I was pleased to be elected as the new President of Woking Mind at their Annual General Meeting earlier this week.

Woking Mind was founded in 1979 to support the needs of people living with enduring mental health illnesses. At the time, it was recognised that many vulnerable people struggling with their mental health were finding themselves socially excluded and isolated with no opportunity to access meaningful activity to help them integrate back into their local community.

40 years on, Woking Mind delivers an extensive range of groups, courses and drop-in provision to help prevent mental health problems from escalating where possible and supporting recovery for their members. They also deliver mental health training across Surrey to raise awareness and help break down stigma and prejudice around ill mental health through education.

I am delighted to have been chosen as President of Woking Mind as they commemorate 40 years. I am passionate about supporting those suffering from poor mental health and I hope I can use my experience as a former Mayor and current Councillor to benefit Woking Mind.

Mental health services suffer from underfunding and lag behind in comparison to treatment for physical health problems, yet one in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year. Mental health is sadly the Cinderella service of our NHS, which is why the work that Woking Mind does is vital to support residents and top-up NHS services.