South London Listens
South London Listens
The Covid-19 pandemic put an unprecedented strain on everyone’s mental health.
To respond to this challenge, community leaders in South London Citizens worked with local NHS Mental Health Trusts, NHS Commissioners and Local Council leaders to develop a plan to support the community to recover together.
From November 2020 to February 2021, South London Citizens organised 350 community leaders to listen to what was putting pressure on the mental health of over 5,700 people in South London. Community leaders listened (in several different languages) in their schools, faith groups, community groups, local service providers and others, engaging people in listening circles, one-to-one conversations and online summits.
Important themes emerged enabling community leaders to outline specific, tangible issues, and then co-produce solutions with practitioners and decision-makers from the NHS and local councils.
After a period of negotiation, in June 2021, over 30 community leaders presented their solutions to decision-makers at an online community event they hosted with 800 people in attendance.