People from across Cornwall will help shape a new Mental Health Declaration aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing across our communities.
Cornwall's first Mental Health Summit took place at Lys Kernow on Friday (October 30) bringing together health professionals, community organisations, people with lived experience and local leaders.
The ideas, experiences and priorities they shared during the event will now be used to develop the declaration, which will set out a shared ambition for improving mental wellbeing across Cornwall.
The Cornwall Mental Health Declaration will be published in the coming weeks.
The summit's expert panel included representatives from Cornwall Council, NHS Devon and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, primary care networks, Cornwall Mind and other organisations working to support mental health and wellbeing.
Residents also helped shape the conversation by submitting questions ahead of the event, ensuring community voices were at the heart of discussions throughout the day. The summit was hosted by BBC Spotlight political reporter Seb Noble.
Through a series of workshops and discussions, participants identified four priorities to help guide future action across Cornwall:
Putting mental health at the heart of decision-making, from housing and transport to planning and economic development.
Focusing more on prevention, helping people access support earlier and strengthening community-based services.
Creating a "no wrong door" approach, so people can access the help they need without being passed between services.
Learning from evidence and lived experience to continually improve support and outcomes.
Cornwall Council Leader, Cllr Leigh Frost, said:
"Mental health and wellbeing affects every community, every family and every generation. The summit brought together a wide range of voices to identify the shared priorities that matter most to people in Cornwall. The ideas and feedback gathered will play an important role in shaping the Cornwall Mental Health Declaration and helping us improve mental wellbeing."
Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, Cllr Thalia Marrington, said:
"The summit created space for open and honest conversations about both the challenges people face and the opportunities we have to make a difference. By working alongside communities, organisations and people with lived experience, we can create a declaration that reflects what matters most to Cornwall."
Director of Public Health for Cornwall, Dr Eunan O'Neill, said:
"This work builds on important foundations, including the Mental Health Needs Assessment and the review of Cornwall's Suicide Prevention Strategy. The insights shared at the summit will help ensure the declaration is shaped by evidence, lived experience and the priorities of our communities."
A recording of the summit will be available on Cornwall Council's Facebook and YouTube channels following technical difficulties that prevented the event from being livestreamed.
People can continue to share their views and help shape the declaration by visiting the Let's Talk website.