From February, 'living well' mental health services across Greater Manchester will change their name 'neighbourhood mental health services' based on your feedback. You can help to choose a new service icon, to go alongside the new name. Vote on three options: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/living-well-...

Pennine Care Charity secured £32,600 from Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund, to transform land at Birch Hill into a community garden and growing space. This will provide a calm, natural environment for patients to enjoy, supporting our green plan to improve health while tackling climate change.

Bury living well service has launched a new weekly community group, to support mental wellbeing and life skills such as routine, preparing food, socialising, and managing emotions. The group is being shaped by people with lived experience, with a second group planned in Prestwich.

“Previously I had no hope and couldn’t see a future. But I’m now in a good place. I feel positive and excited about putting some dreams and plans in place." Stockport mum Lisa shared her recovery story after being supported by Stockport living well service: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/about-us/lat...

Oldham Library now has a baby loss remembrance tree, where parents or family can visit to remember their babies, share their messages, and find information about support services. We hope this can provide a space for parents to hold your loved ones in mind and get any support you need.

It’s been lovely to see lots of support and kindness over Christmas. Thanks to everyone who donated gifts or raised money for our services and patients. And to everyone who helped to organise donations for local food banks and charity appeals to support those in need over the festive period.

Thanks to everyone who supported Pennine Care Charity in 2025. Here's a short message from Wes, Pennine Care Charity director. We have a 500 mile challenge and some other great events if you fancy getting active and giving something back - which are both great for your own mental health!

We hope you have a fantastic Christmas, New Year and festive period, from all of us at Pennine Care NHS. If you need urgent mental health support and advice, you can call NHS 111 Mental Health any time. Please note this Bluesky acccount is not monitored between now and the New Year Bank Holiday.

A special shout out to all the health and care colleagues working over Christmas and New Year. Nurses Emily, Olivia and Elle are working Christmas Day on Hope unit, one of our child and adolescent mental health services at Fairfield Hospital in Bury.

Share your views on digital support for mental health and learning disability services. We are improving the digital services we offer - including video appointments, websites, patient portal, mobile apps and other online tools. For details visit: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/about-us/lat...

"Without therapy, I wouldn’t have got a dog through fear I wouldn’t have enough time to look after one. Thanks to Ruth, I realised I can make time, and it’s great for me." Simon from Royton was helped by NHS Talking Therapies when work stress and anxiety affected his health. Story on our website.

Chanukah Sameach. Wishing our Jewish patients, colleagues and communities a happy Hanukkah. The Jewish festival of light started on Sunday evening and lasts until next Monday. Our chaplain Rabbi Chanan Tomlin led a celebration at the Irwell unit in Bury.

Being creative, learning new skills and practicing mindfulness all have a positive impact on our mental health. The process of creating and doing an activity – drawing, painting, writing, making something – can be a good meditative practice to focus, reduce stress, improve mood and self-esteem.

Thanks to everyone at Saddleworth Santa Dash and at The Snipe who made a donation to Pennine Care Charity the past weekends. Your generosity has raised over £400 towards community-based groups and projects for people who use our mental health, learning disability and autism services.

Hospitals are incredibly busy at the moment. Alternatives to help: 📲Call NHS 111, including the new NHS 111 Mental Health 🚪Drop-in mental health services 🧑‍⚕️A pharmacist, for health advice 💉Have your flu vaccine, as flu reaches record levels in hospitals More at www.penninecare.nhs.uk/winter

The new community hub at 3 Knowsley Place in Bury is open! It brings together many mental health and learning disability services under one roof, a convenient location for people to get help. The hub was created following a joint investment of £2 million by Pennine Care and Bury Council.

Protect yourself, protect your loved ones, protect those we care for from flu this winter. Experts are warning this year’s flu season could be one of the worst in decades – let’s keep each other safe this winter. Getting your vaccine is quick, easy and free for NHS staff and those most at risk.

Have you seen the highlights from our #PennineCarePeople Awards last week? You can check out all the pictures in an album on our Facebook page. You can also watch all the finalists’ videos on our YouTube channel or website.

We’re currently the 3rd best-performing NHS mental health & learning disability trust in England for recruiting participants into research studies. Thanks to the 1500 people who've taken part in studies since April 2025. We’re hoping to reach 2000 by end of March 2026 (our previous record is 1700).

Callum from Tameside is now thriving in his new role at a local gaming store, thanks to dedicated mental health support. Our Tameside and Glossop early intervention team partners with Pure Innovations to offer dedicated individual placement and support services. Full story on our website.

Our learning disability and older people's community teams are all using a new national 'reasonable adjustment digital flag' to better meet people's needs. The flag is a tool on Paris, our electronic patient record, which shows when a person needs adjustments or adaptations to support their care.

Congratulations to all the winners from our #PennineCarePeople Awards. Thanks again to our sponsors for helping to make last night such a success. Check out our Facebook or website page for all the highlights and pictures from the night.

Good luck to all the finalists at our #PennineCarePeople Awards tonight. You can keep up with the live winner announcements on our X/Twitter page @PennineCareNHS from around 9.30pm. A huge thank you to all the sponsors, we couldn’t celebrate and thank our NHS colleagues without your generosity.

Well done to our young people's mental health research centre, who were finalists at the @hsj.co.uk Awards last night. They were recognised for their word to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for young people. To be a finalist in that category is a brilliant achievement 👏 #PennineCarePeople

Thanks to everyone who came to support Pennine Care Charity's pop-up shop and fashion show last week. Your generosity raised £1200 towards wellbeing projects, support groups, and extras for patients using mental health, learning disability and autism services - beyond those paid for by the NHS.

It’s common to feel low, stressed, anxious or lonely over the winter months. Getting early help early can make a big difference so you #FeelWellThisWinter Visit our website for info on talking therapy, self-help, chatty cafes, drop-in services and NHS 111 Mental Health.

Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day gave us chance to pay respects to those who fought for our freedom and gave their lives in service. Many services held memorials and were decorated with poppies and remembrance displays, creating spaces for quiet reflection.

Meet some of our friendly NHS 111 Mental Health team, here to listen, support and connect you to local services. 📲 You can call 111 and choose option 2 for urgent mental health help. It’s free and available 24/7. This 111 number replaces our 0800 helpline. You can also access help online.

Resident doctors will be striking from 7am Friday 14 November, to 7am Wednesday 19 November. If you have an appointment with any of our services, please attend unless you hear from us. You are still welcome to visit loved ones in our hospitals as usual. More info is available on our website.

At the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month – we will remember them Today we remember #ArmisticeDay and those who fought in all wars and sacrificed so much for our freedom. We hope you are able to join in two minutes of silent reflection at 11am #LestWeForget #RemembranceDay

Remembrance can bring back difficult thoughts, feelings and memories. Op COURAGE can help UK armed forces veterans, if you are struggling. Planning how and when you want to take part in remembrance, practicing self-care and coping skills, talking to others, and limiting media can also be helpful.

Congrats to our pharmacy team on winning best quality improvement @cmhpcommunity.pharmsky.app Awards, with colleagues from Greater Manchester Mental Health and Stockport Integrated Care Board. They won for their work to improve how Promazine, an antipsychotic medication, is prescribed and managed.

Halloween highlights from across Pennine sCare services 🎃 There were plenty of spooky arts, crafts and writing activities, using creativity to help people's mental health. Doing anything creative can reduce stress, boost mood, practice mindfulness, and build self esteem.

Thank you and best wishes to Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE, who leaves a lasting impact: "Serving as your chair over the past 8 years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. "I leave with immense pride - and with deep gratitude for having served alongside you. I will be cheering you on."

Today we welcome Claudette Elliott as chair, bringing 40 years of experience in health and social care: “I feel so proud and privileged to be appointed as chair. Pennine Care holds such a special place in my heart, and I feel constantly inspired by everyone who works here."

"I think I am standing ‘firm in power and pride’ of being part of this team. Working with colleagues, I’ve been able to give them an understanding of the African culture & other cultures as well.” Read the #BlackHistoryMonth piece by Rugie, parent infant mental health practitioner, on our website.

The sights, sounds and smells of fireworks can be triggering. #BonfireNight advice from our veterans' services: 🗓Plan where you'll be comfortable 🎇Reduce triggers with sensory aids, headphones, blinds 🧘 Use coping skills, breathing techniques ✋Ground yourself- using your 5 senses 🗣Talk to others

Some thoughts from our consultant clinical psychologist @chrisdjtaylor.bsky.social ahead of #TheTraitors this evening...

“You don’t have to be bullish to be a good leader. Showing your insecurities is a point of power as opposed to weakness.” Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE reflects on her career and leadership for #BlackHistoryMonth, in her final week after eight years as our chair: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/about-us/lat...

"Because of Kerry’s help, I now feel better and more confident. I truly feel like a new Junaid.” Speech and language therapist Kerry, from Bury adult learning disability team, helped Junaid to develop his communications skills and make new friends at college: www.penninecare.nhs.uk/about-us/lat...

We hope everyone had a great time celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights. There were several events and activities across Pennine Care - including this fabulous one at Horizon unit in Bury, with Indian food, music, dancing, and traditional attire.

Well done to our @nursingtimes.bsky.social Award finalists: Jenny Jones, Angela Howarth, and Carol Lonergan for menopause awareness sessions for women with learning disabilities. Our infection prevention and control team for reducing and preventing wound infections on hospital wards.

Great to see so many colleagues recognised at the Asian Professionals National Alliance NHS conference and awards. Panita Chouhan and Dr Sarmad Nadeem led panel disussions on tackling health inequalities. Abhinav Kokilagadda, Prash Ladva, and Women's CHAI Project were also shortlisted for awards.

Rhodes Place use recycled materials as part of their creative art sessions to support people's mental health. Creating together is liberating and therapeutic, helping us to feel more emotionally balanced. And using recycled materials also raises awareness about consumption and sustainability.

The latest legends captured by Bunksy, our mysterious resident artist 🧑‍🎨 Which of these #PennineCarePeople do you recognise? You can see the full gallery by searching 'Pennine Bunksy' on Facebook - and drop them a message to nominate someone for a portrait.

We’re working with local partners to deliver ten tailored breast health workshops to support people with a learning disability. The workshops are interactive and engaging, with games and quizzes. They help people to understand breast health, recognise changes, and know when to seek help.

“One of the most rewarding things about my job is seeing patients begin to trust food again. “Every time a patient gains weight safely, avoids refeeding complications, or feels heard in their food choices, I know I’ve made a difference.” Oluchukwu, specialist dietitian #AHPsDay

Our dietitians, occupational therapists, physios and speech and language therapists came together to celebrate #AHPsDay. The event focused on three key shifts—hospital to community, treatment to prevention, and analogue to digital - with colleagues presenting ideas on how to support these.

Our green plan sets out how we’re tackling climate change and the impact this has on people’s health. We’re working with colleagues, patients and partners to become one of the greenest NHS trusts, and net zero carbon by 2040 Here's some of our progress, check out the full plan on our website.

It’s Allied Health Professions Day in recognition of the 14 specialist AHP roles across the NHS. On Arden ward, patients created this banner about occupational therapy and the coping strategies that help to prevent relapse and readmission. #AHPsDay