Former Norwich City goalkeeper Bryan Gunn will officially open Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust’s new Wymondham headquarters for its South Norfolk teams.

Gateway House is a purpose-built base for community teams covering child and family, adult and older peoples’ services in South Norfolk. The aim is to create a centre of excellence for mental health in this area.

Bryan Gunn – who played 473 games for the Canaries and more recently had a short spell as manager – will open Gateway House on Monday, September 20. Members of the public are welcome to drop in between 2.00pm and 7.30pm to view the innovative new base and learn more about mental health services in South Norfolk.

Bryan’s speech at 2.30pm will put the spotlight on mental health discrimination and stigma by reflecting on the tragic suicide of German goalkeeper Robert Enke, who suffered in silence with depression before ending his life. Bryan will be encouraging football fans, young and old, to reach out if they find themselves in mental distress.

Bryan Gunn said: “I’m delighted to help the Trust open Gateway House. It will be important to those seeking help and access to mental health services. And it has an exciting future working to improve mental health and wellbeing for South Norfolk.


“We all need to challenge the discrimination and stigma surrounding mental illness. I would urge anyone who has concerns about their own mental health to seek help, there is nothing to be ashamed or worried about. We are fortunate that Norfolk and Waveney runs top-class mental health facilities. Gateway House will help the Trust continue to make mental health services even better.”

The open event is an opportunity to visit the building and meet mental health professionals who will be showcasing the services they provide in South Norfolk. Free seminars will run throughout the afternoon beginning with ‘Helping young people with ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome enter adulthood’ at 3.30pm, followed by ‘Person-centred Dementia Care’ at 4.30pm, ‘An insight into recovery work’ at 5.30pm, and finally ‘Anxiety and Depression’ at 6.30pm. Guided tours will be running between 4pm-7pm.

The move to Gateway House will reorganise how teams work, improving the service to GPs and service users. There will be a single point of contact for all inquiries and referrals, and a duty practitioner on site to answer urgent calls. A dedicated clinical administration team will support clinical processes and help smooth service users’ care pathways. There will be increased opportunity for teams to combine resources, training, clinical advice and experience to respond to changing health needs in the local community. The building will be equipped with state-of-the-art ICT equipment and resources to support excellent communication, and enable flexible working.

Trust chief executive Aidan Thomas said: “This is an important new building for the Trust, where new ways of working will be pioneered. It is designed to better support staff to deliver excellent mental health services meeting the needs of the local community. We will be watching Gateway House closely to continue improving the care we provide across Norfolk and Waveney. We are working to ensure staff have the best resources and facilities where teams can work together. We also want to support staff to deliver care in more comfortable and socially inclusive settings for service users.”

The new building has an ‘excellent’ rating under the tough green guidelines introduced this year by the NHS. It is being constructed specifically for the Trust, which has committed to leasing it for the next 20 years. Some old South locations are being given up by the Trust completely, but others will be retained and used for different purposes. Suitable alternative arrangements will be put in place locally at the few locations where treatment currently takes place on site. Managers are working with their teams to identify consultation rooms for hire within various towns and villages, to ensure people will be seen closer to home within a more socially inclusive setting.

Gateway House is the first Trust property to achieve its target of an ‘Excellent’ rating from the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), which measures environmental impact and performance. This is now an NHS requirement for new build projects. The new Wymondham facility is a major landmark in the Trust’s drive to gain leading green credentials in line with its new environmental strategy launched in December 2009. The building has been eco-efficiently designed to reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint, and energy savings will reduce running costs over the years.

For more information and to book to attend the event contact
E: [email protected]
T: 01603 421344

Details can also be found on the Trust’s website www.nwmhft.nhs.uk