DD Charity Update - August 2024

Read on below to find out more about two organisations that we've partnered up with for July and August; Anxious Minds and FARE Scotland.

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Anxious Minds

Anxious Minds was founded in 2015 stemming from the founder's personal experiences with PTSD, anxiety and depression.

We caught up with Founder and CEO Edward Dean to hear more about his involvement with Anxious Minds, and how they help the people around them.

(Anxious Minds CEO - Edward Dean)
 
1. Tell us about Anxious Minds!

Anxious Minds is a multi-award-winning mental health charity dedicated to addressing the critical need for timely and effective mental health support in North East England. Since our inception, we have expanded our reach to four centres across North Tyneside and Northumberland, driven by our core values of compassion, inclusivity, and empowerment. These principles underpin our mission to foster resilience, promote recovery, and build a stronger, more supportive community.

Our charity provides a comprehensive range of professional services tailored to support individuals grappling with mental health challenges. Our counselling centres offer vital support to those struggling with PTSD, severe anxiety, depression, addiction, and mental health crises. In addition to one-on-one counselling, Anxious Minds places emphasis on community-based initiatives designed to create connections and combat isolation.

A key focus of our work is supporting veterans through the North East Veteran Recovery College. This specialised programme offers bespoke mental health and addiction support for veterans and their families, recognising the unique challenges faced by those who have served. To address broader societal issues, we operate a Veteran and Community Kitchen, providing nutritious meals to those struggling with the cost of living crisis.

2. What does Anxious Minds do for your community?
 
We provide the following services: addiction support, counselling, advice services, food poverty support with our community kitchen, suicide prevention, back to work support and outdoor therapy.

Since its inception in 2015, Anxious Minds has made a substantial impact across North East England, supporting over 14,500 adults with mental health issues. Currently, we provide essential mental health care and companionship to 2,300 adults, children, and older people annually across our four centres in North Tyneside and Northumberland. Our reach extends further, with 264 individuals receiving remote counselling in their homes and 232 on our waiting list.

In response to the heightened loneliness among older adults caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising living costs, we established the Veteran and Community Kitchen in North Tyneside. This innovative initiative serves a dual purpose: reducing social isolation and addressing food insecurity. Currently, we provide over 400 hot meals weekly, with ambitious plans to expand to 600 by August 2024.

3. What are the main goals of your charity/organization?
 
Ultimately we work to provide early intervention and long term support for people at crisis point or struggling with mental health and addiction.

Our services are carefully designed to cater to diverse groups, including veterans, women survivors of abuse, children, and adults on the brink of crisis. This comprehensive approach allows us to address both immediate psychological needs and the broader social factors that impact mental health. By offering this wide array of services, Anxious Minds takes a holistic approach to mental health support, fostering resilience and recovery while working towards building a stronger, more inclusive community in North East England.

Additionally, by recognising the intrinsic link between mental health and employment, Anxious Minds helps individuals who have been unemployed due to mental health issues return to work, volunteering, or education. Through our North East Job Board, Recruit4Good, we deliver targeted programmes aimed at assisting long-term unemployed individuals in re-entering the workforce, thus promoting financial stability and improved mental wellbeing.

4. What are your plans for your new DD Hammocks and Tarps?

Using our new DD Hammocks and Tarps we would like to provide more woodland school days out for the community and do some sleep overs for those looking for a quiet break from the every day.

5. How can our followers find out more about you?

You can find out more about Anxious Minds at our website or via our social media, such as Instagram.

 

In order to help Anxious Minds and their beneficiaries get out into nature during their outdoor school and forest sleepovers, we've donated 20 sets of our DD Charity Edition Scout hammocks and Scout tarps - we very much hope that everyone at Anxious Minds enjoys the new gear!

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FARE Scotland

What began primarily as a small youth club in the East End of Glasgow, FARE is now an expansive organisation within the heart of the local community, offering services to meet residents' social, emotional and physical needs.

We caught up with Nicholas Miller, who tells us more about his involvement with FARE, and how FARE is making a difference:

 

(FARE Associate - Nicholas Miller)

1. Tell us about FARE.

FARE Scotland is a voluntary organisation working within disadvantaged communities throughout Central Scotland. FARE strive to raise people's aspirations, encourage them to become more involved in their communities, create opportunities for personal development and equip them with the skills required to deal with the demands of 21st century life.

2. How did you become involved?

I move been doing youth work since I turned 20 and have worked across Glasgow and Renfrewshire. I had initially applied to be part of Fare's school team and worked within a high school for 2 years. These 2 years were great, and I learned so much, but I missed the thrill of grass roots community work so applied to change role and more into the community team.

3. What is the best part of working for FARE Scotland?

The best part of working for FARE Scotland is the impact that we have in the local and wider community. I get to work closely with a wide range of the community members ranging from children in primary 1, all the way through to our community adult groups who are aged over 80 years of age. I love building relationships and making connections and getting to be that person that people turn to when they need support!

4. What is the plan for the DD Hammocks & Tarps?

The gear will be used in many different ways - from supporting our outdoor pursuits that we do with young people and adults, hill walking and camping, but also our D of E programme. We will also be using them for our school holiday programme, taking young people to parks for the day and these will be put up as a space to chill in the shade and take a break and enjoy nature.

5. Where can our followers find out about the good work FARE is doing?

More information about FARE including our services and history, can be found on our Website!

 

This month we have donated 10 sets of DD Hammocks Charity Edition Scout Hammocks and Tarps to FARE; we hope that everyone within the local community of all ages continue to enjoy the beauty of nature for many more adventures to come!

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If you know of a charity, group or cause with a focus on the outdoors and a passion for helping those less fortunate get out into nature that would benefit from some free outdoor equipment, PLUS a spot on the DD Charity Blog to showcase their efforts, we would love to hear from you!

Help us support even more people, and get involved by getting in touch with us via our DD Charity contact form.

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