Winning team with Martin Keown

People with an interest in mental health and wellbeing joined Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust to celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October. The event, held by the Trust, promoted physical fitness and mental wellbeing with a number of different activities including massage and meditation. People attending the event were able to find out more about healthy walks, direct payments, support to stop smoking and relaxation techniques.

Running throughout the day was a football tournament organised by Steve Bell, Team Manager for Bucks Early Intervention Service. Teams were made up of a mixture of Trust staff and people who use mental health services. The day ended on a high with the winning team, Aylesbury Academicals, being presented a trophy by Martin Keown, former Arsenal and England footballer. All players who participated in the tournament received medals marking World Mental Health Day 2007.

Steve was part of the winning team and said ‘We have put in many hours practising and talking tactics and it paid off. We paced ourselves well and played to our strengths, recognising that there would be few goals if we defended well. Defence was the key, only letting one goal in over four games. In the final it was a good team effort and shows the benefit of teamwork over individual flair.’

The event was a huge success, raising awareness of mental health locally and also supporting people to find out more about keeping fit and well.

The event was a double celebration for Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust as it was announced that the Department of Health had that day approved the Trust to move forward their application to become a Foundation Trust (FT).