CHARITY FOCUS
Make A Difference Tavistock Mental health support and recovery Make A Difference is a mental health charity and wellbeing hub in Tavistock, providing friendship, activities, and support for the local community in a relaxed, café-style hub. The charity supports people who need help, by providing a quiet room, a listening ear and practical advice to guide them through some of the difficulties of living with a mental illness. Make A Difference also aims to raise awareness about mental health issues, and encourage everyone to talk about them openly, since most people will encounter situations in their lifetime which could affect their mental health. The charity has put together a wealth of online resources which anyone can refer to with information about various common mental health disorders, how they affect people, and some of the signs and symptoms to be aware of, as well as self-help videos, helplines, other mental health charities, and further online resources. Make A Difference was started in 2005 by Sandy Edney, a mental health social worker, Fie Mason, an occupational
therapist, and several of their patients, to create a place, where people dealing with mental health issues could come together and chat over a drink in an informal and safe setting. Initially the group met in the café at Tavistock United Reformed Church, and then in 2010 the charity set up a base at Trident House in Taylor Square, enabling it to expand its offering to include music, art and cookery sessions, together with games and internet access. At the start of 2020 the charity moved around the corner to a new home at The Arch Workshops. Shortly afterwards though the pandemic took hold, creating difficulties for most charities with volunteers and members in lockdown and many regular fundraising channels cut off. It was a challenging time for Make A Difference which revolves around creating a friendly, sociable environment where people can meet up – plus the new building was basically a shell in need of a considerable amount of work to create a warm, inviting hub. Mark Feeney is the charity’s project
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