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World Mental Health Day 2022: Sudbury Supported Housing service – fundraising at the Sudbury Fun Run

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To mark World Mental Health Day 2022, we’re joining in the conversation around making mental health a global priority.

Richmond Fellowship’s local services are vital in reaching that aim. For over 60 years our services have embedded themselves in communities across England, ensuring mental health support is available to everyone. From Tameside to Bristol, Chichester to Cumbria, our services aren’t just here today – they’re here for you across the year.

Fundraising and donations helps us to Work Together to raise awareness of mental health, and also to help raise funds for our services to provide even more support.

For example, Richmond Fellowship’s Sudbury Supported Housing service has been actively involved in fundraising within the Suffolk town for many years, this includes at the annual Sudbury Fun Run and Sponsored Walk.

Over the years, staff, people we support and volunteers have come together and taken part in the annual event.

In 2016, the service was selected as one of the beneficiaries on the Fun Run and sponsored walk, which meant a cut of all entry fees went to the service as well as people fundraising individually.

In total, £2,000 was raised and was used to provide art activities, film nights, an outing to the coast and workshops for people using the service.

Staff, along with people we support also used some of the money to transform the communal garden at the rear of the Queens Road building. The garden was entered into Sudbury Town Council’s annual Pride of Sudbury awards and won 2 awards in consecutive years.

Those accessing support were also involved in deciding how the money was spent.

Inspired?

If you organise a wellbeing activity in your local area, and you’d like to support Richmond Fellowship by selecting it as a charity beneficiary please contact us today for more information.

If you’re taking part in a local fun and would like to support your local Richmond Fellowship service by fundraising for us, find out more information here.

To make a donation to Richmond Fellowship, you can do so using our online donations portal, managed by Enthuse, here.

Thank you for your support.

World Mental Health Day 2022: Castle Young People’s service – fundraising at the Northstowe Running Festival

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As one of the leading mental health charities in England, Richmond Fellowship is joining in with this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 and opening up the conversation about “making mental health a global priority”.

Our local services are at the heart of everything we do in Making Recovery Reality. We want to look at this theme from the ground up, and demonstrate how their amazing work at a local and regional level contributes to making mental health a national and indeed global priority.

The support you give when fundraising and donating helps services to organise activities for the people using our services. The activities our services run contribute to recovery and enable individuals to have hope and motivation.

Our services are often charity beneficiaries of fun runs, marathons, and physical activities – not least because of  the connections between exercise and looking after our wellbeing.

For example, in September this year, Richmond Fellowship’s Castle Young People Supported Housing service was selected as one of three charity beneficiaries of the Northstowe Running Festival in Cambridgeshire.

Castle Service provides housing related support for 16 to 25 years olds who are living with mental ill health. The service  has been supporting young people on their recovery journeys in Cambridge since the 1980s.

Runners had the opportunity to sign up and choose Richmond Fellowship as their charity to fundraise for.

Staff from the service were also on hand across the weekend of the event to talk about the work of Castle and to signpost to other services also run by Richmond Fellowship in the area.

The money raised from those who ran on behalf of Richmond Fellowship, will be used to provide a range of recovery activities for the people we support.

The Castle Service is very much rooted in the local community and has been grassroots fundraising for many years to provide even more support and activities for the young people tey work with. This includes at Cambridge’s annual Mill Road Winter Fair, where previously the money raised has been used to provide materials for art projects as well as taking people we support to a football match.

Inspired?

If you organise a wellbeing activity in your local area, and you’d like to support Richmond Fellowship by selecting it as a charity beneficiary please contact us today for more information.

If you’re taking part in a local fun and would like to support your local Richmond Fellowship service by fundraising for us, find out more information here.

To make a donation to Richmond Fellowship, you can do so using our online donations portal, managed by Enthuse, here.

Thank you for your support.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022: Kennedy’s blog

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Richmond Fellowship runs a number of crisis houses and Havens across England to provide immediate intervention for someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Our services are warm, welcoming and provide respite when people need it the most. They also support the NHS, emergency services and other providers.

For World Suicide Prevention Day 2022, Kennedy, Senior Practitioner at our Central Lancashire Haven explains what her service does in supporting people with suicidal thoughts, and the steps they put in place to help people along their recovery journeys.

What is The Central Lancashire Haven?

The Haven is a short-term mental health service based in Preston, Lancashire. We run a drop-in service that individuals can attend when they are experiencing a mental health crisis. At the Haven, we support individuals from every walk of life, whether it be for managing anxiety or dealing with intrusive thoughts. We have support available for everyone.

One of the topics of support we offer is around suicidal ideation, and how to keep safe when experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Firstly, we want you to know that you are not alone in having these thoughts. Suicidal thoughts can be confusing and scary, especially if it is the first time you are dealing with them. Often you may feel hopeless or trapped, and sometimes people feel tempted to do risky or reckless things because they may not care what happens to them. We want you to know that if you are feeling this way, we can help.

How can the Haven help me if I’m experiencing suicidal thoughts?

Firstly, as we operate a drop-in service, this means we are easily accessible to anyone needing support of any kind. We are also open 12 hours a day, every day, 365 days a year. You do not need an appointment to access the Haven. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can drop in, or give us a call. One of our fantastic Crisis Recovery Workers will then be there to give support and guidance.

When you come into the Haven, you will be greeted by a member of our team and will be guided into our relaxing Welcome room. In here, you will be able to sit with the Crisis Recovery Worker and tell them what is happening in your mind. You can talk about what is impacting your mental health and come up with a support plan on how to cope with suicidal thoughts.

The Haven staff will provide you with coping skills and de-escalation techniques to use when you are experiencing a crisis. We will also schedule some support with the Haven and offer an assessment with our registered Mental Health Practitioner. If it is agreed that you may benefit from further support, we will provide signposting to other relevant services.

The Haven also runs many groups, so we often encourage people to join these as we find that reducing social isolation during a crisis can often result in a positive outcome.

If you are feeling suicidal and are unsure of who you can speak to our of service hours, you can call the Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or your local Crisis Team.

Grounding technique to help distract the mind when experiencing suicidal thoughts.

The 5-4-3-2-1 technique uses the five senses to distract the mind when in a moment of crisis. Doing this technique can help ground you in the moment and allow for your mind to have some time to free itself of negative thoughts.

  • What are 5 things you can see? Look for small details – the more details you can identify and focus on, the longer you remain distracted.

  • What are 4 things you can feel? Run your finger up and down your arm, pay attention to the feeling of this. Does it tickle? Is it relaxing? What else can you feel?

  • What are 3 things you can hear? Pay close attention to your surroundings. Can you hear cars? Is there music playing? If so, do you like the song that is playing?

  • What are 2 things you can smell? Try to recognise some of the smells in the air. Do you have a favourite perfume that you can spray that holds positive memories?

  • What is 1 thing you can taste? Using a strong mint or some chewing gum is a great technique for this step. The strength of the mint can help you to take in a deep breathe, which opens up your airways and sends signals to the body’s relaxation system indicating that you need to relax your mind and body.

Inspired by our work? Did you know Richmond Fellowship is a national mental health charity and your donations to services really help the people using our services by providing activities to support their recovery? To donate to The Central Lancashire Haven, click here.

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022: A person we’ve supported story

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At Richmond Fellowship, the people we support are at the heart of everything we do.

Our services up and down England provide support to people who are experiencing mental ill health . In recent years we have pioneered the provision of crisis services, designed with and in response to the needs of the people we support.

These early intervention services support to people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis.

For World Suicide Prevention Day 2022, a person we’ve supported at Willow House in Chorley explains how the coping skills they learnt at the service have helped them on their recovery journey.

“Every day I felt empty and numb. There was no emotion and I forgot how to smile. Too often I would find myself in a bottomless dark pit. Honestly, I hated my own existence.

I looked at myself and saw nothing but flaws and failure. I believed people when they told me I was fat, ugly weird. A freak. In my mind I was all of those things. Useless and a burden.

Coming here, although challenging, was the break I needed. As humans we often forget to look after ourselves. We believe that we can take on way more than we can handle but, everybody needs a break at some point.

During my time here I’ve taken social media breaks, fell back in love with old hobbies such as art, colouring and being outside. Depression took my joy and motivation to anything I ever enjoyed away from me. I’ve missed them.

I’ve learnt a lot about myself. I can meet new people, I can do the things I enjoy, I’ve thought up great distractions that I will practice probably for the rest of my life when things get dark again. For me nothing makes me feel better than sitting under a warm cosy blanket watching my favourite movie. Self-care is so important.

I now feel as though I will be capable of using these to my advantage. I don’t need to give in to the dark thoughts. I will feel OK again”.

Inspired by our work? Did you know Richmond Fellowship is a national mental health charity and your donations to services really help the people using our services by providing activities to support their recovery? To donate to Willow House or any of our services across England, click here.

Our Domestic Abuse division in the South, DVIP Turns 30!

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Looking back on our work over the past three decades.

The Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP) is one of the longest running projects of its kind in the UK.  

Founded in 1992 DVIP was one of the first organisations to run programmes for the perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.  

DVIP continued to innovate and respond to changing needs, whilst also sharing its knowledge and expertise far and wide.  In 2000 the AL-Aman project was established serving specifically London’s Arabic speaking communities. In 2005 we started working with children affected by domestic violence and abuse, through our Children’s Therapy Team. In 2010 DVIP started the YUVA project, working with young people using violence and abuse within the family. Alongside it all, our specialist domestic abuse assessments of risk and vulnerability have been supporting local authorities in child protection processes and care proceedings through the work of the Family Courts team. 

In 2018 DVIP became a division of Richmond Fellowship and with it, joined the Recovery Focus group. Stability and funding in our sector has always been tough, becoming part of a larger charity ensured our long-term sustainability. Just as importantly it meant that our services and staff could learn from each other and our partners in the Group, developing and improving the support we offer. 

Looking ahead  

The domestic abuse sector is facing a landmark moment, with the Domestic Abuse Act in 2021 really bringing this issue to the forefront of society. The need for specialist domestic abuse intervention continues to be as relevant now as it was 30 years ago. Our mission continues to be about increasing the safety of victims/survivors by providing innovative, holistic interventions and working towards the reduction and elimination of domestic abuse.  

We will continue to strive for a world in which our services will no longer be needed. A world in which inequalities are acknowledged and addressed and where misogyny is no longer tolerated in any streets, workplaces or homes. A world in which there is no domestic abuse to address.  

As DVIP turns 30 we invite everyone to celebrate 30 years of working for the safety of families in London victim to Domestic Abuse. We want the people that use our services, the volunteers that help us reach farther, the staff that daily commit to the work at hand, the partners fighting alongside us, the commissioners enabling us to do the work that we do and the sector we are proud members of, to join us in this anniversary.  

Over the next few months, we’ll be hearing from staff over on our social media about their work, sharing the stories of people we support, fundraising for our services and much more. Make sure you’re following our DVIP Twitter to stay up to date.

Want to support our vital work? To celebrate 30 years, DVIP are going the distance! DVIP staff are moving 3000km, to raise £3000, to mark 30 years. Check out our fundraising page and support our work here: Richmond Fellowship: Distance for DVIP- Celebrating 30 years (enthuse.com)

Young People’s Week – opening the doors to Castle Supported Housing

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At Richmond Fellowship we are proud to be part of the Recovery Focus Group of charities, supporting people impacted by mental ill health, domestic abuse, and the harms caused by alcohol, drugs and gambling.   

This week the Recovery Focus partners are focussing on our Young People’s Services we collectively deliver across the Group. At Richmond Fellowship we deliver the Castle Supported Housing service in Cambridge supporting young people aged 16 – 25 years old with their mental health. Our Castle Service recently became part of the Young Futures Partnership, working to support young people in Cambridge threatened with homelessness. This partnership will help the lives of many young people in Cambridge, with all organisations associated drawing on their collective experience, expertise, and resources to offer a consistent and quality service. 

The young people that enter the Castle service are often in a vulnerable state, unsure of where to turn next. Some young people have suffered a death in the family that trigged mental ill health. Others faced harsh experiences as a child that led to poor relationships with their parents or carers. Some young people were originally planning on pursuing education but a life altering experience made them change course. These young people have experienced a lot already at a young age in a very formative part of life when they are trying to figure out what their next steps are, what they want to do and who they want to be.  

With the support of the Castle service, young people have a safe place to live while they consider what those next steps might be. Our recovery workers work with the young people to develop their confidence and independence. The young people can learn how to budget, look after their own home, access training and education opportunities, learn coping mechanisms for their mental health and much more. 

There are many recovery stories to tell from our Castle Service. Below is some insight into the kind of impact our staff have seen in the young people that they have supported. 

“The service has offered Ryan a safe space to grow, express and action change of his own choices. The space he now has from his parents has had a positive impact on his mental health. He has decided he would still like to engage with the mental health support he has on offer and in place already, but this is now his choice, not his parents. The service has allowed Ryan to become more independent and self-confident to make choices of his own.” 

“Liam admits he is in a much better place and his relationship with his father is finally getting a chance to flourish. His job has given him a sense of belonging and being offered a promotion has proven to him that people have faith in him. He has seen the importance of engaging with support and has learnt how to access these independently so that he has a safety net going forward. Liam watched other service users move on positively and at one time felt very negative that this would never happen for him. Securing his own place has been and will continue to be a life changer. Finally having the opportunity to grow and become fully independent.” 

“Julia is now set and determined to go to university and improve her future opportunities and although even six months ago she could not allow herself to feel excited, she says she is excited and not so fearful of change, she has acknowledged all the change she has already survived through no choice of her own. Going to university is her choice and her chosen change.” 

The names of these young people have been changed to protect their identity. 

Help us to continue offering this essential support to young people. Donate now to the Castle Service here. The Castle Service is one of the chosen charities for this year’s Northstowe Running Festival, find out more and donate now!

Radio Sparky: May 2022 Mental Health Awareness Week podcast

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Listen to our latest edition of Radio Sparky, the podcast which shines the spotlight on the excellent work happening at Richmond Fellowship services across the country.

In this special edition to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, Matt Webb Communications and Marketing Officer speaks to Nicholas Barnes, Peer Support Coordinator at our Crawley Staying Well service about his experience of year’s theme ‘loneliness’ and how he uses his lived experience to support others along their recovery journeys.

“I felt lonely even though she was still around at that time. She was sleeping a lot and not really talkative when she was awake. She just wanted to be by herself a lot. I was quite lonely because I couldn’t express myself. I had no one I could talk to in front of, because of her illness it would upset her.” – Nicholas, Peer Support Coordinator.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 – #WeAreHere

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This year Mental Health Awareness Week is tackling loneliness. As a provider of mental health support across England, we see day in and day out the impact that social isolation and loneliness can have on people’s mental health. The pandemic has only made this worse. 

All our services across Richmond Fellowship work to combat loneliness. Whether you’re having an at-home visit from someone in our community service team or gathering for lunch living in one of our supported housing services, our staff are there building safe spaces for the people we support. Throughout the pandemic all our services made sure they continued delivering this support at a time it was needed most. Our services helped people feel less alone. 

So, what can you expect from us this week?  

This year we wanted to keep things simple and recognise the important work of our amazing staff and services – not just for delivering high quality support throughout the pandemic, but also for all they do to help people feel less alone.  

So, on our social media we’ll be showing how our services, staff and people we support combat loneliness. Some of our staff will be sharing their experiences with loneliness to help break the stigma and encourage people to seek support for their mental health. 

We’ll also be sharing a RadioSparky Podcast featuring Nicholas, Peer Support Coordinator at Crawley Staying Well, one of our Crisis Havens in Surrey about his experience with loneliness and how the service supports people in their local area. 

How do our models to support recovery tackle loneliness? 

At Richmond Fellowship we have various models to support recovery including Employment Services, Residential Recovery (including Supported Housing and CQC Registered Care Homes), Community Based Services, Crisis Services and Domestic Abuse Services. Each working in their own specialised way to make recovery reality for the people we support.  

  • Models like our Crisis Services are a lifeline for people experiencing a mental health crisis, acting as a sanctuary when people feel most alone. People can find respite either within our Crisis Houses, or peer and professional support in our Crisis Havens. 
  • Our Community-based Services bring people together to connect. They give people the confidence to get back into society through community groups and at-home support with shopping, finances and independent living. These services are essential in reaching people who are isolated and feeling lonely. 
  • As for our housing services, living around likeminded people and having a safe space to grow and recover is hugely beneficial in tackling loneliness and isolation. Our housing services deliver either 24-hour or 12-hour support. Our staff, as well as the other residents, are there to support people on their recovery journeys and to ensure they never feel alone. 
  • Our Employment Services keep in regular contact with the people we support, checking in on their job applications and CV writing, but also their mental health and any other difficulties they might be having. Our employment services work hard to get the people we support into employment that is right for and interests them.  
  • Our Domestic Abuse Services are there for people affected by domestic abuse who are in situations that can leave them feeling entirely alone and isolated. 

Make sure you are following us on our Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget, we are here, a safe space is available for you to also feel less alone. Find out about your local Richmond Fellowship services here.  

Being a Recovery Worker at Richmond Fellowship

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Restrictions may have eased but the impact of the pandemic continues to bite, with recent figures showing that mental ill health has increased amongst adults and young people. We know that people will need support and services like ours ahead more than ever and we are proudly able to deliver that support and be part of the solution ahead to mental health.  

However, without our Recovery Workers, this support wouldn’t exist. They are our frontline staff, providing the direct support that makes recovery a reality for many people every year. We are proud of our recovery workers and the important work they put in to make recovery reality for the people we support. We want to send out a huge thank you to all our recovery workers for their dedication to continue delivering this needed support to people experiencing mental ill health.  

So, what is it like to be a recovery worker at Richmond Fellowship and what does the role actually involve? This week you’re going to be hearing from staff in a whole range of different services and models to support recovery. People we support will be sharing their stories and how the support they received from their Recovery Workers made a real difference in their lives. And this month’s Radio Sparky will be talking to staff at Holder House about their work, and what being a Recovery Worker with Richmond Fellowship has led to for them. 

You won’t want to miss out on the week, and we can’t wait to share some of the stories of our recovery workers. Make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and check out #RFRecoveryWorkers to stay up to date! 

Our recovery workers are inspiring individuals that make a real difference in people’s lives every day. Much of their work can be very challenging but equally rewarding. You could also be a part of our team of recovery workers across England. Why not see if there are vacancies in your area and start your journey with us as a recovery worker? See our vacancies here.

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Richmond Fellowship is part of Recovery Focus, a group of charities with the shared aim to Inspire Recovery Together www.recoveryfocus.org.uk

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Richmond Fellowship has merged with Humankind to form a new organisation
Humankind Charity (Humankind) is a company registered in England | Registered Charity No. 515755 | Registered Company No 182 0492 | VAT 413 2088 32 | Registered Provider 4713

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