A chance to recognise and celebrate excellence

There was also special recognition – for her commitment to advancing mental healthcare environments to the benefit of both service-users and staff – for the Network’s Chair Emeritus, Jenny Gill. The Network’s editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports. 

The presentation of the 2021 DiMH awards took place during an early evening drinks reception in the exhibition hall at the Coventry Building Society Arena at the close of the event's first day. Professional entertainer, Andy Powell, began by welcoming guests, thanking singer, Sofia, for entertaining them while they enjoyed a drink and networking, and introducing DiMHN Chair, Philip Ross, and Vice-Chair, Jonathan Campbell. Philip Ross said it was great to be able to welcome attendees to the awards, ‘to celebrate all the hard work everybody does in the drive to make mental healthcare environments better’. Jonathan Campbell then paid tribute to Jenny Gill, who he said had ‘picked up’ the Design in Mental Health Network, ‘probably with another couple of people’, in its early days, and ‘taken it is to where it is today’. He said: “During lockdown, Jenny retired from the Board, and we have given her the well-deserved honorary title of Chair Emeritus. I want to emphasise tonight how much she is missed on the DiMHN Board, and how much she will be missed, and – following a short video, which includes personal tributes to her – will present her with a trophy in appreciation of her work. Thank you, Jenny, for everything you have done, and we hope you enjoy the video.”

Thanks from the Chair Emeritus