Sainsbury Centre Director receives major public health award

15 September 2009

Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health employment programme director Dr Bob Grove was today honoured with a Royal Society for Public Health J W Starkey Silver Medal at a ceremony in London.

Bob Grove being presented with the medal

The medal was established in 1967 by J W Starkey's widow in his memory and is awarded triennially for distinguished services to mental health.

Dr Bob Grove is director of Sainsbury Centre's employment programme. He leads Sainsbury Centre's work to support people with mental health problems to make their lives better through employment. The programme's major focus is on encouraging the uptake of proven approaches to supporting people with severe or enduring mental health problems into work; on improving the skills of line managers top deal with mental distress in the workplace; and on assisting offenders with mental health problems to get jobs.

Bob joined the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health in March 2003. Previously he worked at the Institute for Applied Health and Social Policy at King's College, London, and before that in the not-for-profit sector, developing many different types of work scheme including supported employment agencies, social enterprises, social firms and vocational training.

Bob Grove said: "I am honoured and delighted to receive this award from such a distinguished public health organisation. People with mental health problems are too often excluded from the benefits of employment, yet being out of work is as bad for our health as obesity or smoking. This award is a recognition of the work of many people over recent years to improve the life chances of people with mental health problems and tackle the prejudices that prevent too many people from fulfilling their potential and realising their dreams."