Washington Mind
Washington Mind is an independent charity that has been providing locally based mental health services for over 25 years. Their premises have been located in the picturesque village of Washington since April 2007. However, Jacqui Reeves, Washington Mind Services Manager, notes that the premises are not ideal: “Washington Mind has outgrown its current building. We are in a single story building and hope to extend upwards by adding another floor. I hope this will provide a better working environment for staff and provide one-to-one meeting rooms for our clients.”
"I needed an idea of how to start and I wanted to get funding advice and figures for the work to see if it was feasible.”
However, as Jacqui notes, the idea of starting the extension project was daunting: “It was really difficult to know what to do first. I needed an idea of how to start and I wanted to get funding advice and figures for the work to see if it was feasible.”
“The team were very approachable..."
Jacqui attended the workshop in October 2009, benefitted from an initial consultation with Places for Everyone architect, Tim Mosedale (Mosedale Gillatt Architects), and secured a £2,000 grant through the programme’s Feasibility Fund. Jacqui gives her impression of the support she received: “The team were very approachable and I appreciated the quick responses I got from all staff and the supportive environment of the workshop.”
The combination of peer support through the workshop, tailored consultancy services and funding moved Jacqui’s plans forward considerably. Tim drew up architectural plans for the development and Jacqui has been in close contact with Sunderland planning department who are now reviewing the development plans.
"It was really useful to hear about other projects that were further on and had taken off. This gave us confidence that we could do it too."
By applying the knowledge she developed on the Places for Everyone programme, Jacqui has been able to start the process with confidence: “One of the useful things I learnt was that often things look different on paper and therefore it is very worthwhile to have a dialogue with key people before just plunging in. For example, the planning department wanted to know how many people would use the new building. However, the figure we gave on paper wasn’t a true reflection because many of our staff are part time or volunteers. It was only when we sat down with the planners and talked our plans through that we managed to accurately explain staff usage of the building.”
"Without the Places for Everyone programme, I don’t know how we would have got off the ground.”
In addition to the knowledge Jacqui acquired on the programme, she also valued the opportunity to share experiences and solutions with other organisations in a similar position: “Unlike private organisations, we are a charity and have to make funding applications in order to finance a capital development project. It was really useful to hear about other projects that were further on and had taken off. This gave us confidence that we could do it too. Without the Places for Everyone programme, I don’t know how we would have got off the ground.”
The new building will benefit Washington Mind, and the voluntary sector, in many ways. By utilising the extended space the charity will be able to increase their service provision and provide a more pleasant working environment for their staff. The new building will allow for new one-to-one consulting rooms and provide the local community with a more flexible and valuable resource. Jacqui also hopes that the Council will be able to gift the building to the voluntary sector; therefore strengthening the sector in the Washington area.
