designed to support people's independence and help them stay well. 

Sarah

I am a bespoke tailor and I enjoy photography as a hobby, using mainly film cameras. I have suffered from anxiety since the age of 11 and have post traumatic stress disorder from two separate incidents.

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Sheena

Achieving for Children - a social enterprise company created in 2014 by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to provide their children’s services. In August 2017, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead became a co-owner of AfC, and we now deliver children’s services across all three boroughs. 

Tony

Childline -Childline is a private and confidential counselling service for children and young people up to the age of 19. It is provided by the NSPCC. They can be contacted about a range of issues - no problem is too big or too small. Their telephone number is 0800 1111.  

Fabian

Overwhelming feelings of work-related anxiety led Fabian to a complete loss of self-confidence, followed by depression and, ultimately, thoughts of taking his own life. Facing and fighting his fears is a constant battle, he shares his story and the tips he uses to cope, in the hope it might help others.

Mark

I have lived in Kingston for many years and I'm a Royal Borough of Kingston councillor with a focus on community mental health. I have battled depression for much of my adult life but thankfully I now feel more in control of my mental wellbeing.

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