FST Projects

First Step Trust 2009 Awards for Positive Action

120 guests packed Charlton House - one of Greenwich’s stunning venues

Greenwich Councillor, Angela Cornforth with Stuart Owen, FST’s Northern Region Director

Guests packed Charlton House, Greenwich, for First Step Trust’s Annual Dinner and Awards for Positive Action ceremony.

Among the attendees were key decision-makers within NHS and local authorities, FST staff and workforce members from across the country.

Dr Rachel Perkins, Government advisor and mental health campaigner, spoke passionately about people’s right to work

Dr Rachel Perkins, Director of Quality Assurance and User Experience at South West London at St. George’s Mental Health NHS Trust and Government advisor on mental health, gave a heart-felt and very entertaining speech urging people with mental health problems to believe in themselves and challenge the prejudice they face.

She appealed to employers to do all that they can to open up their workplace to people in this socially-excluded group.

Rachel, a user of mental health services herself, went on to present the awards to a host of impressive winners.

Guest speaker, Dr Rachel Perkins (far left), retiring FST Joint CEO, Carole Furnivall (left), Stephen Firn, CEO of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (centre) and FST Chair, Paul Lelliott (right).

The evening was also an opportunity to say goodbye to Carole Furnivall, Joint CEO and FST co-founder, who is retiring this year.

As part of the marking Carole’s contribution to the development of FST, a new award was introduced – The Carole Furnivall Award for Outstanding Achievement.

As part of the marking Carole’s contribution to the development of FST, a new award was introduced – The Carole Furnivall Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Ronnie Wilson, Joint CEO, presents Carole Furnivall with a gift of appreciation for her critical role in building up FST’s success

There are many people throughout FST who show enormous courage and determination in overcoming difficulties just to get themselves to work.

Carole’s new award recognises those who have succeeded through such courage in achieving real change in their lives by gaining employment, holding onto a job through major difficulties or building a new career through full time education.

Winners of FST’s Awards for Positive Action 2009 (click on Images for large size photo)