Annual review 2007/08
In your area
South West
Making a difference
We've worked tirelessly over the past year to increase the number of services we provide and to remodel these services to ensure they provide excellent outcomes for the people who use them. We also have an exciting regional business plan that aims to improve recovery in all our services, raise the profile of Rethink across the whole region and to consider new developments including criminal justice services.
Making it happen
- Rethink Community Service in Bournemouth awarded with the opportunity to provide a six week mental health awareness course to people from Black Minority and Ethnic (BME) communities.
- Rethink Green Growers project promotes exercise, well-being, social interaction and healthy eating through community allotment and gardening projects. Sites in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire have been set up.
- We now have floating support services in Devon and Poole.
- In North Devon we opened Springfields, a supported housing scheme.
- We secured Montgomery House in Salisbury, which is an innovative new supported housing project for war veterans.
- We began trading at the Oasis, a refreshment kiosk in Dorchester Borough Gardens. This community venture offers work experience and training for local people with disabilities, including mental illness.
- People from African, Bengali, Iranian and Muslim communities attended our mental health awareness course in Bournemouth, as well as a local Imam and they all said their knowledge of mental health had significantly improved.
- Participants at Rethink Green Growers are enjoying increased levels of exercise, acquiring valuable skills, socialising and eating healthy organic produce.
- Hospitals, care co-ordinators, and other professionals have given positive feedback about our floating support services, and Rethink has been praised for our willingness to work with individuals that other services have refused to support.
- The probation office helped to decorate Springfields and the Chief Officer said their involvement had a huge impact on probationers' levels of reoffending. A new crisis room is also being piloted at the centre to help prevent unnecessary admissions onto wards.
- Montgomery House will provide support with communication skills, anxiety management, housing, benefits, employment, education, and life skills.
- The Oasis kiosk has enabled two people to start college courses in catering and horticulture.
- Our BME champions will continue to promote mental health issues and we're looking for further opportunities to build on recent successes.
- We'll continue to work with our partners to provide high quality and effective housing related support. An intensive supported housing service in Tiverton, is due to open early in 2008/09.
- We hope that surplus produce from our allotments can be sold through local outlets, offering further opportunities for social integration and positive community interaction.
- Montgomery House will be evaluated with a view to expanding this service model into other areas with large military communities.
- We want to recruit more staff and volunteers for the Oasis Kiosk, and set up a "League of Friends" to help promote and develop the kiosk into an independent social enterprise.
If you would like more information about our services in the South West Region please email southwest@rethink.org or call 01823 354879.
