We are delighted to announce that Kerrin Page has officially taken over as CEO of West Sussex Mind, following a one-month handover with former CEO Katie Glover, who left at the end of April.
With a career background in the probation service – as a probation officer and in senior management – Kerrin joined West Sussex Mind in 2015 and has co-led our charity with Katie since then.
As deputy CEO, he worked closely with our board of trustees, managers and staff, overseeing our services and performance, and with national Mind. He also has a lead role for West Sussex’s voluntary sector in the Sussex-wide community mental health transformation. This project will bring local services in Brighton & Hove and East and West Sussex together, including NHS mental health services, primary care, partners from social care, and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations.
Kerrin was appointed as CEO after a rigorous recruitment process throughout January and February 2023, led by the Board and senior leadership team – and with West Sussex Mind staff and people who get support also involved in this process.
On his appointment, 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 our organisation in the next stages of its development.”
In line with West Sussex Mind’s business plan for 2023-24, Kerrin has three main priorities for the coming year:
- To recruit and train more peer volunteers to become more involved in our community mental health support
- To co-produce our services and support offer in collaboration with people with lived experience of mental health
- To further develop our community outreach to connect with people who may need us most but face barriers to accessing support, for example, children and young people, people from marginalised groups, and those living in the most deprived areas of West Sussex.
“I’m really passionate about breaking down barriers to people getting mental health support and reaching those who may feel excluded from society for a whole host of reasons,” said Kerrin. “I recognise that people’s backgrounds and circumstances can limit their life opportunities and are also a factor in poor mental health. So if we can reach more people, for example in deprived communities, who are struggling with their mental health – through our cost of living peer welfare worker and through our community outreach in Adur – then we can really help to improve outcomes for the people who need us most.”
Chair of West Sussex Mind’s board of trustees, Sue Hawker, said: “We are excited to welcome Kerrin as our new CEO. Our charity has a sound strategic and financial base to enable us to support even more local people with their mental health – and we look forward to Kerrin leading us in the next exciting stage of our evolution.”
Kerrin lives in Worthing with his wife and two boys, age 12 and 9, and loves walking on the Downs with family and friends in his free time.
The staff and trustees of West Sussex Mind welcome Kerrin as our new CEO and wish him happiness and luck in his new role!