Katie’s tenure as CEO has seen our charity grow substantially from a small organisation supporting just over 1,000 people a year with their mental health, to a medium-sized charity supporting 5,000 people across West Sussex in 2022. Katie joined following the merger of Worthing and Arun Mind with Chichester Mind in 2013-14 and then led the merger with Cornerhouse in Southwick in 2019 when we rebranded to become West Sussex Mind.
She also led a restructuring of West Sussex Mind’s services, which began during the Covid pandemic, and created our current support model, which consists of Help Point (a single point of advice and support for anyone in West Sussex), mental health recovery, peer support from people with lived experience, and social activities to connect people with their communities and build confidence.
Sue Hawker chair of West Sussex Mind said: “Katie leaves West Sussex Mind in a very strong position. We have a good structure, a stable financial base and we have grown to support more people than ever before and continue to strive to meet the rising need for mental health support. Katie has also built a vibrant culture at West Sussex Mind, which brings unity and involvement for staff and those getting support with us.”
Patrick Stranack coordinator of our Adur support hub mirrored this latter sentiment. “For me, Katie’s greatest achievement has been to create a culture that is professional, boundaried, empathic, welcoming and hard-working. West Sussex Mind is a place where staff and service users can grow and their mental health can thrive.”
“Being CEO of West Sussex Mind is the best job I have ever had and has been an incredible honour,” said Katie. “There are such huge challenges around people getting timely mental health support in the NHS, and to know that we’ve been there to offer that support – and have been able to grow to meet the increasing need – gives me immense satisfaction.”
Kerrin Page, formerly deputy CEO, has been appointed by the Board of trustees as the new CEO of West Sussex Mind, following a rigorous recruitment process. Kerrin has been at West Sussex Mind since 2015 and has co-led much of the organisation’s growth and development since that time.
Kerrin said: “I would like to thank Katie for the extraordinary leadership she has brought to West Sussex Mind during a period of ever-growing need for mental health support. I am delighted to have been appointed as CEO of our amazing charity and look forward to leading the organisation in the next stages of its development.”
Katie will continue to be employed by West Sussex Mind until the end of April 2023 to provide support around the transition. We wish Katie luck and every happiness with all her future endeavours.