Throughout this month we have partnered with an amazing charity, The Bethlem Museum of the Mind. We chose this charity because May is the month of Mental Health Awareness Week and the museum cares for an internationally renowned collection of archives, art and historic objects, which together offer an unparalleled resource to support the history of mental healthcare and treatment.
Bethlem Royal Hospital was founded in 1247 and was the first institution in the UK to specialise in the care of the mentally ill. The hospital continues to provide in-patient care as part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and has been based in south London since 1930.Situated within the hospital grounds, in a stunning Art Deco building shared with the Bethlem Gallery, Bethlem Museum of the Mind cares for the archives of Bethlem Royal Hospital, the Maudsley Hospital and Warlingham Park Hospital.
Melancholy Madness & Raving Madness who once sat on the gates of the 'London Hospital of the Insane' better known throughout the centuries as Bedlam.
We feel that its important to recognise how far we have come in not only treating mental illness but also understanding it, and archives documenting almost 800 years of mental illness treatment are crucial in continuing the learning, raising awareness and ultimately further removing the stigma around mental illness.
If you are in the South London area, make sure that you take a visit to the museum & gallery. It is not to be missed!
To nominate your favourite small charity for us to support, get in touch here.
