News

As we look towards Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 (11th – 17th May), Toucan is highlighting the power of young people’s voices in driving meaningful change through its Lived Experience Group.
 
Michelle Cresswell, Director of Commissioning and Strategy at Toucan said:
 
“Working alongside young people and hearing their voices is so important when we design and improve services. Their experiences and ideas are essential to getting the work that we do right.
 
“That’s why we are committed to coproduction in how we plan and commission services, making sure they are designed with young people from the very start.”
 
The group, which launched in March this year, brings together young people from the West Midlands aged 13–18 with lived experience of inpatient mental health care. It aims to provide a safe and supportive space where young people can share their perspectives and have an influence on how services are designed and delivered.
 
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme, Take Action, is reflected in the group’s purpose: creating space for open conversations, reducing stigma, and turning lived experience into positive change.
 
Poppy Tibbetts, Expert by Experience at Toucan said:
 
“The group has already met three times, with another session scheduled for 13th May. 
 
“These sessions are beginning to build a strong sense of community, where young people can contribute to change across both NHS and private mental health services in the region.”
 
The Lived Experience Group is a voluntary opportunity for young people to collaborate, share insights, and help shape improvements to mental health care. 
 
Megan Plant, Expert by Experience at Toucan said:
 
“When you are struggling with your mental health, you feel like you have this weight on your shoulders, no one knows quite how heavy this weight is, it is only you that truly understands what it feels like. When I was battling an eating disorder, some people made me feel like I had put this weight on my own shoulders and I had to carry it every day, completely on my own. Sometimes mental health is spoken about like it's a choice; however, this stigma just makes people more closed off. 
 
“Discussing mental health shouldn’t be scary it should be normalised.  A lot of people struggle with their mental health at different points in their lives and this looks different for everyone. For me ‘Take Action’ means listening to people if they want to discuss their mental health and asking them questions about it. It invites the conversation instead of ignoring it and makes it feel less shameful.  
 
“I have recently become involved with the first few sessions of the Lived Experience Group. The group is already beginning to feel like a community of hope. I believe that, like me, young people struggling with mental health will find acceptance within supporting change in the services. This group brings me such hope and excitement for the future of mental health services for children and young people. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this as it can further highlight issues around support for mental health and enforces the need for change from the people that have experienced it first-hand.”
 
Young people interested in learning more about the Service User Group and future sessions are encouraged to get in touch.
 
Contact the Coproduction Team for more information