REMESOS Kick-off meeting held in Brussels

In October, we held our first consortium meeting with all 12 partner organisations from across Europe. The meeting provided an opportunity for partners to connect, exchange perspectives, and build the foundations for strong cooperation over the next three years.

The consortium brought together a wide range of expertise: EuroHealthNet as coordinator; Kukunori, the Finnish organisation behind the Guided Functional Peer Support model; Prolepsis Institute and the Liga za duševné zdravie SR, with their deep experience in community health and implementation; Misericórdia da Amadora and the Institute for Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing local and national public health practice; and research leaders such as the Nacionalni inštitut za javno zdravje NIJZ, Maastricht University, and the Trimbos-instituut. The Komiteen for Sundhedsoplysning was further strengthened by the EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists’​ Associations)’ and GAMIAN-Europe, ensuring strong patient involvement and communication throughout.

A combination of public health bodies, NGOs, research institutes, patient organisations, and professional associations creates a rich environment for shared learning and cross-country collaboration. We’re excited to continue working with this committed group and look forward to the next steps of our joint journey. 🤝✨

Share this article:

More related articles

REMESOS contributes to discussions on the future of mental health policy in Europe

As part of European Mental Health Week 2026, the European Parliament Intergroup on Mental Health hosted the event “Stronger Together for Mental Health: The EU’s Next Steps” at the European Parliament in Brussels on 5 May 2026.

REMESOS launches Lived Experience Advisory Board to strengthen mental health across Europe

The REMESOS project has officially launched its Lived Experience Advisory Board, marking an important step in ensuring that mental health initiatives are shaped by those with direct, personal experience.

REMESOS Kick-off meeting held in Brussels

In October, we held our first consortium meeting with all 12 partner organisations from across Europe. The meeting provided an opportunity for partners to connect, exchange perspectives, and build

Haris Shekeris

My name is Haris, I am a Liverpool FC supporter (the anthem is “You’ll Never Walk Alone”), harmoniously married to a lovely wife who has been tolerating me and enabling me to live and flourish for the last eight years (since 2018), a postgrad in philosophy, bipolar and medicated for more than half my life, Greek-Cypriot currently in Cyprus, working at a small private applied AI research company. The above, in no particular order :) 
I decided to join the REMESOS advisory board as a way of giving back to the mental wealth (note: not a typo :) ) community, as a means of trying to affect research by voicing my opinions, and as a means of socializing with like-minded and idealistic people, in no particular order.

Joao Carrapa

“Hi! My name is João Carrapa and I’m based in Portugal. I have studied Economics and the topics that interest me the most are: Ecology, Mental Health and Technology. I’ve also published a few books of poetry and short stories. I was delighted by the invitation to participate in the REMESOS advisory board! Why? Every little contribution to improve mental health counts, even though sometimes we underestimate our skills or value to be part of this collective endeavor; being a person with lived experience in Mental Health, I acknowledge that what I have to share is not known by many people. In dialogue, all of us have things to learn. Learn well

Manuela Cipriano

My name is Manuela. I am Portuguese and have lived with a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder for 25 years. 
Throughout this time, I have undertaken a sustained personal journey of self-acceptance, awareness and education in the field of mental health. 
I hold a degree in Communication Sciences and a postgraduate qualification in Journalism, and I have worked professionally in television entertainment and print and online journalism. 
For three years, I ran a mental health blog and I currently collaborate with a magazine dedicated to this subject. 
Combining lived experience with professional expertise, I actively advocate for mental health awareness and for the design and implementation of genuinely inclusive social programmes. 
I firmly believe that effective public policy and social initiatives must centre the voices, rights and dignity of people living with mental illness.

Svatava Česelková

My name is Svatava Česelková and I work in mental health education in Slovakia. I focus on raising awareness about eating disorders and mental well-being. I cooperate with the League for Mental. Health and support activities that help reduce stigma and encourage open discussion. I am interested in better support and services for people who experience mental health problems. I believe that community support and personal experience are important for positive change.

Arthur Celta

Hello, my name is Artur Jorge Silva, I’m from Portugal and currently live in Porto. Since my youth I’ve been interested in the area of​​personal development. I studied Neuro-Linguistic Programming and from there I’ve been educating myself in various areas related to the mind. I’m interested in this project because it’s linked to mental health, an area I’ve been developing over the years due to a mental health problem I went through

Susanna Kaste

I work as an Office Assistant at Kukunori and have over 26 years of work experience in a large listed company, where I worked as a sales assistant and in customer service. For the past six years at Kukunori, I have been responsible for several tasks, including working with the accounts ledger, scheduling the director’s appointments, introducing new employees to practical workplace procedures, and serving as the Board Secretary. I am very detail-oriented and enjoy interacting with many different kinds of people. I live in Vantaa with my partner and our two cats, and I am 58 years old. I also have lived experience of recovering from a severe mental health condition. In my free time, I sing in a pop music choir and enjoy writing about my life experiences.

Angela Mollar Pastor

Hello! I’m Ángela, a Spaniard living in Belgium. I’m a mother and a biologist, and I’ve been working on my mental health from a young age. As an Expert by Experience, I’m committed to opening conversations about mental health in a positive, natural, and stigma-free way, so both younger and older generations can feel better supported—especially by their immediate environment. I’m also deeply interested in the latest research approaches in psychiatry and psychology, both from a personal and also a professional perspective, since I have more than 10 years experience in the field of clinical research.