Lamp strengthens its community mental health advocacy team with new appointment

Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project (Lamp) has appointed Lloyd King as its new Community Mental Health Advocate. Lloyd extends the Lamp team to six specialist advocates who help clients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to access mental health care and support if they are unable to do it for themselves or if they face challenges in doing so.

Lloyd brings key experience to his new role, having previously worked at The Bridge East Midlands where he supported homeless people who were ex-offenders by securing their housing and benefits, as well as getting them help for substance misuse and mental health problems. At the time, many of the clients he worked with had been diagnosed with mental health issues, along with those with untreated mental health problems. He has also worked in a housing association environment on policy and research.

Commenting on Lloyd’s appointment, Richard Kotulecki, Lamp’s CEO said: “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Lloyd as he joins our team. His previous experience and practical knowledge gained from assisting homeless and vulnerable people will be particularly valuable in his new role. I look forward to working with him as we seek to engage with clients who need our support and strive to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness.”

Lloyd added: “I am delighted to be joining Lamp and am excited to start working with my colleagues on the community mental health advocacy team. l have a keen interest in the mental health of vulnerable people and have seen firsthand how difficult it is for them to access mental healthcare. There are areas which need improvement to ensure that our clients are able to gain access to mental health support services.”