Oxfordshire Mind Annual Review 2014

To request this information in Braille or larger print, please contact 01865 263735 or email honey.lucas@oxfordshiremind.org.ukFront cover image: entrance to the Human Search Engine tent at Cornbury Festival, 2014. Back cover image: a leaf on the Wishing Tree at the Riverside Festival, August 2013. Copyright Oxfordshire Mind.

We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We’re here to make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support.

We’re part of the network of Mind associations working for better mental health across England and Wales. We’ve been working in Oxfordshire since 1967.

Contact Us:Oxfordshire Mind2 Kings MeadowOsney MeadOxford OX2 0DP01865 263730

office@oxfordshiremind.org.ukTwitter: @oxfordshiremindFacebook: oxfordshiremindwww.oxfordshire-mind.org.uk

Charity number: 261476Registered company number: 4343625

Introduction: by John Copley, Chair of the Trustees

“At Oxfordshire Mind we know that mental health can at times be more important than physical health, though both are clearly inter-related. Because of this, we strive to improve understanding and recognition, not only through set campaigns and active information but through our day to day activities that form our core service provision.

We work with service users whose experiences extend across the spectrum, from those who are able with help to regain well-being and so have no further need of our services, to those with enduring and long term issues that need us to continue to be there as a reliable support.

In the course of our work we still come across the stigma and discrimination that still exists in our society, but are encouraged by recent trends which point to the possibility of positive change; the public at large is slowly moving to a more enlightened view of mental health. Data demonstrates that mental ill-health is common and we can all see that there are forces in our current society that are not conducive to health.

Elsewhere in this Annual Report you can read more about what Oxfordshire Mind did within the year.

In all our work we have striven, with partners and people using our services to better understand interventions that favour prevention and health improvement. We are working to help construct better outcome measures so that we can more easily show

progress. As ever, we work hard to be open minded to new approaches and want any help we give to fit personal need, wherever possible. The Board has defined and adopted a Strategy that aims to strike a balance in service provision, this means not only do we fully engage with funders and prospective funders - we also raise and use independent funds to deliver additional services.

Thanks to supportive funders, donations, careful financial management and a prudent approach to risk, we have maintained a strong financial position which has enabled high quality services to be consistently delivered throughout the year. I would like to extend a very big ‘thank you’ to all our funders in particular; we couldn’t deliver the breadth and depth of service we provide without you.

On behalf of the whole Board I want to also pay tribute to all the staff including our hard working senior management team and, our volunteers; our reputation and standing rests heavily upon your excellent work.

I hope we all can look forward to another successful year.”

John CopleyChair of Trustees

gupon your k.

can look nother

When I look back at the year that has just gone, I’m struck not just by the amount we manage to do in a mere twelve months, but also by the amazing work of staff, volunteers and people using our services. This year has been no exception: with new projects beginning, old venues closing, work expanding - and fl ooding at our offi ces in Osney into the bargain!

We started 2013 saying goodbye to the Chain Reaction project, which aimed to open up more opportunities people from black and minority ethnic communities in Oxfordshire, and challenge existing barriers to entering the workforce. During its three years, the project trained 185 volunteers, placed 115, worked with 9 interns and reached an amazing 40 different nationalities. The work of this ground-breaking project has not been lost, however, as it has now been integrated into our general volunteering programme.

Patrick Taylor, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Mind

Patrick speaks to a group of Peer Support Volunteers

The Spring and Summer saw some new faces: talks by author Claire Tomalin, the celebrated scriptwriter, Jimmy McGovern, and by the Guardian columnist, Mark Rice Oxley - plus the arrival of the new Head of Community Service, David Agnew. It also saw our Human Library project gradually evolve into the Human Search Engine - challenging the mental health stigma, one conversation at a time.

The TalkingSpace service, bringing psychological therapies to people in Oxfordshire, was singled out as an example of excellence by the health research body, the Kings Fund, in July. The service is the result of a very successful partnership between Oxfordshire Mind and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, and provided psychological therapies to more than 5000 Oxfordshire residents last year.

A year in photos: including Mark Rice Oxley’s talk about depression, the Human Library, our Annual General Meeting &

receiving the Investors in Volunteers Award.

The Kings Fund report highlighted the benefits that the shared values of the two partners brought to the service.

People who use Oxfordshire Mind services in Bicester also saw some changes in August, when we said goodbye to The Causeway Centre for the last time. Moving to new venues in the town was a difficult process, but has allowed our Cherwell and West Wellbeing Service team develop new courses and support for local people.

In September, we learnt that our preparations for national Mind’s three-yearly Quality Mark assessment had paid off, with Oxfordshire Mind being awarded the highest possible level for our work. And let’s remember that this isn’t just a paper exercise - being able to show funders, commissioners and people using our services that we deliver support of the highest quality is invaluable.

September also saw the Power of Sharing

event bring information about our pioneering model of Peer

Support to

other local Mind associations and mental health practitioners. Since the event, interest in our system of mutually-beneficial support has increased steadily, with local Minds in different parts of the UK now choosing to adopt our model, and the training and structures that underpin it.

We began 2014 with our wellies on - our offices in Osney Mead were flooded by the wettest winter on record. But we had some good news too: our Benefits for Better Mental Health project received five-years of funding from The Big Lottery. This award safeguards the service, and has allowed us to expand to meet the ever increasing demand for benefits help.

Powe

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The Big Lottery award was reported in the Oxford Mail (seen here), and in The Guardian newspaper.

The start of the year also saw us pick up the keys to three new flats in Leopold Street, Oxford, thanks to a legacy from a Mind supporter. Our housing service has put these flats to good use, with residents moving in during the Spring and Summer.

And we ended the year where we began: with volunteering. In February we had the excellent news that we had gained the Investors in Volunteering award for our work supporting those 80 people who generously donate their time and expertise to us.

Our ambition is to make sure anyone with a mental health problem in Oxfordshire has somewhere to turn for advice and support.

I’m proud of all my hardworking colleagues who did so much last year to turn that ambition into a reality.

A year in photos, including floods, Claire Tomalin & Jimmy McGovern, and the Human Search Engine.

26,000visitors came to our website for

support & information 2,000followers on social media: an increase of 100% since 2012

We have

A look back at the year... in numbers

94%

94%

99%

said they were better able to address their difficulties

said they got the help that mattered to them

felt they had been taken seriously

92%people referred themselves

5,000Oxfordshire Residents used our TalkingSpace service

Over

70 people had tenancies and support from Mind housing

residents were helped to move on to independent accommodation

43

people joined

our Peer

Support Groups or took a short course

callers were helped by our Information Line team

people with benefits queries were helped by our expert advisors

passed our accredited Mental Health First Aid course

2000

600people set goals in 1:1 Recovery Planning

170 1900

500

people engaged with us during our

campaigns & events

9,000

and we supported 204 of these through complex appeals processes, where

of decisions were overturned in favour of the claimant

98%

I was made disabled 20 years ago at work and since then I have been trying to survive on benefi ts. The benefi ts have been getting worse and worse over the last few years. It came to a head last year, and I lost control and did not know what to do. Luckily, I found Mind.

I have been having medicals, re-assessments... it’s been non-stop, and Mind has just been helping me

with all of it, keeping it in order. It was impossible when I was trying to do it on my own. It’s hard enough dealing with things when you are well, but when you are not well, dealing things is near impossible.

The help from the Mind Benefi ts team has made a massive difference. It’s the lack of worry. I can concentrate on my life, I can concentrate on what I need to do to get better.

The highlights of working for Oxfordshire Mind for me are the values, the core beliefs in the potential for people. Plus the capacity to be alongside people who are really suffering at times on their journey, and not lose hope and belief that it can be different.

Another highlight for me are people’s stories - resilience is a buzz word now, but people’s resilience to keep climbing up and down that hill if

Three voices of Oxfordshire Mind

SteveStevewho has used our who has used our

Benefits for Better Benefits for Better Mental Health serviceMental Health service

LindaLindamember ofmember ofthe staffthe staffteamteam

I volunteer on the Information Line. I answer phone calls and emails from people wanting information about mental health conditions, and about mental health services that are available to them.

Some people know what they want, other people are less sure and that takes a little bit more time to fi nd the best options for them.

It is very satisfying if someone starts the call feeling low and tentative, and obviously wondering if they are going to get anything, and at the end they sound more encouraged - they’ve got some phone numbers, they’ve got somewhere to go and someone’s going to help them.

And it’s very rewarding to hear that elevation of mood.

See the full interviews with Steve, Linda & Joan - snap this QR code to visit the Oxfordshire Mind YouTube channel.

JoanJoanvolunteer on the volunteer on the Information LineInformation Line

they’re really getting ill a lot, and still do wonderful creative things, and build relationships with others... I think the people we work with are really inspiring.

We give people the opportunity to do the things we all need: social interaction, interesting things to do, opportunities to learn new things, a sense of community - these are the things that drive me.

For me, Oxfordshire Mind has given me the opportunity to be involved in and infl uence some great work.

Finance ReportIncome for the year was £3,182,301 plus a generous one-off legacy. Expenditure was £2,997,070. The largest single expenditure was staff costs (£2,190,012), which accounts for over two thirds of all expenditure.

The principal funding sources during the year have been: ● Funding contracts with the NHS and Oxfordshire County Council for the Oxfordshire Wellbeing service and the Transitional Supported Accommodation services

● Contract with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of the Talking Space psychological therapy service

● Rent (primarily rent related to Mind Housing Projects)

● Grants from Charitable Trusts

● Legacy income ● Donations and money raised through fundraising events

Yet again this year we have put considerable effort into local fundraising both from grant giving charitable trusts and through fundraising events. There are several aspects of our work that depend entirely on local fundraising.

We have been very fortunate to receive a generous legacy and the Trustees will be making plans for the best use of these funds within our charitable objectives. Agreed priorities include investing in one or more properties to develop our supported housing service, together with initiatives to strengthen peer support, training and volunteering.

In February 2014 a party of health and charity workers from South Korea visited Oxfordshire Mind to find out about our services. (Right to left) David Agnew, our Head of Community Services, Ju Hyun Lim, Hyewon Jeon, Chan Wook Park, Su Young Kim, Kyong Hee Kim, Gyeong Ok Song, Zoe Wilkinson from

INTRAC and the group’s interpreter.

Money Matters

Where does the money come from?y come from?

Where does the money go to?Where d

If you would like a copy of our published accounts, please contact our Finance and Resources Manager, Debbie Backhouse, by emailing

debbie.backhouse@oxfordshiremind.org.uk

This year, we have benefited from a generous legacy, in addition to funding from statutory and grant-making sources.

As in previous years, our staff

costs represent the largest proportion

of our expenditure. Governance costs

continue to be very low for the

organisation.

Our work throughout 2013/14 would not have been possible without the kind support of our funders, friends and donors. So here’s an enormous thank you to the following trusts, companies, churches and other organisations who have supported Oxfordshire Mind from April 2013 to March 2014.Abingdon & Witney CollegeAsda SupermarketBig Lottery Advice ProgrammeBritwell VineyardCherwell District CouncilChinnor Methodist ChurchChrist Church OxfordFreeland Football ClubHillcrest LtdHolywell PressJohn Wiley & SonsLions Club of AbingdonMinistry of DefenceMorrisonsNational Citizen Service (Bicester)National Citizen Service (Littlemore)National MindOld Fire StationOxFizzOxford Citizens Housing AssociationOxford City CouncilOxford City CouncilOxford City SingersOxford Drunken KnitwitsOxford Food BankOxford Law GroupOxford PlayhouseOxford Quakers

Oxford

Oxford United Football ClubOxfordshire Community ChurchesPracticus LtdRadley History ClubResponseRestoreRuskin CollegeShillingford Bridge HotelSinodun Inner Wheel ClubSOHASouth Newington ChurchSovereignSt Johns CollegeStone Family FoundationSunnymead Residents AssociationTaylor & FrancisUniversity of OxfordUniversity of ReadingWadham CollegeWaitrose Supermarkets

With many thanks to our supporters & funders

Gary Franklin tackling the 10K Wolf Run, raising £550 for

Oxfordshire Mind

Marathons/ Runs/ EventsLori AldworthGeorgina BriggsAdrian CraftGary FranklinGary GillLaura HardingJamie HillCallom JohnstoneJoel MayJimmy McGovernTaja MitchellMark Rice OxleyKath ThomsonClaire TomalinMatt Winkworth

Plus thanks toCornbury FestivalRiverside FestivalTowersey FestivalWilderness Festival

Im MemoriamGraham BroomhallMary Elizabeth CostelloAnthony Gordon CotterMary DonahoeGareth David EvansEdward FinnecyAudrey GilliganAndrea Louise GillmanKeith John GreenMargaret HoughAnthony JoliffeRose Miriam KempJulie Mary LeachJulie LeachBarbara Joan MainlandEiluned McNabb

Christina PaneKay Henrietta PaxtonSylvia Dawn PriorBen RedknapSimon Alec RichmondDavid SellwoodSarahlee ShawBryan Howard SmithMargaret Anne SmithKevin John SmyDr Rebecca Jane StetzDavid Arnold Craig TaylorIan TaylorKelly Anna WalkerAndrew WallisRebecca Holland WessonDavid WestbrookJo Wilkins

Thanks to our fundersArmed Forces CovenantBig Lottery Comic Relief Oxford City Council Oxford Health NHS Foundation TrustOxfordshire Clinical Commissioning GroupOxfordshire County CouncilStone Family FoundationTime to Talk

www.oxfordshire-mind.org.uk