A Sussex-based NHS organisation which provides mindfulness training is launching a new name as it marks World Mindfulness Day.
From today, Tuesday, 8 September, the Sussex Mindfulness Centre will become the Sussex Mindfulness & Compassion Centre, or SMCC.
The organisation says the change is intended to highlight the importance of compassion alongside mindfulness and follows consultation with people who work in and with the centre.
SMCC is part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and says it is currently the only mindfulness and mindful self-compassion teacher training and research centre embedded within the NHS.
It works with NHS staff as well as researchers at the University of Sussex.
Mindfulness involves focusing attention on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future. The centre says the practice can help people respond more thoughtfully to their experiences and has been shown to support people dealing with depression, anxiety and stress.
Clara Strauss, consultant clinical psychologist, mindfulness teacher and clinical researcher, and Robert Marx, clinical psychologist, co-lead the centre.
They said: “Mindfulness and compassion training should be accessible to everyone. As the only mindfulness and compassion centre of our kind embedded in the NHS, our mission extends far beyond hospital walls.
“This new name reflects our commitment to serve frontline NHS staff and patients, the public, and marginalised communities by both supporting individualised wellbeing initiatives and the development of more compassionate cultures in which those individuals can thrive.”
The centre has also been increasing the amount of training available to NHS workers.
Between May 2022 and May 2025, eight-week mindfulness courses were provided to nearly 500 NHS staff across Sussex.
According to the centre, surveys completed after the courses showed improvements including reductions in depression, anxiety, stress and burnout.
One participant in its Mindfulness at Work training said: “The course has helped me to understand myself better, to be kinder to myself, and to handle the stresses of work and life in a calmer and more thoughtful way. It has made a real difference to how I show up for myself and for others.”
World Mindfulness Day takes place on Saturday, 12 September and has been held annually for the past 15 years to raise awareness of mindfulness and its potential benefits.
SMCC is also planning a one-day medical mindfulness conference in Brighton on 6 November.
The event will bring together doctors, medical leaders and educators to discuss both individual and wider approaches to wellbeing.
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