Events

If you enjoy great coffee, friendly conversation, or just being in the company of others, we’ll be here every two weeks starting 12/11/2025, 10am–12pm, at A Coffee Shop, 166 Derby Road, Nottingham. Come along anytime!

Open Dialogue: Building a New Era in Mental Health Care

World Mental Health Day October 10 2025 Tickets here

Open Dialogue is one of the most talked-about innovations in mental health care of recent decades. First developed in Northern Finland, this collaborative, person-centred approach has shown remarkable outcomes in supporting people through some of the most challenging experiences of their lives. By placing dialogue, relationships, and shared decision-making at the heart of care, Open Dialogue offers a humane and empowering way to deliver mental healthcare

The UK is now home to the largest and most rigorous study of Open Dialogue in the world to date – the ODDESSI trial. This multi-centre randomised controlled trial has been followed with great anticipation by clinicians, patients, and health systems internationally. Its findings, due to be published in January 2026, have the potential to shape the future of mental health services across the globe.

On World Mental Health Day, October 10th, 2025, we invite you to join us for a landmark conference dedicated to Open Dialogue. This event will showcase the model in action, bringing together clinicians and patients to share their lived experiences of working within and receiving Open Dialogue care. Their stories will illuminate the real-world impact of this approach: from fostering trust and awareness to creating space for genuine recovery.

We will also be joined by the leading academics and researchers at the forefront of the ODDESSI trial. They will provide a unique insight into the process of conducting this historic study and reflect on what the upcoming results could mean for practice, policy, and the future of mental health care worldwide.

This is an unmissable opportunity to engage with one of the most important conversations in mental health today. Whether you are a clinician, researcher, policymaker, or someone with lived experience, this conference offers a chance to connect, learn, and be part of a movement that is reshaping how we understand and deliver mental health care.

Performance Art for Mental Health with Health Pitch

Recently, as part of my Peer Supported Open dialogue (POD) training at Cambridge University I experienced the most incredibly uplifting performance art session, for mental health, with a group called Health Pitch.

The session included over 80 trainees from various professional backgrounds such as psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, and social workers.

The audience was thoroughly engaged throughout the session, a storytelling of a little red car named Tazia, which was delivered with great energy and humour.

At various points in the story the Italian soprano burst into song, her beautiful voice captivating the audience and we found ourselves (unexpectedly in my case!) joining in.

It was a truly unforgettable experience which led me to inquire about the possibility of bringing the experience to my home city of Nottingham.

I am delighted to say that Health Pitch have agreed to deliver a session, in collaboration with our charity, which will take place at Beam Editions August 1st.

The Nottingham performance will be part of Health Pitch’s One-of-a Kind Summer tour bringing La Dolce Vita to those who need it.

We desperately need new and more creative ways of supporting mental health and well-being. As a charity we are thrilled to support Health Pitch and their mission to bring hope and joy through their innovative performance art experiences.

Please sign up here and join us for the most unforgettable experience!

Rachel Bannister

Chair Mental Health – Time for Action Foundation

New Event 29th November 2024

Mental Health – Time for Action Foundation are delighted to announce an online training opportunity led by Prof Russell Razzaque.

Compassionate And Relational Listening (CARL) training has been created by Russell and is the product of many years of co-production, incorporating aspects of Open Dialogue and Compassionate And Relational Enquiry training, which are currently being piloted in several NHS Trusts across the UK.

It is a practical training day, where you will learn skills of deep listening and emotional responsiveness, enabling you to connect more deeply to those around us.

Completing the training will give you an insight into what more compassionate and relational mental health services might look like in future, and equip you with some of its basic insights and principles.

Save the date 29th November 2024

MHTFA are delighted to announce an online training opportunity led by Prof Russell Razzaque.
Compassionate And Relational Listening (CARL) training has been created by Russell and is the product of many years of co-production, incorporating aspects of Open Dialogue..
— Mental Health – Time for Action Foundation (@MHtimeforAction) March 7, 2023

Register for the ‘He Died Waiting’ Book Launch Today

Today, on Thursday 11 February at 5pm, we are hosting Caroline Aldridge’s ‘He Died Waiting’ book launch on Zoom. Please book your attendance to the event here.

In 2014, Caroline Aldridge’s son Tim was one of 139 people whose deaths were recorded as ‘unexpected’ in one year within one mental health trust.

Tim died waiting for mental health treatment.

Caroline recently appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour about her son Tim and is determined, despite suffering the most appalling loss, to work with Mental Health service providers to ensure that lessons are truly learned.

You can purchase Caroline’s book here. She has kindly offered to donate a portion of each sale to our charity.

Our Second Conference

In 2019, we hosted a Mental Health Crisis Summit London Saturday 28th September with Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) Health Campaigns Together (HCT) and backed by the TUC

“Despite repeated promises of parity of esteem between mental and physical health, our mental health services are in crisis, with beds and clinicians in short supply while referrals are at an all-time high. Early intervention and access to evidence-based therapies remains a postcode lottery, and little is being done.

Our Mental Health Crisis Summit will bring attention to these issues, highlight the failings of the current government, and will include the participation of service users, carers, clinicians, academics, campaigners, and the public. Together, at our summit, we will chart a path towards adequately funded, well managed, and user-centred mental health provision for all.” Alex Serafimov MHTFA 15th May 2019

Watch a clip highlighting why we desperately need this Summit