Cath Lake appointed as Vice-Chair for the Design in Mental Health Network

P+HS Architects have a long association with the Design in Mental Health Network and we are delighted to share the news that Cath Lake has been appointed as its new Vice-Chair.

Originally a not-for-profit, social enterprise company, Design in Mental Health Network is now a registered charity that welcomes anyone with an interest in the design of mental healthcare facilities, from architects and designers, lived experience experts, to estates planners, and clinicians.. The organisation is driven by one critical fact: design matters. It isn’t a nice to have, or an optional extra, but is vital to the well-being of everyone who works in, or uses the services of the mental health sector. Step by step, conversation by conversation, action by action, it is making a difference, learning from everyone and improving safety and patient outcomes.

P+HS believe this work and collaborative ethos is hugely valuable and we provide support in a variety of ways. In addition to her “day job” as P+HS Director and mental healthcare lead, Cath Lake has given her time to play an active role in the work of the network since 2015, contributing to their annual conference programme, leading on the development of the Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit and contributing to the Testing and Innovation workstream working with the BRE to develop product testing standards specifically for mental health environments, and much more.

Commenting on Cath's new appointment, DiMHN Chair Philip Ross said:

‘I want to thank Cath for putting herself forward and for the Board's unanimous support for her to take on the Vice-Chair role. Cath has been on the board for quite some time, she knows the charity and the mental health sector very well and also has extensive experience in design and leadership with her director role at P+HS architects. I'm looking forward to this next chapter working with Cath to continue to support the growth of our reach here at DIMHN."