A colleague asked me the other day what did I think was different about Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) now that a year had passed since I had been appointed Chair. It was a great question and I will touch upon my response in a moment and more fully in next Sunday’s blog. But first…
She
was last seen on our screens in the 2019 Christmas special, and goodness did we
all shout at the TV set on that occasion. It was a cliff-hanging episode that
ended with Nessa (Ruth Jones) proposing to Smithy (James Corden) and for the
last five years nobody knew what Smithy’s answer was. It made for brilliant
television.
Now,
if you have never watched Gavin and Stacey, and truth be told, J had never
watched any of it before we got together, all of the above will just be
gibberish. Sorry. However, if say that 12.3 million tuned in to watch the
Christmas Day episode, (that is nearly 19% of the entire UK population) it is
clear that the series is very popular, and we were all wanting to know the
answer to that 2019 question. And we found out.
Way
back then, what did Smithy say to Nessa? Well, as the storyline goes, he didn’t
say anything at all. Now there may be some of my regular blog readers who have
been working non-stop over the Christmas period and perhaps haven’t yet caught
up with their viewing on catch up TV. So, first of all, a big THANK YOU for
being there for others over Christmas. But no further spoilers here. Just to
say if you haven’t yet watched the Finale, you might need to grab
yourself a box of tissues before watching it.
The
fact that the Gavin and Stacey Finale attracted the biggest TV audience
in a decade, and even (sigh) beat the new Wallace and Gromit film, is testament
to the wonderful creative writing relationship that exists between Ruth Jones
and James Corden. Theirs is a very special relationship. I hope that, now that
Gavin and Stacey is finished, and it has, they look for a new world to create
for our delight.
It's
relationships that connect me back to the ‘what is different about GMMH 12
months into my taking up the Chair’s role’ question. There is much that is
different and I intend to share more about what’s different in my first blog of
2025. Writing that blog will give me the opportunity to not only look back over
the last 12 months, but, and perhaps more importantly, look forward to what I
expect will be a very challenging year.
For
now, it is primarily the last six months upon which I want to reflect. Six
months ago, our new Chief Executive, Karen Howell, joined us. Karen landed,
hitting the ground running. Although it has only been six months, I believe we
have put in the foundations for what will become a positive and effective
working relationship. The signs are all there. Whilst there is much to do, and
we are still not getting everything right, we are making progress. We are
moving forward. Karen and I are now very much supported by a brilliant group of
Executive and Non-Executive Directors. Each one is a first class and
experienced individual in their own professional field of practice. They have
all chosen to join us, and all are committed to making a difference. We are making
a difference, and we will continue to do so.
Suffice
to say, it has been a challenging year for several of my colleagues. Next year
looks to be no different. There will be some tough decisions to be taken along
the way, that is for sure. However, working together we can address each and
every one of the challenges that come our way. In doing so, we will take those
tough decisions by continuing to nurture our close partnership and
collaborative ways of working.
As
2024 comes to a close, I hope there will have been many moments for each of you
to cherish. There has for me, and for that I’m grateful. I wish everyone the
very best for the new year ahead of us; lets get out there and continue to make
a difference. See you all in 2025!
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