17 February 2026
An oral history project, capturing and sharing the voices of people who have used or worked in NHS mental health services in Sussex has been launched today.
Heads On, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s charity, has launched Living Histories to document a period of mental health history, pushing the boundaries of how NHS organisations listen to, learn from and value lived experience.
The project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, NHS Charities Together and Heads On and documents the whole life stories of people who have used and worked in mental health services, following the closure of the old asylums in the 1980s, up to and including the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
At the heart of the project are the real-life stories of people whose voices are rarely heard in public historical records, people living with severe and complex mental health conditions, and those who care for and support them.
Rachel Blair, Grants and Programmes Manager for Heads On, said: “We are so grateful to the people who told their stories, and to the volunteers who carefully documented them. We believe that these are stories that should not be lost, and we are proud to launch this exhibition and contribute to the conversation about how we hear from and learn from people’s real-life experiences of NHS mental health services.
“We are committed to challenging mental health stigma through listening to and amplifying the voices of people who can otherwise often go unheard. In the context of people's whole life stories, the Living Histories exhibition provides a snapshot of these stories and celebrates the resilience of human nature in the face of some of our greatest challenges.”
Over the course of a year, Heads On recruited and trained 15 volunteers to record 35 in-depth oral history interviews with people across Sussex who have used or worked in NHS mental health services.
From these interviews, seven podcast episodes have been carefully curated and released with the full consent of participants. The episodes explore themes of care, recovery, relationships, identity and the reality of life with a severe mental health condition.
All audio clips are taken directly from participants’ oral histories, allowing people to speak in their own words about their experiences of mental ill health and mental health services.
Alongside the podcasts, a programme of public exhibitions will take place across Sussex, bringing these stories into local communities and highlighting the human impact of NHS mental health care over the past 40 years.
Living Histories responds to a critical moment for mental health heritage. Many people who experienced the closure of the old asylums and the transition to community-based care are now older, retiring or nearing the end of their lives, placing this first-person history at risk of being lost.
The project also documents the Covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of people living with severe mental illness and those working in NHS mental health services — a period that permanently changed care delivery, working lives and daily experience.
By capturing whole-life stories, the project supports Sussex Partnership’s commitment to working alongside people who use services, helping staff, communities and future generations better understand how mental health intersects with every aspect of life.
Exhibition
The De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill : Saturday 21 February - Tuesday 3 March
West Shelter, Worthing: 16 March – 30 May
Colonnade House, Worthing: 27 March - 1 May
Crawley Library, Crawley: 4 May - 15 May
Podcast Production : Michael Umney and Charlotte Petts
Design and illustration: Dave Bain
The podcast episodes:
- The Safety of Being Nursed
- Believed and Understood
- Support and Friendship
- A Different Kind of Life
- Covid-19: Good Days and Bad Days
- The Unseen Condition
- “Safer, Weller, Happier”
