Our work

In the past we have funded everything from refurbishing sensory rooms through to art therapy and equipment for disabled patients.  We still continue to fund a variety of small projects but will tend to focus on fundraising for specific things such as:

1. Pennine Care yoga initiative

There is growing evidence that yoga provides considerable physical and mental health benefits.  The Pennine Care yoga initiative will deliver 260 yoga classes for both patients and staff. It should help several hundred mental health patients to make a faster recovery and also offer a weekly practice to improve their mental health far into the future.

2. Magic Carpet

The Magic Carpet is an award-winning interactive projection system used in thousands of clinical and educational locations around the world.  The system displays motion responsive games and activities onto floors, tables, or almost any surface.  We are currently fundraising for a Magic Carpet to educate and entertain young people admitted to our acute wards because of serious mental health issues, such as psychotic episodes and severe eating disorders.

3. Grow your own

Significant research shows that gardening is beneficial to a person’s mental and physical health.  This is especially important for our patients with mental distress and confusion and also those who are not particularly active.  Our grow your own project will provide accessible all-year-round growing facilities for patients, partner organisations and community groups.  It will be an excellent way of improving health while creating new green space and enhancing biodiversity.

4. Improving schizophrenia through rapid response blood tests

People with schizophrenia can lead a life affected by hallucinations, delusions and isolation.  Fortunately, through the use medication, the condition can be controlled.  However, to get the most therapeutic benefits from the drugs while avoiding potentially severe side effects, it is important that blood test results are delivered quickly.  This project aims to buy five new state-of-the-art medical testing devices to deliver results within seven minutes, allowing our 800 patients to lead as normal a life as possible.

5. Summer’s sensory room

For older people with a form of dementia, sensory rooms can stimulate all five senses and to increase positive experiences for inpatients and reduce how long they stay on a ward.  Our Summers Ward sensory room is a simple and effective solution to help people with dementia recapture some of their previous life and to become healthier and happier.

6. Saving lives through better design

Neurodivergent people are at a much greater risk of death through suicide due to poor mental health.  While our services can greatly help, the current, more traditional design environment of our waiting and therapy rooms can discourage people from attending and can be distracting to those who do attend appointments. Redesigning these spaces will remove these obstacles and reduce the risk of ongoing poor mental health and suicide.