Charities working in the mental health sector have vowed to foster a culture of closer collaboration to tackle rising demand for services in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
A Growing Communities Networking event, hosted by Cherry Tree Nursery in Bournemouth, heard guest speaker Tom Lund, Chief Officer at Citizens Advice BCP, describe how closer partnership working can empower services to tackle the county’s mental health challenges.
Attendees at Cherry Tree heard Tom reveal how the spiralling cost of living is contributing to rising mental health challenges. Nationally, Citizens Advice recently warned that two in five renters have been forced to ration gas and electricity to afford energy bills – while one in five people have struggled to pay their water bill in the last year.
From January to August, Citizens Advice BCP supported more than 2,400 clients in Poole alone, advising on nearly 9,000 issues – an average of 3.6 issues per person.
Tom told local charity representatives: “We’re seeing a steady rise in financial hardship, especially around benefits and access to charitable aid. Housing and debt issues remain a concern, particularly council tax and rent arrears. Mental health issues and isolation are rising, especially among older adults and carers. And the complexity of need is increasing with most clients facing multiple overlapping issues.
“Energy advice continues to be in high demand, with people struggling to manage fuel debt. These issues are rarely isolated, they’re interconnected and require joined-up responses.”
Partnership in action
Tom cited a thriving partnership between Citizens Advice BCP and Cherry Tree Nursery, which supports adults experiencing life-impacting mental health conditions via therapeutic horticulture, as a prime example of what can be achieved when charities pool resources to deliver successful outcomes.
Calling on charity sector colleagues to co-design more services, Tom explained how Citizens Advice BCP is on-site at Cherry Tree Nursery to support people who have mental health conditions by providing specialist benefit support, advocacy and tailored advice to help adults build stability and independence.
Speaking after the event, Tom summed-up: “At a time of rising need and shrinking resources, it’s never been more important to come together, share insight and build stronger, more strategic partnerships. I believe that by deepening collaboration across the sector, we can create more resilient support systems and ensure that no one in the BCP area is left behind.”
Empowering achievement
Growing Communities Networking events at Cherry Tree Nursery, pictured above, launched in 2024 after the charity was awarded a Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Grant via the Dorset Community Foundation and NHS Dorset. The remit was “early intervention and preventative support where a person is empowered to identify and work towards their own life goals”.
The events align with NHS England’s Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults, which advocates the strengthening of relationships with local community groups, and the value of social prescribing.
Community Liaison Officer at Plants and Minds, Maria Tidy, said: “There are many charities and organisations involved in the local mental health sector and our Growing Communities networking events aim to break down silo working and bring these groups together, fostering connections, building partnerships and encouraging collaboration.
“Plants and Minds aims to build relationships with like-minded organisations to enable cross-referrals. Through these events, we’ve been able to connect some of our service users, known as Team Members, with additional support services, while also receiving an increasing number of referrals ourselves,” Maria added.
Charities and services that attended the Growing Communities Networking event included Community Action Network, WithYou, Sovereign Housing, HealthBus, LiveWell Dorset, Spear Bournemouth, Help & Care and Home-Start Wessex.
Events to continue monthly
Upcoming networking events at Cherry Tree Nursery will take place on 13 October when speaker Kai McConkey from Arla Recovery For All will discuss gambling addiction. On 10 November, Karina Green will shed light on mental health and wellbeing support that’s provided at Access Wellbeing in Poole.
The free, monthly networking events at Cherry Tree Nursery run from 9.30 to 11am and are open to anyone in the local community who works with or supports people with mental health challenges, whether in healthcare, the charity sector or as an employer.