Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is holding an event in Lincoln Cathedral to celebrate its Foundation Trust status and thank everyone who has given their support over the past few years.

The Trust – which provides mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services across the county – is holding a Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving on Thursday 24 April 2008 at 5.15pm for 5.30pm and is inviting everyone across the county to attend.

The celebration will include readings from a number of faiths, hymns featuring the Cathedral Choir and a blessing from the Bishop of Lincoln.

It will also feature music and drama from Trust service users, a chance to contribute to a Tree of Hope art installation and a marketplace with information about Trust services and mental health organisations across Lincolnshire.

Trust Chairman Alison Healey said: “Gaining Foundation Trust status took a lot of effort and it wouldn’t have been achieved without the support of service users, carers, members of the public and staff.

“This event is a great opportunity for people to come together to mark the Trust’s achievement and celebrate the strides people in Lincolnshire are taking to improve mental health services.

“Foundation Trust status is very important for us as it places us in a much better position to listen to the needs of people in Lincolnshire and allows us to provide a service that is more in line with what local people actually want.”

The event is open to everyone, whether they are a Foundation Trust member or not. Attendance needs to be confirmed beforehand – please contact Sue Ulyatt, Personal Secretary to Lead Chaplain Harry Smart, at sue.ulyatt@lpt.nhs.uk.

Foundation Trusts are a new type of NHS organisation that ordinary members of the public can join and have a say in how it is run.

Members are eligible to vote for someone to represent them on the Board of Governors and, through their Governor, monitor the Trust’s top managers and influence how services are planned and delivered in Lincolnshire.

Members can be involved as little or as much as they like, from just receiving information about the Trust to voting once every three years for a Governor to represent them. If they want to, members can also stand as a Governor themselves, and attend events with Trust staff to raise awareness of mental health issues.

To sign up – for free – as a member of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust please click here or call 01522 515356.