Our Mental Health Navigator Richard Burdon is working on a project to help link up VCS organisations and faith services in Gloucester, to help adults with severe mental illness access the most appropriate support.

The project was set up jointly by GRCC and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. Working alongside NHS colleagues, Richard, who was previously one of GRCC's Social Prescribers, has been helping clients to access support in the community, provided by the NHS, VCS organisations, and faith services. 

Examples include

• accompanying a client with serious mental illness to a GP appointment
• accompanying a client to an art group to help them reduce their loneliness and make new friends
• helping a client to successfully fill in forms to access VCS counselling services
• visiting Gloucester Cathedral's twice-weekly Breakfast Club for vulnerable and marginalised people