A Durham mental health charity which uses the arts to support local people’s well-being is meeting growing demand with the help of a four-figure grant from the Banks Community Fund.
The St Margaret’s Centre aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people in County Durham by providing a safe, therapeutic environment for them to regain their confidence, motivation and self-esteem while learning new skills and meeting new friends.
Based on Margery Lane in Durham City, the Centre hosts a wide range of therapeutic activities, including woodwork, joinery, arts & crafts and gardening, and provides people with a space in which to learn new skills while being around others who might understand what they’re going through.
It has seen a 220 per cent rise in demand over the last couple of years, with over 300 people currently having active referrals for its services and around one sixth of these people having an autism diagnosis.
A £2,000 grant from North East employer the Banks Group is now helping to cover the materials and tuition costs for the Centre’s arts and crafts sessions, which include painting and drawing, calligraphy, fabric crafts, clay modelling and leather jewellery making, and which see between eight and 16 people taking part in each one.
And they have been so successful that a number of people who initially came to the Centre for support have since volunteered to run peer-led craft sessions themselves.
Alongside its creative activities, the St Margaret’s Centre also hosts a community café that is open to the public and enables people to learn about working in hospitality while developing their confidence and customer service skills in a supportive environment.
Attendees at the Centre do not require a formal diagnosis, only a mental health need, meaning it can act as a point of early intervention and help to prevent symptoms worsening.
It has a dedicated support worker to help with a wide variety of issues that can have a mental health impact, including housing, benefits, debt management, relationship problems and healthy living, while the whole team is trained to provide emotional support as required.
Lisa Harrison, deputy manager at the St Margaret’s Centre, says: “We try to maintain a maximum two-week waiting time between someone coming into contact with us and them being able to access sessions, meaning we are often that person's first meaningful interaction with community support
for their mental health needs and that demand for places at our sessions is always high.
“Being able to learn at their own pace with the support of an in-house art instructor who understands the situations they are facing can lead to some amazing outcomes, and we often see the transformative impact on attendees’ mental health, well-being and quality of life that our workshops can have over time.
“We have seen people who had previously not left their homes in months and even years rebuilding their self-esteem, developing new confidence and finding incredible talents that they never knew they had.
“They also often start to feel more comfortable with sharing their problems with staff, which allows us to better understand their individual experiences and needs, and what additional support and services might be beneficial.
“Keeping up with our running costs in the face of such fast-growing demand is always a real challenge, so we’re hugely grateful for Banks’ support in helping us meet it.”
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “The St Margaret’s team makes a positive difference to the lives of hundreds of people across our home county at the times when they need it the most.
“Seeing both the creative and personal outcomes they help to deliver shows just how effective their work is and we’re very pleased to be supporting such an impactful charity.”
For further information on the services provided at the St Margaret’s Centre, visit www.stmargaretscentre.co.uk or follow @smcdurham on Facebook and Instagram.
Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via the enquiry form on its website (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.
