Wimbledon Recovery College opens its doors

A new college aimed at giving people with mental health issues a chance to deal thier illnesses as well as learn a new skill has opened it's doors in Wimbledon.  

St George's Mental Health NHS Trust launched the Open Door Community Centre on Beaumont Road this week.

The idea is to offer people with mental health issues the chance to manage their own mental health.  

Steve Wybourn, Recovery College Manager says the college is building on other schemes: "We already have centres in Wandsworth and Merton but opening this new site will make our services much accesible."

The college has been dubbed as "groundbreaking" by some, and is only one of four in the whole country.

It was set up to offer radical new services, managing mental health by empowering users to deal with recovery rather than rely on a doctor or an expert.

The centre has also grabbed the attention of Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam: "I heard powerful personal stories from people who were living purposeful and fulfilling lives."

"I heard being called a student, rather than a patient helped people take control of their recovery."