Funding boost secures ‘lifesaving’ Croydon mental health service

A service which helps Croydon residents boost their mental health through physical activity has been secured, with a six-figure funding boost for a borough charity.

The Mind in Croydon service, Active Minds, will continue to provide free activity sessions to people with mental health issues, thanks to a £271,000 grant from City Bridge Trust – the City of London Corporation’s charity funder.

Sessions offered as part of the scheme include tennis, boxercise, walking, badminton, Zumba, martial arts and yoga, as well as mindfulness and relaxation classes and an allotment group.

The scheme has helped hundreds of Croydon residents over the past 15 years but the charity says it could not have continued without the new funding.

City Bridge Trust Chairman Giles Shilson said:

“The activities run by Mind In Croydon have huge benefits for their members, not just from the natural high that comes from doing exercise but from meeting people and feeling less isolated.

“We’re really pleased that with our support these sessions can continue to have a profound impact in helping people overcome the issues they face and improve their lives.”

Mind In Croydon also offers online classes in relaxation and mindfulness and a social group which allows people to make friends and provide feedback on the sessions.

Mind In Croydon’s Active Minds Deputy Manager Jo Darville said:

“These sessions are massively important for our members, not least because for many they provide the motivation, support and confidence boost for them to get out of the house and overcome their anxiety, which is a huge step.

“A lot of our members and their families have noticed a big difference – they feel a lot more confident than they did before and are able to come out of their shell and talk to people and make friends.

“Active Minds has been running for 15 years and supported over 370 people last year, but without the City Bridge Trust funding it could not have continued.

“It’s been absolutely lifesaving for many of our members and if that was taken away, I think we would have ended up with people in A&E – or worse.”

People can get more information and support for their mental health or donate to Mind in Croydon online at: www.mindincroydon.org.uk.

The City of London Corporation’s charity funder, City Bridge Trust, is London’s biggest independent grant giver. It awards grants of over £30 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital.

It has also made an extra £200 million available over five years from 2021 to 2026 to support London’s charity sector, please visit: www.citybridgetrust.org.uk.