This World Mental Health Day SHP’s Westminster Mental Health service has launched a book celebrating and championing recovery from mental health ill health.

The Recovery Stories project draws on clients’ experiences and achievements to provide a source of hope and inspiration to others.

Clients were encouraged to reflect on what the word “Recovery” means to them, and to express this in whichever way they felt best. Recovery Stories includes a wide range of client contributions collected over the past three years in the form of poetry, stories and artwork.

Alice Taylor, Recovery Opportunity Co-ordinator for SHP Westminster, said: “The project provided an opportunity for both SHP clients and staff to engage in an empowering, collaborative, inspiring and reflective activity.

“We are very grateful to all those who have contributed their work – we were only able to include in the booklet a small selection of the huge body of work that this project has generated.”

Clients who contributed to the project were also consulted on the look and feel of the booklet, and we worked with them to present their work in a way that reflected their personalities and recovery journeys.

One client said: “One of the things I found most helpful about the project was that all staff members were accepting of every individual’s issues. “All participants were made to feel very welcome, and were always encouraged to take part.”

The booklet will be available to new clients of SHP Westminster at the beginning of their recovery journeys. You can read Recovery Stories here.

Read more about how we work with clients with mental health problems here.