Pumpkin & Friends Charity has had many opportunities over the years to highlight Trustee Richard Blogg’s reported background as a former NHS mental health nurse.
On 10th October 2023, the charity celebrated World Mental Health Day with a visit to the University of Lincoln. On 7th February 2025, it shared photographs from a visit to St Christopher’s Special School for Mental Health Week. Then, on 13th May 2025, it published a lengthy Mental Health Awareness Week post discussing the emotional pressures of animal rescue and the importance of supporting mental wellbeing. (click on images to enlarge)
Yet across these three posts, there is no mention of Trustee Richard Blogg’s reported NHS mental health nursing background.
Whilst this, in itself, is not proof that he was never a mental health nurse, given the charity’s repeated engagement with mental health awareness, the absence of any reference to his credentials is curious.
AND THEN IT ALL CHANGED
On 19th January 2026, Pumpkin & Friends Charity published a Facebook post concerning Holly’s Law. The post contains a number of statements that have raised questions we intend to return to separately.
For the purposes of this post, our focus is solely on another statement made by Pumpkin & Friends Charity in the same post: “Richard is an ex NHS Mental Health Nurse, and he has studied this link in the past, the connection between cruelty to animals, domestic violence and serious harm to people.”
The charity does not give Richard’s surname. However, given the context of the entire paragraph and the fact that Richard Blogg is a trustee of Pumpkin & Friends Charity, we believe it is reasonable to understand the “Richard” referred to in the post as Richard Blogg.
THE NURSING & MIDWIFERY COUNCIL & SPRINT-UK
Mental health nursing is a skilled and responsible profession, and the statement that a trustee had previously worked as an NHS Mental Health Nurse naturally caught our attention.
We submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to investigate his nursing registration history. The NMC confirmed that it could not identify a registration record matching the name and date of birth provided. They directed us to the SPRINT register held by The National Archives.
We subsequently made enquiries through SPRINT-UK but were also unable to establish a historical registration record under the name Richard Blogg.
RICHARD BLOGG: IS THIS HOW A FORMER NHS MENTAL HEALTH NURSE SPEAKS TO SOMEONE HE BELIEVES IS STRUGGLING?
During October 2026, Trustee Richard Blogg himself publicly stated that he was a former mental health nurse. So, if true, his recent behaviour on social media raises some deeply concerning questions about his judgement, compassion and understanding of mental health.
In a comment published on the Pumpkin The Wheelie Westie Warrior Facebook account, Trustee Richard Blogg addressed an individual who he and CEO Tammie Fox are in dispute with. We have deliberately withheld that person’s identity.
Trustee Richard Blogg began by stating:
“I’m an ex mental health nurse, and I’m honestly worried about you.” He then proceeded to speculate that the individual might have OCD and an addictive personality. But his apparent concern quickly took a rather different turn.
“Your making yourself ill and your looking like a fool.” “Get off your sofa, put your phone down and grow your charity.” And finally: “Get some help, but just leave Pumpkin, tammie and our incredible charity alone!!!!”
How can a man who claims to have worked as an NHS mental health nurse publicly suggest that another person may have mental health difficulties, then proceed to publicly ridicule and belittle that same individual.
Being a former mental health nurse, if verified, does not give anyone the authority to speculate publicly about another person’s psychological condition. Nor does claiming to be concerned about someone’s wellbeing excuse language that could reasonably be experienced as humiliating or intimidating.
Given that the Nursing and Midwifery Council and SPRINT can find no record of Trustee Richard Blogg’s employment as an NHS mental health nurse, we would therefore welcome clarification or evidence from anyone, including Richard Blogg proving otherwise.
UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2026 FACEBOOK LIVE
On 4 November 2026, Pumpkin and Friends Charity CEO Tammie Fox and Trustee Richard Blogg did a Facebook Live during which they discussed Richard Blogg’s reported employment history as a mental health nurse, referring to several establishments, including The Lawns Hospital and the Peter Hodgkinson Centre in Lincoln.
The Lawns Hospital reportedly closed in 1985. We would welcome clarification of the dates and nature of Richard Blogg’s employment at the establishments mentioned, particularly the Peter Hodgkinson Centre.
During the broadcast, both individuals also made remarks about mental health in a manner that we considered deeply inappropriate and entirely lacking in sensitivity.
Mental health is not a laughing matter. For individuals representing a registered charity, particularly someone who has described a professional background in mental health nursing, such behaviour raises serious questions about judgement, empathy and professionalism.
Those who have experienced mental health difficulties deserve compassion and respect, not to see the subject treated as a source of amusement during a public broadcast.