End of Year 2022 Message by Patrick Wolter

Dear all,

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly the end of 2022, it really has flown by! So much has happened at MFT and in Surrey this year – mostly great things but there have been some sad and difficult moments too.

At MFT, we’ve grown again as an organisation with an extra 14 new members of staff joining us in 2022, adding to our strength. I’m particularly proud that we’re hiring more and more “lived experienced” practitioners to support our clients. These are people bringing their own experience of mental health to their roles, adding an extra dimension to our services.

This goes hand in hand with our commitment to embed Co-Production at every level of our organisation so the interests of people experiencing mental health challenges are always at the heart of what we do. This year, our Advisory Group has been involved with us in more ways than ever before – from interviewing candidates for new positions, leading on our Safe Haven relocation stakeholder consultation, all the way to advising on the development of our new strategy and getting on the Board of the newly formed Adult Mental Health Alliance.

This month, we’re also excited to welcome two new Trustees to our own Board, both with fantastic depths of experience. You can find out more about them on our Trustee profile page.

Some of our esteemed colleagues have also left us which is always sad – the passing of our dear friend John O’Malley in particular has left a really big void in our hearts and organisation. Thank you to those of you who have left a testimonial on our Virtual Sympathy Card, on social media or attended his online memorial. The volume of messages shows just how much John, and our staff in general, mean to our clients and how much their work matters in our community.

As every year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues – staff, volunteers, Trustees and Patron – for their resilience, their hard work and the level of care and dedication they put in supporting our clients to the very best of their abilities.

My thanks also go to our wonderful partners and supporters without whom we wouldn’t be as strong and resilient. Their help matters to us immensely and we’re proud to be working alongside them to turn lives around.

And last but not least – I’d like to thank our clients and people using our services for the trust they put in us. Your kind words of gratitude and encouragement; your blogs sharing stories of hope; your photos and videos sharing your artwork or latest walks – all of those make our mission even more worthwhile. We’re proud to be an important part of your journey. But don’t forget to congratulate yourselves too for your commitment to always putting your wellbeing first and never giving up! We’re well placed to know how brave that is!

The forthcoming holiday season can be a beautiful time but it can also bring a lot of difficult emotions and anxiety. Especially this year with the additional pressures on household finances. We know that and have arranged some holiday activities to keep supporting you. Our December 2022-mid January 2023 newsletter is also full of information, advice and guidance to help you navigate the festive period, and keep you well and warm.

I would like to wish you all peaceful celebrations and a healthy and fulfilling year 2023!

Patrick Wolter, CEO, Mary Frances Trust

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