A man in a navy padded jacket sits at a table holding up a colourful poster with photos and blue rosettes. He leans slightly forward and looks directly at the camera. Next to him, a woman with long curly hair, glasses, and a black-and-white striped top sits closely, looking at the poster with a calm, supportive expression. The image is from a Southdown client involvement session.

Southdown’s new involvement charter and strategy to centre client and tenant voice

At Southdown, our clients and tenants are at the heart of everything we do. We know that the best services are built with, not just for, the people who use them. That’s why we’ve created a new Involvement Charter and a refreshed Client and Tenant Involvement Strategy. They are our promise to work with you, […]

Illustrated banner with colourful wildflowers along the top and bottom edges, and a teapot and teacup graphic above the text: 'Join us for a fun Garden Party at our Bradbury Court (Learning Disability) service.

Join us for a garden party at our Bradbury Court learning disability support service

This June, clients and staff at our learning disability support service, Bradbury Court, are inviting friends, families, and everyone to join them for a very special afternoon. On Saturday 14 June, from 2pm to 4pm, the service will be hosting a Garden Party – a joyful event that brings people together to celebrate community, creativity, […]

A mental health talk in progress, delivered by Daniel Wilsher, to a seated audience in a community hall. A large screen behind him reads 'Building Community Through Service' and a UOK banner stands nearby, displaying the message 'It's OK to need help, we all do sometimes.'

UOK Hosts Inspiring Mental Health Talk on Community and Connection

Following from Mental Health Awareness Week, UOK hosted a Mental Health talk around the theme of Community at the Brighthelm Centre in the heart of Brighton. The event brought together community members, mental health professionals, and advocates for a unique conversation about vulnerability, connection, and the ripple effect of small acts of kindness. We extend […]

Promotional materials from the UOK event for Mental Health Awareness Week, including wellbeing tip cards, UOK leaflets, pens, mints, and bookmarks encouraging mental health check-ins.

Celebrating Community: UOK Hosts Frontline Workers for Mental Health Awareness Week

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, our UOK frontline workers across Brighton & Hove came together on Tuesday, 13th May, at Southdown’s office in Isetta Square for a gathering hosted by UOK. The event provided a valuable opportunity for those working on the ground in mental health, wellbeing, and community services to pause, connect, […]

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re celebrating Community

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and this year we are celebrating the power and importance of community for our mental health. Neil Blanchard, our CEO, reflects on what community means: “For me, community is not just about the places we work in or the people we support. It is also about the way we show […]

Promotional banner for a live talk on mental health awareness by Daniel Wilsher, TEDx speaker and finalist of Channel 4’s The Piano. The image shows Daniel on stage in front of a seated audience, with a microphone and keyboard in the foreground. The UOK and Southdown logos are displayed at the top of the banner. The talk's theme is - Building community through service.

‘Building community through service’: UOK Brighton & Hove to host mental health talk

Building on the momentum of Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 (12-18 May), UOK Brighton & Hove is continuing the conversation by hosting a powerful in-person talk exploring how lived experience and community service can transform lives.  On 21 May, UOK Brighton & Hove is hosting a community mental health talk at the Brighthelm Centre. The […]

Green background graphic with string lights along the top. Curved text reads 'UOK East Sussex turns one!' Below are the Southdown logo on the left and the pink UOK East Sussex logo on the right.

Stronger together: Reflections on our first year of leading the UOK East Sussex partnership

Southdown’s vision for UOK has been to create a mental health system for our communities that is accessible and inclusive, holistic and preventative. We believe that collaboration is key, when the issues are so big, no one single agency or provider can address them alone. UOK East Sussex brought our successful Brighton and Hove UOK […]

A Recovery College staff member speaks with a visitor at the registration desk during a busy Open Day event, with people chatting and exploring course materials in a welcoming community hall setting.

Brighton & Hove Recovery College Open Day – Launching Summer Term

The Brighton & Hove Recovery College, run by Southdown as part of the UOK Brighton & Hove mental health partnership, is inviting local residents to its Open Day. It’s a great chance to explore how education can support recovery and personal wellbeing. The College offers free, short courses that are co-designed and co-delivered by people […]

Park Life podcast cover art featuring hand-drawn stick figures with whimsical and unique features, set against a black background. The title "Park Life" appears in bold yellow text at the top, with the tagline "A podcast from the Wellbeing Hub" at the bottom.

Introducing ‘Park Life’: A Creative Podcast by Southdown clients with Lived Experience of Mental Health Challenges 

We’re thrilled to share Park Life, a brand-new podcast series created by a group of individuals who use one of the Southdown’s local mental health services. These are produced by people who understand the power of creative expression in supporting wellbeing. This inspiring project is the result of months of collaboration and creativity, and most […]

Professionals attend an Autism Awareness Workshop at the Recovery College, seated in a classroom while a presenter discusses autistic experiences. A screen at the front displays the quote 'I am different, not less,' highlighting the session's focus on understanding and accepting neurodiversity.

Insights from the Recovery College Workshop Marking World Autism Acceptance Month

April marks World Autism Acceptance Month (WAAM) 2025, a time dedicated to promoting understanding and acceptance of autistic individuals. Earlier this month, Southdown-run Brighton & Hove Recovery College held an insightful and thought-provoking workshop to deepen awareness of autism. The workshop, led by Eden Brookes, our Recovery College Peer Tutor with lived experience of autism, […]

Two people seated at a table during a client involvement session, using visual cards with phrases like “My Room / Flat,” “My Stuff,” and “Home and Belongings” to support communication and explore topics related to quality of life for the redesigned MyPlan.

Clients Help Shape a More Inclusive, Personalised MyPlan at Southdown

At Southdown, we believe that the people we support should be at the heart of decisions that affect them. That’s why we recently held a client involvement session to redesign the MyPlan, a key tool used in our learning disability support services. The MyPlan is an annual meeting focused on the eight domains of quality […]

UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service tender opportunity graphic showing paper people figures symbolising collaboration. Includes logos for Southdown, NHS Sussex, East Sussex County Council, and UOK East Sussex. Mental health service provider partnership call for subcontractor bids.

Southdown launches tender opportunity to deliver a part of UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service

As Lead Provider for the Mental Health Support Service Contract (UOK East Sussex), Southdown has launched a tender opportunity for organisations to deliver part of that contract – the UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service. The UOK East Sussex Wellbeing Service is being procured in five lots. These lots align with the new Neighbourhood Mental Health […]