NHS Talking Therapies Celebrates Unveiling of Community Mural at North Warwickshire Location
Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Talking Therapies, part of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, celebrated the unveiling of a new community mural at its North Warwickshire location in Nuneaton on Friday 30 January. The mural, created by local artist Violet Hills, has transformed the waiting area at Riversley Park into a warm and uplifting space designed to support comfort and wellbeing for service users.
Alongside Violet's mural, the wall also displays drawings contributed by both Talking Therapies staff and clients, adding a personal and community centred touch to the environment. The event marked the mural's official reveal with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Nuneaton and Bedworth Mayor Bhim Saru.
The ceremony opened with a welcome from James Howard, Locality Manager and High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, who thanked attendees for joining and acknowledged the importance of local partnership in supporting mental health initiatives. Clinician Lisa Patterson then shared how the project began with a desire to create a more inviting waiting area, eventually growing into a collaborative effort between staff, clients and the artist.
Violet introduced the artwork to those gathered, sharing her inspiration and spoke about how her lived experience influenced both her creative process and her desire to contribute to the service. Her words resonated with attendees and emphasised the connection between creativity and mental health recovery.
Mayor Saru addressed the audience, highlighting the positive impact of investing in warm and welcoming community spaces. Members of the North Warwickshire Talking Therapies team also shared their impressions of the mural and its early impact on service users, noting the positive response to the inclusion of staff and client drawings displayed alongside the main artwork.
The event concluded with closing remarks from James followed by refreshments and informal tours of the space, providing guests the opportunity to explore the enhanced waiting area and appreciate the mural up close.
Sheri Ashton, Head of Service for Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull NHS Talking Therapies, said:
Friday's unveiling was a celebration of creativity and community. Violet's artwork has brought a new sense of calm and hope to the space, and we are incredibly grateful to her, as well as the clinicians who made this possible, for their commitment to making this project a reality.
James Howard, Locality Manager and High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapist for Nuneaton, added:
We were delighted to welcome Mayor Saru and colleagues to mark this transformation. The mural has already made a remarkable difference to the feel of the waiting area and it reflects the compassionate work that takes place here every day.
Alastair Penman, Director of Operations for Adult and Older People's Mental Health Services, highlighted:
This project demonstrates how thoughtful, creative improvements to clinical environments can support wellbeing. We are proud of the collaboration that brought this mural to life and the positive impact it will have for service users and staff.
NHS Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Talking Therapies provides free, confidential support for people aged 16 and over experiencing common mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, excessive worry, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and low mood linked to long-term physical conditions.
People can access the service in several ways:
- Self referral online
- Call : 024 7667 1090 (Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm)
- Email : talkingtherapies@covwarkpt.nhs.uk for general enquiries
Individuals must be registered with a GP in Coventry, Warwickshire or Solihull to access the service. Assessments are usually completed within four weeks, with most people beginning treatment within 12 weeks.