New mental health centre opens in Lewisham to provide round-the-clock community support
A new community mental health centre aimed at transforming support for people in Lewisham has officially opened in Hither Green. The Heather Close Mental Health Centre led by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, is part of a wider move towards more joined-up, person-centred care in the community.
Located in Hither Green, the Centre has been developed through extensive consultation with service users, carers, staff and community organisations, with leaders describing it as a major milestone for mental health care in the borough.
Lewisham was selected by NHS England in 2024 as one of six pilot areas to develop a new approach to delivering community mental health care. This aims to provide round-the-clock support through local centres offering treatment, therapies and wellbeing services, alongside access to voluntary and community support, crisis care and 24/7 guest beds for those in need of increased mental health support for up to seven days.
The Heather Close site, formerly one of the Trust’s rehabilitation units, has undergone extensive refurbishment following more than £2.5 million in funding from Maudsley Charity.
The Centre, which supports adult service users in north central Lewisham, first launched from a temporary site in spring 2025. Since then, the Trust says it has already helped reduce mental health-related A&E attendances, lower the number of Community Treatment Orders and decrease detentions under the Mental Health Act.
Learning from this Centre and from elsewhere, is already being put into practice at other Trust community mental health centres as part of the Trust’s Community Care Development Programme (launched in Summer 2025), to start maximising the benefits for all service users as soon as possible.
Restoring confidence in mental health services and ensuring culturally relevant care have been central priorities for the Centre. To support this, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and South East London Integrated Care Board are investing over £2m in the Lewisham VCSE (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise) Cooperative for the borough which is also supporting the work of the Heather Close Mental Health Centre.
Launched in September 2025, the Cooperative represents a significant shift in approach, enabling both grassroots groups and larger charities to play a meaningful role in delivering services, enriching provision and supporting the community – with a partnership award to 13 local VCSE organisations to provide culturally appropriate care in the community.