Living Histories

We are delighted to announce the launch of Living Histories; an oral history project capturing the life stories of service users and staff with experience of NHS mental health services in Sussex. Living Histories will capture and preserve the whole life stories of NHS Mental Health staff and service users in Sussex from the closure of the old asylums in the 1980's, up to and including the Covid-19 pandemic. Living Histories is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, NHS Charities Together, Heads On and Sussex Partnership.

The project will examine the changing role that NHS mental health services have played in people's lives, amplifying the voices of people with severe mental illness whose stories often remain hidden.

The project aims to engage the community in understanding mental health heritage, capture and explain the histories of SPFT staff and service users, provide training and skill development for participants, enhance understanding of mental health services in Sussex, and foster well-being through storytelling. In addition, we will share the project widely within NHS services to share the importance and benefit of placing people's mental health stories within the context of their whole lives.

We will recruit and train 15 volunteers in oral history and mental health awareness, conducting 35 interviews with staff and service users, digitising and archiving all materials, creating exhibitions, sharing content online, and collaborating with The Keep archive in Brighton for permanent archiving. The project will run until July 2025.

Rachael Duke, Charity Director at Heads On said "Heads On is wholeheartedly committed to challenging mental health stigma through Living Histories, amplifying the voices of people who use and work in NHS services so that people's mental health stories can be placed in the context of their whole lives, because we are all more than our hardest times.

"Volunteers are crucial to the successful delivery of this project. We're really excited to work with people in our community who are committed to commemorating and sharing the stories of people who have lived experience of mental health services.

"We are hugely grateful to our funders The National Lottery Heritage Fund and NHS Charities Together for making Living Histories happen."

To volunteer to collect stories, or if you are interested in sharing your story, contact Nicola Benge, Project Manager, at LivingHistories@spft.nhs.uk or 0300 373 6173. For more information, visit Heads On Charity.

Join us in preserving the rich history of mental health experiences in Sussex!