Featured news:

• Lindengate welcomes new leadership
• Buckinghamshire Mind is using the power of sport to tackle mental health problems
• High Wycombe Shopmobility recognised for its outstanding service
• Support and funding for community businesses
• Buckinghamshire Business First charity fundraising
• FSB report shows the business contribution towards charity and community

Lindengate welcomes new leadership

Lindengate is delighted to welcome new Director, Jan Webster, to lead its transformational organisation and the Lindengate community to the next phase in its evolution.

Jan has over twenty years’ experience in supporting organisations with leadership, planning, evaluation and fundraising. Operating in some of the poorest communities in Africa, within challenging environments, Jan has initiated a well-respected flourishing organisation that works with brain trauma survivors. As an advocate for the positive mental health movement Jan is the visionary leader required to usher Lindengate through a critical time in its expansion.

Jan said: “I am privileged to join Lindengate, an exemplary organisation able to support a variety of different people with a wide spectrum of needs. Our vision for the future is to actively encourage our service users’ voices to get stronger. We aspire to become leaders in the mental health conversation, with a view of raising the profile of mental health awareness.”

The award-winning mental health charity has recently celebrated four years since opening its doors to service users, referred to as ‘Gardeners’. Lindengate offers specialised gardening activities to help those with mental health needs in their continuing recovery. The charity’s services, known as Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH), use the healing power of nature and the outdoors to improve mental wellbeing, boost self-esteem, promote social inclusion and encourage recovery. Social and Therapeutic Horticulture is recognised to be beneficial for a wide range of mental health needs including anxiety, depression, loneliness as well as for people with autism, dementia and head injury.

Buckinghamshire Mind is using the power of sport to tackle mental health problems

Buckinghamshire Mind, the mental health charity, has been awarded funding by Sport England and the National Lottery through the Get Set to Go programme to help people to try new sports and activities to help improve their physical and mental health.

Through this work, Buckinghamshire Mind is supporting people experiencing mental health problems – such as depression and anxiety – to build their confidence to join sports clubs, go to the gym or take up a new sport such as running, swimming, boxercise and football.

Buckinghamshire Mind is working closely with partners Leap (County Sport & Activity Partnership) to deliver community sports and activity sessions and to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment within local sport and leisure facilities.

A range of free taster sessions have being held in Buckinghamshire during February and March for people with mental health problems to try out new activities. The last remaining one is:

Football Fans in Training, Adams Park, Wycombe, March 20th, 7pm-8pm. Friendly instructors can help you overcome any challenges to take part in a new exercise or sport. Just turn up or to speak to a friendly voice call or text Sam on 01494 455736. Find out more information on the Get Set to Go programme here.

High Wycombe Shopmobility recognised for its outstanding service

The team at High Wycombe Shopmobility write:

High Wycombe Shopmobility is bursting with pride for being awarded the Tom Hillier Award for providing an outstanding service. As a small local charity it is amazing to have national recognition for the service we provide. To be nominated for this award by our customers and to actually win is absolutely fantastic, we are extremely proud of the service we deliver.

We provide the free daily loan of mobility scooters, power chairs and manual wheelchairs for use within the town centre for shopping, socialising and hospital/doctor appointments, enabling customers to regain their independence. Manual wheelchairs are also available for overnight hire at £3 per night or £18 per week. Our equipment is easy to use and full training will be given.

We have a wonderful team of 5 part-time staff, 12 volunteers and a board of trustees, and we have always prided ourselves on the fabulous free service we offer to our customers. We would like to thank and congratulate everyone who makes High Wycombe Shopmobility such a fabulous place to work and visit.

We are located in the Eden Shopping Centre, just behind Next, and easily accessible from Desborough Road. Open 9:30am to 4:45pm, Monday to Saturday, and 12noon to 3:45pm on Sundays.

We are continually fundraising to enable us to keep this invaluable service going. All donations are welcome. You can support us at: https://www.wycombelotto.co.uk/support/high-wycombe-shopmobility

Find more information on the Facebook page or on the High Wycombe Shopmobility website.

Support and funding for community businesses

Power to Change supports and funds community businesses in England “to revive local assets, protect the services people rely on, and address local needs.”

If you have a community business, see if you are eligible for support and funding with Power to Change.

Buckinghamshire Business First charity fundraising

The Buckinghamshire Business First team were delighted to raise over £100 for the Chilterns MS Centre with our annual Christmas Jumper Day towards the end of 2018.

FSB report shows the business contribution towards charity and community

The Federation of Small Businesses report – ‘Small Business, Big Heart’ – identifies the amount of great work and initiatives that that small businesses are undertaking to support charities and communities.

Below are some of the report’s findings:

• 80% of firms are contributing to local charities or the wider community in some way, with one in three (38%) donating their time and a similar proportion (32%) providing skills, wider resources or mentoring to others.
• One in three (30%) small employers hire those with a disability or mental health condition.
• One in four small employers (41%) offer work experience.
• More than four in ten (42%) small employers actively engage with schools, colleges or youth organisations.
• The vast majority (89%) of small employers offer flexible working, with many recognising the benefits that come with doing so, including reduced staff absences and cost savings.

Read the full report here >

Send us your charity news

The next charity newsletter will go out around late May, so send any charity news to [email protected] in advance of mid-May for inclusion.