FILM: “It feels like a movement more than just an organisation” – graduates tell us why they joined Think Ahead

One of the benefits of gaining a place on the Think Ahead programme is that you join a diverse group of graduates and career-changers with a wide range of different ideas, but who are all motivated by a unifying goal: to see a society where everyone with mental health problems can flourish.

Each year we hold a six-week residential Summer Institute for our new cohort of trainee social workers. This allows participants time to get to know one another, build a network, and prepare to enter their community mental health teams where they will spend two years training and working.

At this year’s Summer Institute we decided to ask our 2017 participants about their reasons for joining the programme, what they’ve enjoyed, and their aspirations for themselves and Think Ahead.

We got some excellent responses.

Talking about her motivations, Zoe said: “I spent some time working at my local citizen’s advice. I saw people come in with problems about housing or benefits or employment, but underlying a lot of those problems were mental health problems they hadn’t managed to resolve.”

Arnold noted that mental health social work “seems like the kind of place people are really needed right now”, while Jan pointed out that social workers “really change people’s lives.”

James added that Think Ahead “feels more like a movement more than organisation”.

You can watch the film below, and apply to join the Think Ahead programme in 2018 here.

• Why did you join Think Ahead? – 0.08.
• What’s been the best part of the Summer Institute? – 0.48.
• Can you describe the Summer Institute in one word? – 2.03
• Why is Think Ahead important? – 2.17
• What do you hope to achieve as part of Think Ahead… and beyond? – 3.05