DiMH 2022 AWARDS
Recognising best practice and innovation
The first evening of the Design in Mental Health 2022 event in Coventry, held from 8-9 June, saw 12 Design in Mental Health 2022 Awards presented – recognising excellence in categories ranging from Outside Space of the Year and Concept Product Innovation to Service-User Engagement and Estates and Facilities Team of the Year. Before the ceremony, guests in the Premier Lounge at the Coventry Building Society Arena enjoyed drinks and canapés while being entertained by a table magician and a saxophonist. The Network’s editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports.
The awards evening got under way immediately following the close of the first day’s conference and exhibition. After drinks and canapés, Master of Ceremonies, Andy Powell, welcomed the 300 assembled guests, and introduced the DiMHN’s Chair, Philip Ross, and Vice-Chair, Jonathan Campbell, noting that it was ‘amazing’ that the former was attending – a fortnight previously he had a nasty bike accident, but he was here tonight, wearing a back brace.
Great to see so many people in one room Philip Ross told guests the night was ‘a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise best practice across the sector’, adding: “This year we had 41 entries to our awards, so a big ‘thank you’ to all who entered.” He noted that next year’s DiMHN conference and exhibition would be held from 7-8 June, before handing over to Jonathan Campbell, who said: “I’d like thank you all for the great turn-out today, and the Conference & Exhibition Advisory Group, a group of volunteers that I chair.” He wished good luck to all the evening’s award entrants, before handing back to Andy Powell, who explained that it was
time for the usual ‘heads and tails’ game, whereby guests put their hand either on their head or their bottom, and are then gradually ‘eliminated’ on the toss of a coin until just one winner remains – in this case, Kiera Zhigalina, who won a bottle of Prosecco.
Appreciation for judges and sponsors Before the awards presentation began, the Master of Ceremonies asked guests to show their appreciation both to the judges, and the award sponsors. He said: “Several of the award categories tonight have both a winner and a Highly Commended. We will announce the Highly Commendeds, but are not presenting the certificates this evening – they will be sent to the recipients. Tonight,” he continued, “we will present awards in 12 categories. However, before we start, I’d like to mention our event charity this evening, Hospital Rooms.” This is an arts and mental health charity that ‘commissions extraordinary artworks’ for NHS mental health inpatient units across the UK. The two Project curators from Hospital Rooms due to present – Molly Bonnell and Siphini Mnguni – were unfortunately unable to
attend the awards, but gave an interesting keynote presentation the next day. Andy Powell highlighted a weblink, https://
hospital-rooms.com/support, via which guests could donate to the charity.
Outside Space of the Year The evening’s first award, in a new Outside Space of the Year category, went to architects, IBI Group, and main contractor, Kier Construction, for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Rowan View medium secure unit at Maghull Health Park, 10 miles from central Liverpool, which co-locates mental health and learning disability care services in new ‘state-of-the-art’, regional facilities. The entry said the design ‘placed service-users at its heart’, actively inviting their opinions on the external landscaping, and creating a ‘human, accessible, and reassuring environment’, with single-storey massing ‘to enable excellent connection to outside spaces throughout the building’. It added: “Biophilic design principles choreograph a hierarchy of places and spaces, forming concentric ‘rings of recovery’, which emphasise curves and liminal transitional spaces. Natural light and views to landscaping are channelled deep into the internal spaces, while the ward accommodation enjoys easy access to, and views of, green spaces.” There is a variety of spaces for a range of activities, such as gardening, ball games, walking, running, resting, and quiet contemplation. Planting was chosen to attract wildlife such as birds and insects – a key service- user request.
Above: Table magician, Paul Hazelby, in action entertaining guests before the ceremony got under way.
THE NETWORK | AUGUST 2022
Right: Talented saxophonist, Emma Byrne, played at various points throughout the evening.
Two outdoor spaces Each ward has two outdoor spaces – one ward garden accessed from the day space, with space for service-users to wander safely with staff supervision, and with soft and hard landscaped areas and seating, and a separate exclusion garden. Each pair of wards also shares a therapy garden, where service-users can grow vegetables to cook in their cookery sessions. The building is surrounded by
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Photos courtesy of Andy Powell
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