Andy Bell

Who Andy Bell is

Andy Bell is Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health, an independent charity and think tank dedicated to eradicating mental health inequalities through research, policy influence and evidence communication. He has worked at the organisation since 2002, serving as Director of Communications and then Deputy Chief Executive from 2009, before becoming Chief Executive in 2023. He has spent more than 25 years in the voluntary sector working on equality and social justice. Bell was the driving force behind the Commission for Equality in Mental Health, which produced the report 'Mental Health for All', and he leads the Equally Well UK collaborative on physical health for people with severe mental illness. He is a member of the Mental Health Policy Group and argues publicly that poverty, inequality, racism and discrimination are primary drivers of poor mental health.

References for this biography

1. 1.Andy Bell – Centre for Mental Health staff page — Current role as Chief Executive, joined 2002, background in voluntary sector policy, Commission for Equality in Mental Health, Equally Well UK
2. 2.Centre for Mental Health appoints Andy Bell as its new Chief Executive — Formal appointment as Chief Executive in 2023, career history, perinatal mental health services work, Local Authority Mental Health Challenge
3. 3.Major mental health charity names new chief executive – Third Sector — Confirms Bell took over as CEO following Sarah Hughes's departure to Mind
4. 4.Andy Bell – National Elf Service author profile — Career progression: Director of Communications, Deputy Chief Executive 2009, Chief Executive 2023; member of Mental Health Policy Group; chaired Mental Health Alliance 2006–2008
5. 5.Centre for Mental Health – Companies House — Registered office address and postcode: Technopark, 2A04, 90 London Road, London, SE1 6LN
6. 6.Ten-year health plan misses the mark for mental health – Centre for Mental Health — Recent (July 2025) press quote from Bell as CEO commenting on NHS ten-year plan and mental health
7. 7.Contact Us – Centre for Mental Health — Organisational general enquiries email (contact@centreformentalhealth.org.uk) and press office signposting

Notable achievements

• Drove the Commission for Equality in Mental Health (funded by the Elliott Simmons Charitable Trust), whose final report 'Mental Health for All' set out a system-level vision for mental health equality across communities and government. Source ↗
• Spearheaded the Local Authority Mental Health Challenge, equipping over 100 local councillors to champion mental health at a local level. Source ↗
• Used the Centre's economic research to support the roll-out of specialist perinatal mental health services across the UK, and made the case for liaison and diversion services alongside ministers and politicians of all parties. Source ↗
• Appointed Chief Executive of Centre for Mental Health in October 2023 after serving as Interim Chief Executive from December 2022. Source ↗

What Andy Bell has said

• “Young women's mental health has declined steeply over the last decade, with double the rate of a common mental health problem than young men. This is a stark health inequality and the product of deeply rooted injustice.”

  Chief Executive at Centre for Mental Health · Mental health · 30 Sept 2026 · Young women not getting the mental health support they need, says Centre for Mental Health report ↗

• “This must now be backed up by investment, most crucially in the workforce needed to provide effective mental health care.”

  Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health · Mental health · 30 Sept 2026 · New walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across England ↗

• “Mental health is made in communities. The places we're born in, we grow up in, and we have our families in, profoundly affect our mental health and that of future generations. This research once again shows that investing in communities and creating mentally healthier places is essential to turn around the nation's declining mental wellbeing.”

  Chief Executive at Centre for Mental Health · Health inequalities · 29 Sept 2026 · Report issues warning that a child’s mental health is shaped by where they live ↗

• “The IPPR report presented 'a very worrying picture about young people's experiences of growing up in Britain today. Isolation and loneliness are toxic to our mental and physical health and young people feel increasingly alone'.”

  Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health thinktank · Mental health · 29 Sept 2026 · Number of young people with no close friends has soared since 2014 in England ↗

• “called for a meeting with Phillipson "to discuss how we can work together to safeguard the mental health, dignity and equality of trans and non-binary people across the UK".”

  chief executive of Centre for Mental Health · Mental health · 27 Aug 2026 · Rules on single-sex spaces pose risk to trans people’s mental health, UK charities say ↗

• “It's encouraging to see digital solutions being used to support children's mental health at school. Schools have a big impact on children's mental health and those that take a broad approach to wellbeing are better able to support inclusion, attainment, attendance and behaviour.”

  chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health thinktank · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · London schools trialling VR to relieve pupils’ stress ↗

Where Andy Bell has been quoted

1. New briefing warns neurodivergent children face high mental health burdennationalhealthexecutive.com · 30 Sept 2026
2. Young women not getting the mental health support they need, says Centre for Mental Health reportcentreformentalhealth.org.uk · 30 Sept 2026
3. New walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across Englandbbc.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
4. Report issues warning that a child’s mental health is shaped by where they livenationalhealthexecutive.com · 29 Sept 2026
5. Number of young people with no close friends has soared since 2014 in Englandtheguardian.com · 29 Sept 2026
6. Rules on single-sex spaces pose risk to trans people’s mental health, UK charities saytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
7. London schools trialling VR to relieve pupils’ stresstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• One Year On: How The Royal Foundation is strengthening suicide prevention support in the UKRoyal Foundation
• Norwich City teams up with The Royal Foundation to support suicide preventionNorwich City Football Club
• Licensable picture: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted its annual Out of the Darkness Walk on Oct. 10 in Staunton's Gypsy HillReuters Connect

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/team/andy-bell/
• Xhttps://x.com/andy__bell__published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/andy-bell-009687111
• Press office emailcontact@centreformentalhealth.org.ukpublished here ↗

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.