The Senior Mental Health Lead Conference 2026

A day to remember

I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who attended The Senior Mental Health Lead Conference on the 23rd April 2026 – around 100 of us attended! Thank you to all the speakers who delivered the most impactful keynotes I have ever heard – with compassion, conviction, care, humanity and kindness. The room was awash with emotion and joy, tears and smiles and the energy was infectious!

It was an incredible day. I will remember it forever and that feeling of belonging to the most amazing group of people with the same goal in mind; special That goal? to make the world feel a little kinder and to lighten the load for each other and spread love.

Where there is love there is hope, Sarah

PS coming soon – announcement of The Senior Mental Health Lead Conference 2027. Venue and date tbc! See you then! much love x

Our inspiring contributors

Nina Jo Smith had recorded us a special keynote based on her report on School based Suicide and intervention prevention strategies. Thank you Nina – you are making the world a better place! 

Darryl Edwards MSc, FCIMSPA, FBSLM, DFSEM(UK), DipExMed up next had us all playing and finding our inner child with movement and laughter – none of us will forget how powerful and transformative this felt and I hope that lots of the schools will have already started to implement his important messages about the neccessity for play and movement in childhood and beyond.

The mental health charities who came from far and wide to represent all the amazing work going on out there to support people, all did themselves proud too!

It was great to see the launch for Papyrus new branding and it is always good to hear James Parkes speak with care and compassion about Hope and what we can do to help young people – the new leaflets look great and I suspect that he didn’t have many left! 

Dr Catherine Knibbs (PhD) FRSA then took us on a journey of enlightenment about child development and keeping children safer online and I have already bought the book! 

Joanna Johnson from Grassroots Suicide Prevention had almost 100 people participating interactively and her delivery was uplifting although about a serious keynote we all left feeling a little more confident in how to ask the most important question we can ever ask- one that might just save a life!

I also wish to say a massive thank you to Rachael Paul from Horbury Academy who took to the stage with me to talk about the Insight Retreats we collaborated on for some young people attending at Accord Multi Academy Trust and the impact these had on their lives! A fantastic piece of work transforming young lives. Well done Rachael!

Congratulations go to Branches who launched their bereavement CIC yesterday.

And a HUGE heartfelt Thank you finally and very importantly to the beautiful soul that isNicole Guy from Great Heights Academy Trust who lead a group outside in the sunshine through some restorative meditation – blissful.

And thank you to The Wakefield Hospice for our delicious food!