Chasing the StigmaAward-winning national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma has had exciting changes within its organisation over the last few months. The charity has seen a Board of Trustees reshuffle, new board appointments and an additional three new staff members.

 

Chasing the Stigma is a national mental health charity with big ambitions – eradicate the stigma around mental health and enable everyone in the UK to be able to access clear pathways to mental health care. 

 

Since its launch over 5-years ago, Chasing the Stigma has organically grown to where it is today. To date, the Hub of Hope currently has 6,000+ services registered and directed more than 300,000 people to life-changing and even life-saving help and trained over 10,000 people via their mental health awareness training program Ambassador of Hope.

 

This year Chasing the Stigma has been recognised by various leading award bodies including a win for the  Mental Health & Wellbeing category at the Digital Leaders Impact Awards and nominations within Charity Times Awards 2022 and Third Sector Awards 2022 categories.

 

Newly appointed Director of Business and Operational Development Chris Clarke has taken the opportunity to swap his 5-year stint as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Chasing the stigma and becomes part of the team at their head office in Liverpool. He will be actively developing and steering a bold new strategy to support Chasing the Stigma’s mission to eradicate stigma and affect positive social change for Mental Health through delivering ground-breaking digital solutions, pioneering training & consultancy services, including awareness-raising campaigns and lobbying activities.

 

He says: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Chasing the Stigma, a charity that is close to my heart. With so much success already achieved by a talented staff team, I’m looking forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders alike to ensure the charity continues to go from strength to strength in the coming years as the UK’s leading provider of mental health training and community signposting services. 

 

Andy Smith, Professor of Sport and Physical Activity, with a particular interest in mental health, at Edge Hill University, has moved into the position of Chair of Chasing the Stigmas Board of Trustees. Andy isn’t a stranger to the charity, having served on the board since its launch in 2016.

 

He says: “I’ve been part of the Chasing the Stigma journey from the beginning with Jake and I have seen it grow into this amazing fully fledged charity proving necessary training programs and signposting tools for not only the mental health sector and services alike but for everyone who has mental health, I am very proud to have been asked to become Chair of the Board of Trustees and I thank Chris for doing a sterling job over the last 5 years where I have been by his side as vice-chair. I look forward to developing and supporting the next chapter of Chasing the Stigma with Jake and his team.”

 

The new appointments and re-shuffle enable the organisation to continue its impactful work and influence positive change to normalise and humanise conversations about mental health to ensure the charity continues to reach those needing support for their mental wellbeing, wherever and wherever they need it.

 

Founder & CEO of Chasing the Stigma, Jake Mills says: “Our new appoints this year enables us to be more strategic in the deliverance of our services across the mental health sector and the general public.  We also see this as an opportunity that allows us to focus on the relationships with our current partnerships, welcome new partnerships and refine our rapid growth.” 

 

Chasing the Stigma welcomes the following new appointments;

Trustee Board

  • Andy Smith, Professor of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University, leads the MSc Sport, Physical Activity and Mental Health programme. As well as being a member of the senior management team in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill, Andy works with a range of sporting, education and mental health organisations in local communities and professional sports, including Everton in the Community (the official charity of Everton Football Club).  Andy has contributed to various government policy and media discussions on sport, mental health and suicide prevention based on his research in these areas, including the Independent Duty of Care in Sport Review and the UK Health Select Committee’s Suicide Prevention work. Andy is appointed Chair of Chasing the Stigmas Board of Trustees. – Official start date 26th May 2022.
  • Angela Samata, Suicide Prevention spokesperson and BAFTA nominated and winner of the Mind Media Award for Best Factual TV documentary ‘Life After Suicide’. Angela has been a long-standing member of the trustee board, she has now moved into the position of vice-chair.
  • Sonya Clarkson, Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. Having over 15 years of experience working in HR & OD at various NHS Trusts across the NorthWest, Sonya is passionate about promoting inclusion to improve lives and level the playing field for others. – Official start date 1st May 2022.
  • Lizzie Israeli, Head of Partnership Management at the British Heart Foundation brings a wealth of knowledge to the charity sector by delivering impactful and transformational change via charitable partnerships across several sectors including big-ticket campaigns such as Breast Cancer Now ASDA tickled pink partnership. – Official start date 1st May 2022.

Staffing

  • Chris Clarke For the last 16 years, Chris has worked as a senior leader for some of the most iconic charities in the UK, including Everton in the Community and Alternative Futures Group. For the last four years, he has been Director of Business Development at the national youth charity RECLAIM which specialises in supporting young people from working-class backgrounds to recognise, overcome and dismantle the barriers that society puts in their way. Chris joins Chasing the Stigma as Director of Business and Operational Development.  – Official start date 27th July 2022.
  • Kate Auguste has been appointed Partnership & Communications Officer. For the last 20 years, Kate has had an extensive marcoms career within the fashion industry working at various Fashion Head Offices in London and owning an online Sustainable Fashion + Wellness business. Recently, after she began training to become a Psychotherapist, Kate decided to pivot her career into a different sector to put her knowledge and skill set into what she’s passionate about, Mental Health.- Official start date 19th April 2022.
  • Lorraine Perry, started at Chasing the Stigma two years ago as a volunteer, helping to clean up service data on Hub of Hope. Since volunteering, Lorraine has gone to support the team with numerous projects as a freelancer and has now been made a permanent member of staff and appointed as Hub of Hope Data Input Administrator. Lorraine works remotely in South East London. – Official start date 10th June 2022.

 

ENDS.

 

 

NOTED TO EDITORS

Media Contact

 

About Chasing the Stigma

Chasing the Stigma is an award-winning national mental health charity. We exist to normalise and humanise conversation about mental health through the provision of pioneering training services, awareness-raising campaigns and lobbying activities, whilst also ensuring that through the Hub of Hope every person in the UK has the means to find timely support for their mental wellbeing, whenever and wherever they need it.

 

A selection of live partnerships with Chasing the Stigma are Central North West London NHS Trust (CNWL), Network Rail, Student Roost, Admiral Taverns, NCP and Mental Health First Aid UK. 

 

❯ Mental Health Awareness training / bit.ly/AOH_Training 

In 2018 Chasing the Stigma developed a mental health awareness training program called AMBASSADOR OF HOPE to give people a baseline level of understanding of what mental health is and what to do if you or somebody else need help and support.  You won’t be an expert at the end of it, however, you & your organisation will be confident to openly talk about mental health and to signpost those who need expert help and support by using our HUB OF HOPE service directory.

 

❯ Mental Health Directory / hubofhope.co.uk

HUB OF HOPE is the UK’s leading signposting mental health service directory provided by the national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma. You can access over 6000 mental health services for free to find support that’s right for you, wherever you are. Since its launch, it has directed almost 300,000 people to life-changing and life-saving help. It is available for free online & via all app stores.

<- Back to news