Making Space to Talk about Emotional (not mental) Health in Healthcare

Hosted by the amazing journalist and broadcaster Siân Lloyd, this event will challenge the narrative around illness, distinguish between emotional and mental health, explain why distinct emotional support matters so much, and inspire.

We are delighted to announce that our special guests include extreme athlete and broadcaster Lowri Morgan, award-winning author, poet, and disability activist Bethany Handley, together with Cwm Taf Morganwgg’s Health Board’s Director of Nursing Sharon O’Brien.

We will also be looking to the future with the exciting launch of Lleswyl 2027 – The Breakthrough Festival!

🎟️ Click Here to Register via Eventbrite

Event Details

• 📣 Title: Making Space to Talk about Emotional (not mental) Health in Healthcare

• 🗓️ Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026

• 📍 Location: Cabaret, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

• ⏰ Arrival & Networking: 11:00 am (Join us for complimentary tea and coffee)

• ⏰ Main Event: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
   

• 💰 Cost: Free to attend (registration required)

Four Impactful Conversations. One Vital Thread: Robust Emotional Health and Physical Illness.

Join us for an inspiring event featuring four independent dialogues that explore the limits of emotional resilience, creativity, clinical care, and the future of community wellbeing. From the trails to the hospital ward, discover how inner emotional strength fuels the power to adapt, heal, and thrive.

Conversation One: Different marathons. The exact same emotional stamina.

Extreme athlete Lowri Morgan in conversation with Siân Lloyd.

Together, they dive into the striking emotional parallels between conquering a 100-mile trail and navigating the daily terrain of chronic illness, exploring how the same deep emotional stamina allows us to pace, adapt, and survive life’s toughest, unchosen marathons.

Conversation Two: Clinical Credibility. Healing Beyond Medicine.

Sharon O’Brien (Director of Nursing, Planned Care at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board) joins Siân Lloyd to talk about how innovative initiatives like Daring to Dream’s Spaces to Talk and Spaces to Sing at the Princess of Wales Hospital champion robust emotional health and support recovery.

Discover the profound clinical impact of creating dedicated spaces for patient connection, emotional support, and holistic recovery.

Conversation Three: Reclaiming Our Landscapes with Creativity, Advocacy, and Emotional Strength.

Award-winning author, poet, and activist Bethany Handley joins Siân Lloyd to explore how creative storytelling and robust emotional health fuel the power to challenge barriers. Discover how her celebrated literature, nature writing, and advocacy serve as vital tools for reclaiming identity, nurturing inner emotional strength, and thriving with disability.

Concluding Conversation: Daring to Dream, the Emotional Health Charity – 2027 The Breakthrough

Barbara Chidgey (Founder and Chair of Daring to Dream) joins Siân Lloyd summarises much of the learning, clarifies the difference between emotional and mental health, and challenges the current pathologisation of our emotions arising from illness.

She will outline the charity’s areas of focus of 2027 and launch Lleswyl 2027 – The Breakthrough Festival.

🎟️ Click Here to Register via Eventbrite

We look forward to seeing you there and building a stronger, more resilient community together. With every best wish,

Barbara Chidgey
On behalf of the trustees of Daring to Dream, the emotional health charity

A huge thank you to the Wales Millennium Centre for their generous support in hosting this event.