Category: News

On Thursday the 10th March, the Wiltshire Mind Charity Shop in Melksham closes its doors for the last time.

Over the last couple of years, the charity shop, which sells second hand clothes and bric-a-brac has struggled to cover its costs. The effects of the pandemic, reducing numbers of customers on the high street and increasing utility costs has meant the charity has had to make the difficult decision to close its shop in Melksham.

The Trustees and Management of the local charity are extremely grateful to the shop staff, volunteers and customers who have given their time and energies into trying to raise income through the local community.

The charity, like many, is seeing an increase in demand for its mental health support services such as counselling and local support groups, but with declining income. The charity shop closure does not affect the services of the charity, which continue to operate across Wiltshire for any one in our community who needs help with their mental health.

Wiltshire Mind provides counselling, local support groups and mental health training, and more information can be found on the website at www.wiltshiremind.co.uk.

If you’d like to support Wiltshire Mind, please visit the Just-Giving page: Wiltshire Mind – JustGiving

If you’d like to visit the shop and grab a bargain before they close, the shop is open Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th March 9am-4pm.

Traumatic events can have a massive effect on our mental health. Support for those struggling with trauma is often hard to access, and there is a lack of awareness around the subject.

Local mental health charity Wiltshire Mind is trialling a new trauma counselling service. Thanks to the Sarah Jayne Charitable Trust who are funding this service, those experiencing trauma can gain access to help through the charity. Offering between 16 and 24 sessions, the counselling is held weekly at Wiltshire Mind’s premises in Melksham. 

Paul Mills, CEO at Wiltshire Mind explains why the service is so important: “There is already a proven demand for this service locally, and with more and more pressure on the NHS, this will only grow.  We would like to thank the Sarah Jayne Charitable Trust for this backing, which will help the local community significantly.”

“Helping to establish a new service with Wiltshire Mind is really poignant. The Sarah Jayne Charitable Trust is also relatively new and was set up so we could make a difference in our community. Wiltshire Mind have identified a real need for mental health support as a direct result of trauma and we’re humbled that we could help them make it happen.”

Georgina Syrett, SJCT Trustee

The Sarah Jayne Trust are also funding online videos which raise awareness and help start conversations about trauma, and the help needed.

“We’re acutely aware that the pandemic has caused a huge demand for mental health services whilst fundraising opportunities have decreased. Many people don’t realise that local Mind branches are completely self-funded, so we’re delighted to be able to support them at such a challenging time,”

Paul Verwoert, SJCT Trustee

The Trust’s main corporate sponsor Hartsfield Financial Services are also donating much-needed IT equipment such as desktops and screens to support other volunteer counsellors at Wiltshire Mind. 

Wiltshire Mind is a local, independent charity, and their vision is of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental distress fairly, positively, and with respect.

To provide mental health services locally, Wiltshire Mind relies on the generous work of supporters and fundraisers to raise much needed funds. To provide access and help, they need to raise £465 a day to provide their service across Wiltshire.

If you would like to donate, please visit Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/wiltshire-mind. Thank you.

Every week 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem. In Wiltshire alone, there are around 68,000 people experiencing some form of mental health disorder. These statistics are eye-watering.

Wiltshire Mind provides support to the many people locally who experience mental health problems or emotional distress. We provide low-cost counselling for adults, and free counselling for children and young people aged 11+. We also run peer support groups across Wiltshire, offering a safe a confidential space to share experiences and gain support and confidence. Last year, we delivered over 1400 counselling sessions, 63 support group sessions, in total helping 238 people in our county towards better mental health.

As a local charity we receive all of our funding from our community. We are not commissioned, so we don’t receive any statutory funding. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and fundraisers, we are able to offer accessible support for everybody. Last year, our community raised £79,000 towards the cost of providing these mental health services.

Covid-19 has had a dramatic effect on the demand for our services these past 18 months. We have seen an increase in the need for support, and waiting lists have grown across all providers. To meet this growing demand, we need to raise £465 a day.

If you or your business are planning a fundraising event, thinking about a regular donation or planning on having a dedicated charity of the year, please do think of Wiltshire Mind. From corporate golf days to local cycle relays, cake and bake sales to raffles, live music events to sports competitions or even Christmas Jumper days, there are so many fun ways to raise much needed funds for mental health support locally. Check out our social media posts too for more ideas.

Why not email us today at fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk and find out a bit more about how you or your company can help make a difference in this mental health crisis. Every pound raised goes towards providing better mental health for our community.

Nobody should face a mental health problem alone. We need your help so we can be there.

If you’d like to donate to Wiltshire Mind, visit our Just-Giving page today. https://www.justgiving.com/wiltshire-mind.

Thank you.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced Operations Project Manager to join our team at Wiltshire Mind, based in Melksham, Wiltshire. The successful candidate will join us on a fixed term 6-month basis working 37 hours a week.

Wiltshire Mind is an independent charity supporting people in Wiltshire who are experiencing mental health problems or emotional distress. Our services are accessible for everybody in our community, and we provide one-to-one counselling support for people who are experiencing mental health problems including adults and Children and Young People from 11+. We also run peer support groups across the county.

We are seeking an organised, highly motivated Operations Project Manager with experience in HR, H&S and Governance, to help design and implement appropriate and effective processes in our charity. We have recently been awarded a quality accreditation and want to continue to drive change and future-proof our ‘business as usual’ activities. The ability to work efficiently as part of a small team, influencing and implementing change, and working to our charity values will be key attributes.

Previous experience in operational work is essential, as is a passion for the work of our charity in supporting people who are experiencing mental health problems.

If this sounds like you and you want to make a difference to our community and help towards better mental health in Wiltshire – contact us today by emailing us with a covering email and your CV to office@wiltshiremind.co.uk. You should include a personal statement in your email as to your suitability for the role, based on the job description. This application is open until 15 November, and a DBS check will be carried out for the successful applicant.

Thank you for your interest in Wiltshire Mind.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced Support Group Facilitator to join our team at Wiltshire Mind, based in Melksham, Wiltshire. The successful candidate will join us on a permanent basis working 9.5 hours a week over 3 days, of which the days can be flexible and will be discussed as a part of the interview process.  The role is made of face-to-face groups in Trowbridge and Melksham and an online Evening Group.  The successful candidate will also be expected to attend the office, once a week in order to complete administration tasks and build relationships with the wider team.

If this sounds like you and you want to make a difference to our community and help towards better mental health in Wiltshire – download the details and application form below.

Dear Members and Friends of Wiltshire Mind,

Notice is given that the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Wiltshire Mind will be held:

Date: Wednesday 10th November 2021

Time: 10.00-11.00am

Venue: St James Centre, Devizes

Register: By emailing office@wiltshiremind.co.uk (Please put ‘AGM’) as the email subject. (No entry on the day at the door without pre-registration.)

or call 01225 706532 Monday to Friday 9am-1pm.

All interested parties most welcome. There are limited spaces at the venue due to social distancing restrictions.

We hope you can join us at our AGM, where you can hear about our years work. We remained operational through the pandemic, thanks to our members, funders and supporters.

We will also receive the accounts for 2020-2021, and appoint our Independent Examiner. Appointment of Trustees will also be undertaken.

The accounts team from Wiltshire based The Pension Solutions Group, made up of Katie, Pearl, Bethany and Alecia, participated in the Bath Colour Run last weekend, raising nearly £700 for Wiltshire Mind.

The event which took place at Bath Racecourse takes in 20 obstacles over a 5km run.

Appreciating how everyone’s mental health has been affected over the course of the pandemic, the team wanted to raise funds for Wiltshire Mind to enable us to continue to provide our services across Wiltshire.

Katie commented:

“We had a fab day taking part in the Colour Obstacle Rush. It was tough work, 5k and 20 obstacles, all whilst people around you were throwing paint in your face, but it was well worth it to know we had raised money for such a good cause, and as far as runs go for fundraising, this one was particularly fun! We chose to support Wiltshire Mind because we know how hard the last year and a half has been for everyone. We are all in the same boat, but we have all experienced it in very different ways. Everyone’s mental health has been affected and it is charities like Wiltshire Mind that provide ample support.”

To provide mental health support to our communities across Wiltshire through 2021, we need to raise £465 a day. We rely on the generous donations of our supporters and local fundraising activity, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and the social restrictions.

If you would like to help raise funds for Wiltshire Mind to enable us to continue providing mental health support work across the county, please email fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk to see how we can support you.

We are an independent charity, and every penny fundraised allows us to extend our support to more people in Wiltshire. We really value your fundraising and would love to work with you.

Since the first lock down in March 2020, Wiltshire Mind has been providing Counselling for adults and young people and also running Peer Support Groups to those in need of mental health support. We have seen a big increase in demand again in recent weeks, and we have been able to offer counselling and support groups to people across Wiltshire.

Like many charities, we are seeing a decrease in our income though. We offer low-cost services, ensuring they are available to anyone. But this also means our current level of income is not covering our costs.

To provide mental health support to our communities across Wiltshire each year, we need to raise £465 a day. We do not currently receive any commissioned or statutory funding, so we rely on the generous donations of our supporters and local fundraising activity, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and the social restrictions.

1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in our lifetime. We make a difference by offering hope through mental health support to our community. The Coronovirus pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental health. Help us be there for everyone in Wiltshire who needs us at this time.

If you can help in any way, please support us and donate today.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to support Wiltshire Mind.

Our supporters have fundraised for us in many different and unique ways, from video game-a-thons and bake sales, to undertaking a year of freezing showers!

Community fundraising is the life blood of Wiltshire Mind. We rely on our generous supporters to fund vital services county wide, which include counselling for both young people and adults, peer support groups, and mental health training for individuals and businesses.

So don’t worry if donning the Lycra or trainers isn’t your thing. Choose something you love to do and support the local charity that is here for you.

Wiltshire Mind – For better mental health in Wiltshire.

www.wiltshiremind.co.uk or email: fundraising@wiltshiremind.co.uk