We spoke with Ros Crowder, Trustee of Sport In Mind, about her experience of being a member of the Health Alliance.
Tell us about The Sport In Mind
Sport in Mind is a mental health charity formed in 2010 in Reading with a simple mission – to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity.
The charity has worked in partnership with BHFT and other mental health Trusts since its inception, delivering over 20,000 sports and physical activity sessions to improve the lives of thousands of local people experiencing mental health problems across both inpatient and community care.
Sport in Mind’s innovative work with BHFT has generated significant interest nationally with over 300 areas across the UK requesting the charity establish their interventions locally. The charity now operates across most of the south of England and also has a presence in South Wales.
What is your role in Sport In Mind?
I have been a Trustee for about 4 years after getting involved in a voluntary capacity a couple of years before.
What made you join the alliance?
It seemed like a great opportunity to connect with other VCSE organisations working in the area and to enable a greater influence on the healthcare agenda through collaborative working.
How has being part of the group helped you?
I have belonged to the mental health action group since its inception and have enjoyed getting to know more about other organisations working locally and having the opportunity to spread the word about the work of Sport in Mind.
Have you met new people/ organisations since joining? If so how has that been helpful?
Most of the people involved in the Health Alliance were new to me and it has been helpful finding out about others working in the VCSE sector locally.
Have you increased your understanding of the NHS and Integrated care since joining?
A little, mostly on how the new integrated care system is developing, but my role before retirement was in the NHS so I already had a good understanding of the NHS in general.
What has surprised you about being part of the alliance?
The greatest surprise has been the huge number of VCSE organisations that exist and the enormous amount of valuable work that they do.
What would you say if you were to recommend it to others?
Get involved! It’s fascinating to find out more about the role of the VCSE sector locally and there is an opportunity to influence the developments going forward.
