Sandwell mental health group tackle Snowdon to raise funds for psychosis recovery

A team of mental health nurses and passionate members of the community will climb Snowdon later this month to raise money for a life-changing sailing voyage for people recovering from psychosis.

The Sandwell Coach Potatoes will take on the challenge as part of Black Country Brighter Lives’ 30 ways to make a difference campaign on October 17.

Black Country Brighter Lives is a charity which funds projects and activities that go beyond core NHS funding with an aim to make care more personal, hopeful and human. The 30 ways to make a difference campaign inviting people to donate, fundraise or take on a challenge inspired by the number 30.

Manisha Patel, Charity Engagement Officer, said: “We hope the community will get behind the team, donate if they can and help them reach their goal.”

The Coach Potatoes team decided that tackling Snowden would be a challenge worthy of the campaign and wish to use the money for a planned voyage.

The new voyage builds on an earlier fundraising effort which helped launch a sailing voyage for local people experiencing psychosis, with nine people recovering from psychosis in 2025 and three mental health nurses completed a demanding six-day journey covering 253 nautical miles.

Laura Barney, Early Intervention in Psychosis Clinical Development Lead, added: “They have made friends, recently meeting as a group. One patient did not feel able to use local public transport before the trip.

“Last week he met with his new friends, catching the train independently. Some have asked for referrals for employment support as they now feel that they are worthy and capable of employment.

“Each person lit up when I asked them about their experiences; from learning to sail, cooking together and meeting someone else who had been through psychosis. Several have described this as a life-changing event.”

Working together at sea gave participants the chance to build confidence and Emma Silverstone, a clinical lead and mental health nurse for the Sandwell team, described the trip as “a six-day adventure of sunshine and storms, cooking and eating together, bunk beds, and sharing stories of symptoms, hospital admissions, and coping strategies.”

She added: “You learn more about yourself and others on the sea than you ever could in a clinic room. As nurses, we were privileged to share this experience and see beyond the diagnosis of psychosis to the nine inspirational, creative, courageous survivors we sailed with.”

Donate and follow the team’s progress on the Sandwell Couch Potatoes fundraising page, where every contribution will help bring the planned 2027 sailing voyage closer.