For the last year, we have been hosting an Impact Network on recovery-based approaches to mental health. The network consisted of people with lived experience of mental distress as well as staff and volunteers from statutory and voluntary organisations, and met four times over a six-month period. During this time we discussed the many issues facing local people experiencing mental distress, and considered how the idea of ‘recovery’ could be useful in improving things. In our last meeting in May 2025, we agreed to see if there was wider interest in developing a recovery network in our area. If you work or live in Oxfordshire, it would be very helpful if you would complete the short form at the bottom of this post.
In our meetings we agreed a ‘mission statement’ for what the network would do. If you’re interested in more detail, you can read it here.
Recovery approaches to mental health have been developed by people experiencing mental distress, rather than experts or clinicians. We think they are generally easier to understand than more complex medical or psychological terms, and so provide a common language everyone can use. While approaches vary, five values are commonly present:
- Connectedness: being positively connected to other people.
- Hope: belief that recovery is possible.
- Identity: overcoming stigma to achieve a positive sense of identity.
- Meaning: living a meaningful life.
- Empowerment: having the resources to take control over your own life.
Together these are often known as the CHIME framework. Through the network, we hope to develop more links between:
- people applying the principles of recovery in their own lives
- those working in local mental health services, and
- the wider group of organisations and groups providing community support.
The network would run itself, developing its own ideas for what to do. The initial focus would include networking, training and sharing issues. We are keen to include the wide range of organisations that do not see themselves as mental health services but provide support to all sections of our community, such as community larders, warm spaces, exercise groups and so on.
To help us decide whether to go ahead with the network, it would be very helpful if you could fill out this short form to tell us whether you or your organisation would be interested. We know people are very busy, and don’t want to invent another meeting unless it will be genuinely useful. If you give us your contact details, we’ll tell you whether we’re going ahead with the network and will let you know about any new wellbeing resources or activities the network develops.
We will keep your information only as long as is necessary, and won’t share your email address with other organisations and groups. You can read our full privacy statement here.
 | This project was made possible by support from IMPACT – the UK centre for Improving Adult Care Together |