Mission

To reach out into the community in Cambridge to tackle the social isolation and discrimination experienced by many people when they are mentally unwell.

Category

Disability

Additional Information

Cause profile for Make, Do and Mend  Who we are and what we do  We are a creative and cooperative charity in Cambridge which provides strengths-based workshops for people with mental health needs. Our workshops allow our members to sociailise and learn new skills, are low-cost, sustainable, flexible and environmentally-friendly.  How we began  Our Cambridge charity began in 2010 when a small group of mental health service users and their friends got together and decided that they wanted to break down the loneliness and social isolation that many people experience when they are unwell.  Often, when we are unwell we are unable to take an active part in our community. We may be unable to work and even lose our job as a result of our illness. This leads to us losing our self-esteem and confidence.  We work to tackle the social isolation and discrimination experienced by many people when they are mentally unwell. A charity run by its members for its members  When we set up Make, Do and Mend, we decided it was really important that the charity should be run by its members for its members. Working in this way means: we can make sure that what we provide is what our members want and need we can work in a flexible way, allowing members to develop their strengths, build their confidence and recover their self-esteem at their own pace. Our network  We network with other organisations in Cambridge to support each other in the work we do to tackle social isolation and to create partnerships to bring about change in attitudes to mental illness in the community. We provide information on mental health services and other resources in the area.