Colin Godfrey, MBE

Colin Godfrey, Activities Development Nurse, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2011 published at the weekend, to mark the Queen’s official birthday.  Colin received his award for helping people in Oxfordshire with mental health problems through sport and physical activities.

Colin has worked within the Trust for 20 years and started out his career as a staff nurse on a mental health inpatient ward. However, on his own initiative, Colin founded the “Oxford Coasters” in 1995, named after one of the first activities the group undertook which was to walk from coast to coast across the UK. The group is a network of mental health service users and staff who come together to take part in a range of health promoting, sporting and challenging activities.

Teams within Oxford Coasters take part in sport locally, nationally and internationally.  Activities range from long distance walking and rock climbing, to volleyball, squash, basketball (juniors), mountain biking, badminton and football and fundraising to enable the sporting activity to continue, including an annual abseil down the side of the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Through establishing and continuing to support the Oxford Coasters, people with mental health problems have not only been given an opportunity to improve their health but they have been supported to build meaningful partnerships within the community and improve their overall wellbeing through social inclusion.  The Oxford Coasters also assists in breaking down the stigma associated with mental illness by showing that people who suffer these problems are able to participate in real and meaningful activities like everybody else in the community.

Speaking about the award, Colin said, “On a personal level I am overwhelmed to have received this nomination, but hope that this is a reflection of the challenges faced and undertaken by those experiencing the negative effects of mental illness. It is not only the beneficial effects of physical activity but those of participating in positive, dynamic action as part of a cohesive group that helps people with mental illness on their journey to recovery.

Coasters has members who are service users receiving care and treatment, or staff and volunteers working together to provide a positive challenge on both a personal level and to help reduce stigma and discrimination that can often be found in mental health.

It is a privilege to have worked with such people and an honour for the work to be acknowledged”