children - West London Mental Health NHS Trust

The good and bad
of mental health
Peter Seabrook and Reza Soltani are active members
of the highly successful Hounslow Hawks football team
for service users. Here they talk about their health and
the impact the game has had on their lives.
Peter
I have been involved with mental
health services of one kind or another
since the age of six. As a child
I was described as mal-adjusted and
diagnosed with ADHD. Thoughout
my childhood I attended a series of
special schools. I got worse as the
years went on and it all came to a
head four years ago when I had a
nervous breakdown and was admitted
to Lakeside Mental Health Unit.
My health has stabilised in recent
years mainly due to the medical care
and the medication that I am on.
However the one thing which has
really given me a focus and helped
me is my involvement with the
Hounslow Hawks. I used to get so
paranoid when I was around people
I didn’t know. It amazes me that I
am now motivated to come out to
training twice a week and I play in a
league match every month and don’t
really get paranoid at all these days.
More than anything I really enjoy the
camaraderie of the team. I used to be
agitated all of the time but now the
football is helping me to be calm off
the pitch as well as on the pitch.
The physical exercise I get makes
me feel good, I’ve lost a lot of
weight and I’m 100 times fitter than
I was as a teenager (at 41 I’m one
of the oldest Hounslow Hawks
players). I’ve been involved since
the summer of 2007 and have seen
the team grow from a few players
to two full teams these days –
male and female. I’m always up for
helping new players get settled into
the team as it gives me a sense of
achievement. At the end of last
season I was awarded manager’s
player of the season – which I’m
really proud of.
I am passionate about the team and
now my aspiration is to become
a football coach. I haven’t worked
for years so it is not going to be
easy but I have taken a step in the
right direction as I am attending a
coaching course in Feltham. I would
like to thank the coaches we have –
they are the most patient people I
have ever met – and they really are
helping to change lives.
Peter (left) and Reza
Reza
I was admitted to Roehampton
Hospital three years ago, with post
traumatic stress disorder as a result
of my years as a soldier in Iran. A
few years after coming to live in the
UK I had a nervous breakdown and
was in need of help.
Three years on I’m still attending
weekly counselling sessions but
the football has been a huge help
to me. I used to play in a team in
Iran when I was much younger
but hadn’t played for eight years
when I joined the Hawks. I’m
slowly starting to feel better and
really benefit from the physical
exercise and being part of a team.
The football makes me feel born
again – when I’m playing I really
feel happy. Being a member of the
team has given me the courage
to go back to college and study
the English Language and football
coaching. I hope this will give me
the opportunity to move my
life along.
moving
on up
Starters
Reverend Bob
Simmonds
has been
recently
appointed as
chaplain for
the trust. He is
committed to
working with the
most vulnerable
in society, having worked at HMP
Peterborough and Maudsley Hospital.
He says, “I understand that religion
can be daunting and people do not
like being preached to. Instead I try
to help people to find preciousness
and wonder in the mundane. The
chaplaincy at Broadmoor Hospital has
built a strong reputation amongst both
patients and staff alike as a friendly and
accessible resource for spiritual and
pastoral care and I hope to bring fresh
insight and energy to the team.”
A new catering management
team has been established at the
trust. Employed by ISS Mediclean
the team is responsible for the
management of catering around the
trust (excluding Broadmoor Hospital).
Pictured from the left is Mercy John,
catering administrator, Andy Smith,
head of catering, Mohan Parmar,
catering administrator and Giuseppe
Dispinzeri, catering manager.
Leavers
If you would like us to feature a colleague in moving on up
send an email to communications@wlmht.nhs.uk
Judith Miles
directorate
accountant
for corporate
services and the
DSPD leaves
the trust to
take up a role
at the University of Reading. Judith
has worked at Broadmoor Hospital
for the past thirteen years. David
Golding head of finance says, “Judith
is a well respected member of the
team as well as a good friend to
those who have worked for her and
alongside her at the Broadmoor site.
She has taught others a lot over the
years and her experience, knowledge
and friendship will be greatly missed.
Judith is also well respected by the
directorate teams for whom she has
worked over the years.”
Rory Hegarty,
deputy director of
communications,
has left the
trust after three
years. Rory will
particularly be
remembered as a
champion of antistigma
messages through the SHiFT
campaign, most recently launching a
schools project, Mind Your Head, in
October last year. Regular readers
will also recall his Mediawatch
column in which he cast a critical
and often sardonic eye over the
coverage of mental health issues in
the tabloid press. Rory is currently
interim director of communications
at Imperial College Healthcare
NHS Trust.
Hanna
Gottschling
has left her job
as training and
clinical governance
co-ordinator at
Lakeside having
worked in
Hounslow mental
health services in a variety of roles for
the past ten years. Hanna is moving to
work for the independent living team
in Heston and will also be studying
for a degree in social work. Hanna
told MHM, “I am sad to be leaving
Hounslow mental health services,
but I am not going far and will no
doubt keep in touch with many of the
friends I have gained at the trust over
the years.” Nicky Holdaway, director
of the Hounslow SDU added, “Hanna
has worked with Alice Parshall and I
for the last five years having been the
clinical governance co-ordinator and
taking an active interest in the trust’s
SHiFT campaign and World Mental
Health Day annually. I am sorry to see
her leave but pleased she is able to
pursue social work training.”
Ealing service
manager Mark
Jenkinson has left
the trust after 20
years to move to
Wales where he
has taken on a role
as service manager
for Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Mary
McCaffrey, sector manager says,
“Mark was really wonderful to work
with. He was an inspiration to all the
nurses and managers he worked
with, and popular with everyone, staff
and patients alike. Mark is someone
who always made himself available to
colleagues he was admired by all and
we will miss him terribly.”
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