The Mental Health Museum is a unique museum governed by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We're home to a remarkable collection of objects that explore the history of mental health care over the last 200 years. Our Mission is:
• To promote understanding, empowerment and respect.
• To combat social inequality, prejudice, stigma and ignorance.
• To contribute towards breaking down the barriers to wellbeing. Our Statement of Purpose is to become a leading resource for:
• the history of mental health care
• debates surrounding contemporary mental health care and treatments
• life-long learning
For more information about the Mental Health Museum's mission, purpose, collection and what we aim to achieve please call us on 01924 316 360 or email museum@swyt.nhs.uk
The History of the Mental Health Museum
The Mental Health Museum is governed by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The Museum sits at the heart of Fieldhead Hospital, a working hospital which provides a number of services including; therapy and psychology services, forensic services and learning disability assessment and treatment services. The Mental Health Museum used to be known as the Stephen G Beaumont Museum and focused specifically on the history and architecture of the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum: Wakefield (later known as Stanley Royd Hospital). The Museum was originally opened in 1974 at the Stanley Royd Hospital site and was developed by Mr Lawrence Ashworth. Mr Ashworth was the Secretary to Stanley Royd Hospital from 1961 to 1973, and during this time took a keen interest in recording and researching the history of the Wakefield Asylum. Mr Ashworth’s account of the hospital’s history can be found in his book Stanley Royd Hospital Wakefield: One Hundred and Fifty years A History. After Mr Ashworth’s retirement in 1973, he officially became the Museum’s curator in 1979. The original museum was named after Mr Stephen G Beaumont who was appointed Chairman of the Wakefield ‘B’ Group in 1957 and remained in this position until 1964. Mr Beaumont and the committee agreed to fund the museum and its development. The Stephen G Beaumont Museum remained on the Stanley Royd Hospital site until 1995 when the hospital was decommissioned, and moved to its current location on the Fieldhead Hospital site. Since the museum’s opening in 1974, the Museum has been in the care of Mr Lawrence Ashworth, Mr J Markwell and Mr Michael McCarthy. Some of the key additions introduced by these keepers include; a scale model of the original ‘H’ design Asylum building, the transcription of the Reverend T.B. Clarkson’s Chaplain’s journal and the re-discovered and adapted garden statue of the goddess Flora. In 2011 the Trust’s Change Lab initiative identified that the museum had great potential to do more than showcase the collection. The Change Lab working group, consisting of services users and carers supported by Trust staff, identified that the Museum could be used to break down barriers, reduce stigma and discrimination in our society. It was recognised that with creativity, professional museum support and the on-going collaboration with service users, carers, staff and the community, the museum would develop into the Mental Health Museum. The Mental Health Museum opened to the public on 13th May 2014. The Museum is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 1-4pm and is free to visit. We also welcome visits from large groups and educational tours on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, 10am-12pm. For more information about our services and ways you can get involved please call us on 01924 316360 or email museum@swyt.nhs.uk.
