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Ellie Wildbore is a Lived Experience Researcher and Ambassador with experience working within the NHS and academia. In 2023, Ellie won the Elly Jansen Award runner-up prize for her article, From Little Acorns, Mighty Oaks Grow: The Acorn Programme, 4 years on, which examined the long-term impact of being part of a therapeutic community for staff and service users four years after the closure of the programme. Here, Ellie shares her experience of being part of the Elly Jansen

In a dusty box in the CHT offices, we came across a wonderful poem written about Elly Jansen and The Richmond Fellowship, Elly's first Therapeutic Community. Written over fifty years ago in 1969, it's a powerful and touching tribute to the impact of community, and the gratitude felt towards Elly for working tirelessly to provide an alternative to hospital for people living with mental distress.