Glastonbury Mental Health Network annual report
Registered charity no. 119330
Address: Red Brick Building, Morland Enterprise Park, Morland Road, Northover, Glastonbury BA6 9FT
Trustees
Andrew Gowland 28.01.21 - present Ifiyenia Bagias 28.01.21 - present Jonathan Cousins 22.04.22 - present Patricia Long 16.08.22 - present
GMHN project lead: Chloe Forfitt
Mission Statement
Glastonbury Mental Health Network is a small and ambitious local charity - incorporated in January 2021 and dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of Glastonbury residents through our events, services, projects and trainings. We aim to increase awareness and understanding of mental ill health across the whole community, and build confidence in how to support and signpost those who are struggling.
The charity’s objects as set out in the Governing Document are:
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To relieve the needs of people with mental ill health by working to increase the understanding of mental health and mental health conditions, providing information, delivering training, raising awareness and challenging stigma and discrimination;
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To work together with the voluntary and community sector, statutory services, mental health allied practitioners and businesses to benefit the mental health and wellbeing of residents;
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To advance education as to the causes, consequences, management and prevention of mental ill health;
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To promote best practice in the field of mental health.
The Trustees believe that all of our purposes satisfy the public benefit requirement.
The direct benefits which flow from these purposes include improved wellbeing outcomes and reduced levels of stress and anxiety amongst people experiencing mental ill health in Glastonbury - who are the charity’s core beneficiaries. These benefits are evidenced through feedback from those attending our events and trainings.
The services we provide also aim to benefit the whole community, and to make an impact in a variety of ways. As such our additional beneficiaries are:
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Those who have felt that our events have insulated them against crisis and / or who have received support and signposting. These events also create a space to normalise conversation around mental wellbeing and mental ill health. Beneficiaries attending our community events include local residents and people who are not living in bricks and mortar, as well as people from other parts of Somerset. Our events are also well attended by health and community professionals.
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Those that have met others, or developed a support network, through participating in our events, and found solidarity and connection.
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Those who have found support for friends and family members, having their own difficulties acknowledged and listened to.
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Those who have undertaken our MHFA trainings, learning how to be more resilient in the face of MH crises, to hold space rather than be drawn into the crisis and to allow them to respond without compromising their own mental health.
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Those who have had access to new volunteering opportunities.
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Organisations who have made connections, widened their reach and developed their understanding of mental health through our events/activities.
We believe from our experience, and from feedback, that our services have assisted:
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Those in crisis - This can cover a wide range of individuals and overlapping situations including, but not limited to:
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Homeless - Those unable to find suitable accommodation of any sort
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Transient population - Those who have opted to live outside of the housing market due to economic constraints and other reasons
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Those suffering with addiction
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Those suffering domestic abuse from relatives or guardians
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Those affected by depression, anxiety, PTSD, dementia etc
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Those affected by issues surrounding spiritual emergence
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Those who are affected by people in crisis, including:
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Immediate family and friends
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Frontline staff in public establishments (cafe’s, restaurants, shops, businesses)
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Business owners
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A range of community professionals and mental health adjacent practitioners
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Local town councillors
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Police officers
In fulfilling the public benefit requirement the charity Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s statutory public benefit guidance. The information below sets out the activities we have carried out to further our purposes and fulfil the public benefit requirement during the accounting period.
Activities and achievements
● Delivering mental wellbeing projects
We continued to run our successful weekly event, The Snug - and launched a second Snug in the town centre . The Snug at the Red Brick Building is a weekly 4 hour daytime event which has been generously supported by a number of funders - with creative activities led by artists, refreshments, relaxing music and trained listeners/signposters available to chat to. The Snug at Red Brick took place approximately 50 times during the financial year, with between 15-30 attendances at each event. Creative activities included working with clay, weaving, painting, sewing and textile creations, mandala making, needle felting and planting. At these events we also assist individuals through signposting to a range of relevant organisations and services, including Citizen’s Advice and social prescribing link workers, as we recognise that many people’s mental health problems correlate with issues such as finance/debt, housing, relational difficulties and isolation.
We launched a second Snug at the Avalon Community Centre, which has a focus on preparing and sharing a meal together, and eachother. Volunteer listeners are also available and self-led creative activities.This Snug ran approximately 28 times during the accounting period.
Our Snug events are well attended by NHS professionals, the council’s Housing team, social prescribing link workers and representatives from the voluntary sector.
● Harnessing the power of peer - celebrating our volunteers
We’re powered by volunteers and are committed to the principles of co-production, ensuring that our projects are shaped by people with lived experience of mental health challenges. During the accounting year, we had regular support from volunteers - with between 6-10 helping us each week.
● Glastonbury Mayor’s charity of the year
We were delighted to be the new Mayor’s chosen charity for a second year - enabling us to further raise the profile of the charity throughout Glastonbury, and also benefit from a number of fundraising opportunities.
● Facilitating a mental health literate community through partnerships, training and community engagement
One of our greatest strengths lies in our partnership working. Over time, we have developed excellent relationships with a range of organisations including Open Mental Health, the Somerset Mental Health Network, the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Somerset NHS
Foundation Trust health professionals, Health Connections and the Talking Cafe, the Red Brick Building, Children’s World, Yeast Scrapstore, Glastonbury Abbey, The Crown, Heart of the Tribe and a number of local artists. Glastonbury Town Council also continues to support and champion us.
We have continued to deliver regular Mental Health First Aid trainings within the local community, facilitated by an NHS professional and attended by local people, VCSE volunteers and professionals, and businesses.
● Website
We have continued to host a website which outlines our projects and services and provides links to other local and national mental health resources, support and information. During the accounting period the website had 1,200 unique users. The three most popular pages were The Snug, What is GMHN and Find Help.
● Social Media
We regularly create and share content on social media including Facebook, Instagram and X. These platforms provide an opportunity for us to promote local community initiatives and services, inspiring content from other creators, and to let people know about our own events, activities and trainings. Our Facebook audience is over 1,400 and our reach between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was 20.8K. We have 188 followers on IG and 115 followers on X.
Charity Reg No 119330
Glastonbury Mental Health Network FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
CONTENTS
| 1) | Income and Expenditure |
|---|---|
| 2) | Balance Sheet |
Glastonbury Mental Health Network
Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Income Funding 43,510 Donations/Crowd Funding 4,717 Administratice Expenses Administrative fees 15,602 Advertising 114 Artists fee 3,000 Bank fees 2 Consultancy 1,370 Insurance 198 Legal fees - Musicians - Printing and stationery 37 Rent - Office 900 Room Hire - Well Being 2,620 Support costs - Training costs 210 Net Surplus(Deficit) |
2025 2024 £ £ 20,111 4,280 48,227 24,391 17,777 3,021 4,193 - - - 56 600 3 1,125 4,088 120 525 24,053 31,507 24,174 (7,116) |
|---|---|
Glastonbury Mental Health Network
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025
| Current assets Total bank and cash in hand Net Current Assets (Liabilities) Total Assests less Current Liabilities Net Assets Current year surplus Retained reserves Total Capital and Reserves |
2025 £ 31,421 31,421 31,421 31,421 7,247 24,174 31,421 |
2024 £ 7,247 |
|---|---|---|
| 7,247 7,247 |
||
| 7,247 | ||
| 14,363 (7,116) |
||
| 7,247 |
Prepared by: P A Long Treasurer Signed: Trish Long Dated: 7/28/2025
Checked by: Fen Bagias Signed: Fen Bagias Dated: 7/28/2025
Richard Whiting House 9 Silver Street Glastonbury BA6 8BS Telephone 01458 835302 Email info@omsglastonbury.co.uk
3[rd] July 2025
The Trustees Glastonbury Mental Health Network Red Brick building Morland Road Glastonbury BA6 9FT
Accounts GMHN for the year ended 31 March 2025
This letter serves to confirm that the accounts of the above Charity are accurate and at the standard required for the Charity Commission.
These have been approved by:
Marc Danson MAAT Director
Companies House reg no 14919436