Surrey residents came together this week for a free mental health and wellbeing festival, connecting with local services and discovering the support available in their communities.
The free event, RecoveryFest 2026, was held at Stoke Park in Guildford on Wednesday 5 August and gave visitors the opportunity to meet representatives from NHS services, charities and community organisations.
Organised by our Recovery College, the event welcomed people seeking support for themselves or a loved one, as well as those wanting to learn more about their health and wellbeing.
We also welcomed Zöe Franklin, MP for Guildford, and Aruna Mehta, Trust Chair, who met visitors, colleagues and organisations taking part.
Zöe Franklin MP said: “It has been great to learn more about the Recovery College and its lived experience work.
“Seeing someone who has walked a similar path and is now helping others must be incredibly powerful for people who are struggling. I have loved speaking to the stallholders. It has been an amazing event, and more people need to know about it.”
Visitors met teams covering mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services. Teams from our Trust included the Recovery College, Mind Matters Surrey, i-access, the Research and Development Team and the Service User Network.
Local organisations taking part included Action for Carers Surrey, Mary Frances Trust, Sport in Mind, Citizens Advice Southwest Surrey, Catch22 and With You’s NHS Talking Therapies Surrey.
Beth Dudley joined the Recovery College in 2017 after being referred by her GP. She later became a volunteer and now delivers courses and works as a Recovery Coach.
Beth said: “The Recovery College helped me leave the house, meet people who understood what I was experiencing and realise I wasn’t alone.
“I always say it saved my life because it helped me out of a very dark place. I used to be unable to travel alone, but recently I flew to Glasgow by myself. It has made me braver and changed my life.”
Nina Clayton-Broom, Service Lead for the Managing Emotions Programme and Recovery College, said: “RecoveryFest has grown into a wonderful community event that brings local services and people together.
“It was a great opportunity to discover what is available, make new connections and find support in a welcoming environment. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success.”
The Recovery College offers free courses and workshops to help people aged 18 and over living in Surrey and North East Hampshire manage their mental health and wellbeing.
To find out more visit the RecoveryFest webpage, or email recovery.college@sabp.nhs.uk.
