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After several years of development, the Serenity Programme™ (previously known as 'Outreach-online') was launched on 4th July 2010 - about six years and some four major design revisions from first concept.
During the development process a number of friends and colleagues have provided me with a great deal of support and encouragement. I owe them a debt of gratitude and I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to them. I suspect that they haven't always known how much their support has meant to me!
My gratitude goes to the following people, mentioned here in no particular order:
Dr. David Menkes, Professor of Psychiatry, for his faith, inspiration and enthusiastic support for my early ideas.
Dr. Rob Poole, Professor of Psychiatry, for his support and incisive questioning around the Serenity Programme research, which has immeasurably richened the data available on the programme.
Robin Holden, Mental Health Service Manager (retired) and Mind Executive, for his unstinting support, inspiration, planning skills and for his tough-minded determination in the face of challenges and disappointments.
Amy Bennison, Eddie Owen and Finola Stephenson, Aberconwy Mind for their support and determination to help make Serenity the best CCBT programme available!
Tim James, DNA Global for expert marketing, strategic planning advice, inspirational coaching and development work.
Phil Chick, National Leadership and Innovation Agency, for supporting the programme in strategic and political arenas.
Maria Gallagher for her compassionate support, and for helping me make the connections necessary to take the programme further.
Gary Slegg, Research Fellow, for his encouragement, unstinting support, tenacity and for his determination to design and follow-through the research agenda.
Lona Tudor-Jones, Research Facilitator, for her support and work behind-the-scenes, without whose input the research programme would never have been realised.
Liz Evans, Researcher, for her warmth, wisdom and humanity and for her hard work and dedication to the programme. Her support has been completely invaluable.
Dr. David Crossley, Consultant Psychotherapist, whose calm, balanced and insightful comments have always meant a great deal to me.
Gill Hunt, Independent Consultant, for her enthusiasm, awesome networking skills and her positive and inspirational take on life!
Karen Jowitt, Mental Health Trainer and Coach, for her constructive critique around the design and usability of the programme.
Seren Roberts, Researcher, for her optimism, vision and for instilling in me a sense of hope and determination.
Hilary Nicholas, from 'Want2Work' for her ability to 'think outside the box' and willingness to innovate.
Louise Messenger, Occupational Psychologist, for her insightful comments, thoughtfulness, dedication and flexibility to work with the 'unknown'.
Barry Dalton, Stuart Paynter and my friends and colleagues in the Therapy Unit at Nant-y-Glyn, especially Karen Williams, Bob Neale, Dawn Kennedy, Nia Williams, Wendy Williams, Medwyn Williams, Cath Jones, Sali Burns, Glenys Jones and Paul and Deb Diprose, whose conversations and insights have helped shape my thinking and the programme design more than they probably realise!
Also a big 'thank you' to the many users of the programme who have provided thoughtful feedback over several years; their generosity has helped make the programme more effective and easier to use for those using the programme after them.
I'd also like to thank anyone else whose supported me along the way with words or deeds of optimism and support, and last but not least - my family, for their loyalty and support during the many hours of early morning, late night and weekend work - an enormous 'thank you' to my wife Julie and our three children. It, quite literally, would not have been possible without you!
Awards
Steve Cottrell and colleagues meet Dr. Gordon Brown (UK Prime Minister 2007 to 2010) & Health Minister Ann Keen at a reception at 10 Downing Street, organised by the Royal College of Nursing (22nd May 2008).
The Serenity Programme (known as 'Outreach-online' in its previous incarnation) was supported initially by a financial award from Wales Mental Health in Primary Care (WaMH in PC) in 2003.
The programme won an award from Welsh Innovations in Healthcare (WiSH) in July of 2006, second prize in the British Journal of Nursing Clinical Practice Awards in 2006, a commendation in the Royal College of Nursing awards 2008 and joint first prize for 'Best Mental Health Nursing Project in Wales' at the Annual Welsh Mental Health Nursing Awards in 2010.
The financial elements of these awards have been essential to the development of the Serenity Programme, without them the programme would have never become available. Thank you.
Page last updated: Friday, January 20, 2012