At the Mental Health Museum (MHM) we believe that access to real, powerful and tangible human experiences inspires change; from the privately personal, to a collective revolution. Our extraordinary collection aims to support the empowerment of people; joining people together to combat mental health stigma and prejudice. The MHM building is situated at Fieldhead Hospital; home of the Yorkshire Centre for Forensic Psychiatry along with a diverse range of both inpatient and outpatient mental health services.

Our location, alongside our collection, is inextricably linked to the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum (later known as Stanley Royd Hospital); its histories, lived experiences and activities. The natural environment played a significant therapeutic and practical role at the hospital, and there have been both lessons learned and success forgotten. We want to utilise our collection and knowledge of the past to engage and encourage our communities to explore, learn and re-imagine our grounds as an important part of a sustainable and wellbeing focused environment today, and for the future.

The MHM seeks to respond to the urgent challenges that climate change and social inequality present to society today, and continue to collect objects and human experiences that reflect the social, personal and physical landscape of mental health. By joining the Happy Museum Affiliate Scheme we hope to develop a practical framework of action and forge meaningful relationships with organisations across the country. We seek to harness the Happy Museum principles and values to drive meaningful change at cultural, social and clinical/specialist levels within NHS services and health care networks.

Model communities as museums and museums as communities