Official opening of The Richardson Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing

25 November 2025

Last week saw the official opening of the Richardson Centre for Mental health and Wellbeing in Llandrindod Wells. Named after a much-loved colleague who sadly passed away, the centre replaces the former ‘Hazels’ building in a modern, accessible setting.

The Richardson Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing is the home for the mid-Powys Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). The CMHT provides a range of community based mental health treatments and therapies for people who need support for their mental health issues.

Drew Richardson was a Mental Health nurse who dedicated over 30 years to supporting and looking after people in and around Llandrindod Wells and the wider Powys community. His partner, Austin Allen spoke beautifully at the opening ceremony of their love for the area and Drew’s dedication to his colleagues and clients.

Austin explained: “Drew achieved greatness. His greatness came from the love and respect in which his colleagues held him. And I can assure you, their love and respect was deeply returned. I had the best loving days of my life with Drew. But he had the best working days of his life with those colleagues here today.”

Drew’s manager, Sharan Sharman went on to say “We named this facility after Drew and that just shows how much everybody here thought about him and how much he touched their lives. Because he did. He touched everybody's lives that he came into contact with.

"Many of us knew him for a long time, some longer than others. But however short or long, he touched our lives completely. And what a wonderful person he was.”

Austin went on to unveil a plaque dedicating the building to Drew and a wonderful portrait of him, painted by local artist Sorell Matei. Sorell was unable to attend the event but her husband, Stefan, explained “She would have liked to say that it was a great honour for her to be asked to paint Drew's portrait. And it was a very emotional experience to get to try to get him to understand him as a person without having been able to meet him before he died.”

The Community Mental Health Team takes referrals from GPs, Acute Inpatient Mental Health Wards and from other Mental Health Teams such as LPMHSS, Crisis Teams and CAMHS for transitioning patients. In addition, people who have previously been under the care of the CMHT and have been discharged from the service within the last 3 years, can re-refer themselves to the team.

Additionally, NHS ‘111 press 2’ for mental health is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people of any age who have an urgent mental health concern themselves or about someone they know.