Charity Mind the Gap thanks Paradigm Foundation

Paradigm Foundation has received a thank you from Bucks Mind after they were awarded a grant of £5,500 as ongoing support for its Mind the Gap peer support service.

Mind the Gap provides peer support groups and social activities for local people over 18 who are lonely and isolated because of their mental health difficulties, the majority of whom are Paradigm tenants. The groups provide a safe environment where people can support each other, share experiences, learn new coping techniques and develop a sense of community.

Members of Mind the Gap say that the support they receive improves their mental health, their emotional wellbeing, their self-confidence and sense of belonging.

Pauline Hayden, Bucks Mind’s Befriending and Peer Support Worker, is delighted the service has received further funding which will be used for recruiting staff to continue these vital services.

“I would like to thank Paradigm’s Trustees for awarding us this grant. The cheque arrived at Head Office on 21 December – a much appreciated Christmas present for all our Mind the Gap members.

“We are approaching our 10 year anniversary which is a great achievement for a peer support group and we owe a debt of gratitude to the two service users who originally saw a need for this type of group. However we would not be able to continue to facilitate the groups, recruit and train volunteers and support the members in the way we do without the grants you have so generously given to us.

“I already know how valuable these groups are to our members, but the value was highlighted over the Christmas period when we continued to run Mind the Gap as usual. All our groups were really well attended and the members found the support and friendship they needed at a time when some of them are more aware of their loneliness and isolation.

Thank you Paradigm!”

More info about Mind the Gap…

Mind the Gap reaches its 10 year anniversary in September 2019 and now has a membership of 117 service users.  The groups are places of safety for people with a range of mental health difficulties and continue to attract new members.

Part of the success of these groups is due to the dedication of caring and sensitive volunteers who regularly facilitate the groups – some of them willingly giving up their Saturday afternoons to be at Mind the Gap. The other reason for their success is due to the grants received from organisations such as the Paradigm Foundation!

The groups are reactive to circumstances, for example the table tennis group experienced a drop off in attendance in June this year due to the World Cup and some of the players were no longer well enough to attend regularly. The members experience fluctuating mental health so it’s easier for them to attend a social group for as little as 20 minutes rather than having to commit to an hour or more as they do with activity groups. The group will be reinstated when the members are ready to continue.

One of the most positive aspects of these groups is the way the service users support each other both during the group sessions and at other times. They have recently organised a trip to Whipsnade Zoo and a surprise birthday party as well as several visits to the cinema.

Below service users comments on the service:

“Mind the Gap is an excellent organisation that offers a point of contact, support and comfort for people who are living with mental health impairment.  It serves to provide social contact for those that suffer from mental health conditions, varying degrees of social isolation or other medical conditions which limit day to day living.  It’s a great opportunity to share experiences and do fun things with other people.  It gets me out” AB

“We have an amazing set of volunteers and staff who coordinate the groups and work behind the scenes and we’d like to say a big thank you to all of them” TC

For more information, see the Mind the Gap website here