South London is known for its vibrant and bustling atmosphere. However, beneath the surface of this lively city lies a growing problem that affects millions of Londoners – social isolation and loneliness. We know from listening to thousands of Londoners as part of our South London Listens programme that social isolation and loneliness is a significant issue affecting our communities which can often be overlooked but has a real impact on our mental and physical health. Here are a few reasons why tackling social isolation and loneliness should be a priority for Londoners.

We’re proud to be celebrating LGBT+ History Month, a month-long annual celebration and remembrance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. It looks back at the history of gay rights and celebrates how far we have come in the fight for equality. The month aims to educate out prejudice and make LGBT+ people visible in all their rich diversity. For allies, it's a chance to better understand the struggles that LGBT+ people face and how to better support them. At South West London and St George’s, we want everyone to feel safe, part of our community and proud to be who they are.

It is a time of exciting change and innovation at South West London and St George’s.

Q&A with Sarah Adams, Clinical and Operational Delivery Lead for South West London and St George’s Estate Modernisation Team.

This week (3-7 October) we are celebrating Physician Associate Awareness Week. Physician associates (PAs) are medically trained, generalist healthcare professionals, who work alongside doctors and provide medical care as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team.

Francis Leach is one of three PAs working across the Trust. Here she tells us more about her role.

Patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act or subject to a Community Treatment Order can ask for their case to be reviewed by Associate Hospital Managers (AHMs).

At South West London and St George’s, we have over 90 junior doctors working across our inpatient and community services. Working closely with our consultant psychiatrists, they are responsible for the day-to-day medical and psychiatric care of patients.

Anti-Racism is everyone’s business. As a Trust, we are committed to becoming an actively anti-racist organisation, which challenges racist behaviours and actively works to oppose racial prejudice.

South London Listens' Be Well hubs are safe spaces for local people to turn to when they feel their mental health is low or simply to feel more connected with their local community.

It’s Clinical Audit Awareness Week! This week (13-17 June) is all about celebrating the benefits and impact of clinical audit and quality improvement work.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

This year Mental Health Awareness Week is shining a light on the impact of loneliness on mental health and wellbeing.

To mark the occasion we caught up with Sarah McDonald, Wellbeing Lead at Merton Uplift, which provides Talking Therapies and a range of first-line support services to people struggling with their mental health.

Teva Hesse is an architect who has been leading on the design of the Trust’s two new mental health facilities at Springfield Hospital. The facilities will sit at the heart of a new ‘Springfield Village’, which will also see the development of a new 32-acre park as well as the development of hundreds of new homes.

To mark 12 months to go until the opening of Springfield Village, we have been finding out what the development means to some of our staff, including what they are most looking forward to.

Vanessa Ford, Chief Executive of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust talks about the practical steps we are taking in south west London to start to shift the dial around inequalities in mental health.