YOUR NFP NAME
BLINK MENTAL HEALTH Trustees’ Annual Report
Table of Contents
01 02 03 Introduction Objectives and Our 2021 - 2023 Activities goals 04 05 06 How we achieved How we made a our goals Our impact difference
07
08
Our Volunteers Accounting information
Introduction
Bink - The Mental Health Campaign (also known as “blink”) registered as a charity in October 2021. This is our first-ever annual report, covering the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. The exact date range is from 25 October 2021 – 31 March 2023.
In 2020, as the global pandemic began to unfold, we saw the devastating impact that COVID-19 was having on people’s mental health and understood that our services and ethos were needed more than ever.
We were determined to build on the momentum and success of the work we were doing, reaching greater numbers of people and changing more lives for the better.
Our Founders
blink was founded by Mike and Nicole, two people who desperately needed mental health support.
Two people, like thousands of others, who reach out and ask for help.
Two people, like thousands of others, who may be told they’re not unwell enough, or too unwell to get support.
Two people, like thousands of others, who have to face unnecessary multiple barriers, assessments, uncertainty, and waiting times. And that’s if they’re lucky enough to be offered help at all.
This isn’t good enough, and this is why blink was born, and is so desperately needed.
Our Trustees
Michael McAdam: 25 October 2021 - present Tamsin Watson: 25 October 2021 - present Nicole Melzack: 25 October 2021 - present Orla Knox-Macaulay: 09 February 2023 - present
Comment from Mike McAdam, Co-founder and trustee
“The period since our formal registration as a charity in October 2021 has been busy, exciting, and at times challenging. I am so proud of the hard work and dedication to blink shown by our trustees and volunteers, which has allowed us to reach our goals for this year and created strong foundations for future growth and
impact. As a board, we have spent time reviewing our strategy to ensure that we have the resources to continue to thrive as a charity and provide support to those who need it. As blink continues to mature as a charity, we hope to see significant improvements in our brand recognition, partnerships and funding, which will allow us to expand our reach and connect with new beneficiaries and supporters.”
Objectives and Activities
Our Mission
Our Purpose
Our mission is to provide safe and open spaces for people to receive professional mental health support, where they can be heard, connect with others, and reconnect with themselves.
Our trustees have taken due care to refer to guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
We are passionate about improving the mental health and wellbeing of individuals in need of support, by the provision of professional treatment and peer-to-peer support.
We also provide tools and knowledge to help people maintain good mental health, through public and private events.
Our 2021 - 2023 goals
1 Make 1-2-1 therapy more accessible
2
Reach more people and promote the work we do
There are many potential barriers which prevent individuals from accessing the support that they need for their mental health. Our single session therapy is designed to provide quick access to professional care, to remove or minimise financial barriers, social stigma and waiting times.
We reach out to hundreds of people through our wellbeing programme at festivals. This enables us to recruit more volunteers, create relationships with new donors, and support more people with their mental health.
The powerful testimonies we have received from festival-goers show us that our services have the opportunity to improve lives. We want more people to benefit from what blink can offer.
3
Provide safe spaces for individuals and groups to talk about mental health
Alongside the therapy sessions, we create a calm and inclusive space where people can relax, take part in mindful activities, or seek further support for their mental health.
All of our services are designed on traumainformed principles, which help to ensure that everybody who has contact with blink feel safe, validated and able to be their authentic selves.
How we achieved our goals
A key service of ours is hosting wellbeing tents at festivals across the England and Wales. We provide mindfulness activities; a place to chill; and free 1-2-1 talking therapy sessions with qualified psychologists and counsellors.
Why festivals?
At festivals, people tend to explore new experiences. By pitching therapy, we reach out to people who may have been considering asking for help, or who want to know more about what talking therapy entails .
Being at a festival can help to normalise talking therapy and mindfulness; making sure we all check in on ourselves; as well as providing immediate support in a non-clinical environment.
It’s also a non-judgemental space to talk about mental health, whether people have diagnosed or non-diagnosed mental ill health. Our wellbeing area is an inclusive space for all.
How we made a difference
With events slowing starting again (due to Covid 19), and our charity being founded at the end of the festival season, we hadn’t attended as many events as planned during this reporting period. However, we are still super proud of what we have achieved.
Between October 2021 and March 2023 we:
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attended delivered supported
450
176
one to one therapy
additional people who used
festivals [4]
sessions
our chill out space
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We also fostered further connections online, with an increase in interactions on our social media channels, website, and sign-ups to our mailing list.
Our impact
Festival goers have used our space to explore the benefits of therapy, for heavier conversations around the emotional weight they are carrying, or as place to chill in a nonjudgmental and non-pressured environment.
We are lucky enough to receive many comments and messages which clearly show the lasting impact of our services. We know that blink makes a real difference to people’s wellbeing and mental health, and this is what motivates us to keep growing and improving our offering.
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What festivals goers say about our service
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“There are not many experiences that stick with you in life, but the therapy session at your tent will be one of them.”
“Being able to access a free therapy session was invaluable to me - it unlocked a door which probably would have remained shut, and I’ve now realised how important it is to address my mental health problems. I wish I discovered blink along time ago”
“I have to admit, this was my first therapy session and I never experienced anything like this. I have been a different person since and, fundamentally, I feel stronger, like I haven't felt before in years”
“Previous experience in any therapy session have not ever provided me the same substance this single session did - I felt seen, heard and the responses allowed me to think for myself. blink should be at ALL festivals”
Our Volunteers
As a volunteer-led charity, we are determined to make the most of our funds and reach the largest audience possible with our resources. As well as our volunteer trustees, who set our strategy and oversee our work, we have an incredible pool of other volunteers. We have worked with over 75 volunteers since October 2021, and would not be able to deliver our services without them.
Our volunteers include:
Fully qualified and experienced therapists, who deliver our therapy sessions at festivals, offer debriefing to other volunteers, and offer clinical input into our policies and procedures.
Festival volunteers, some with lived experience, who help to make sure blink’s festival offering is a huge success. They are involved in everything from putting up our tents, to welcoming visitors to our space, and provide an inclusive environment for all.
Year-round volunteers, who support blink with vital admin and project management, as well as fundraising.
Some of our volunteers have attended multiple festivals in a season or have returned year after year to volunteer with blink. We are proud and pleased that our volunteer team are committed to our work, and that volunteering with blink is a positive experience. We work hard to ensure that our volunteers are carefully selected trained to a high standard and offered excellent support throughout their time with us.
Accounting information for period 25 October 2021 – 31 March 2023
These accounts have been prepared by the Trustees in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).
Statement on Reserves
Amount held in reserves: £0
We operate as a small charity with a strong commitment to our mission. Due to very low operating costs and low income, our financial resources are primarily directed toward sustaining our ongoing programs and initiatives. As a result, we may not maintain substantial reserves, and any available funds are typically allocated to immediate programmatic needs. However, we our aim is to increase our reserves over the next couple of years.
Details of fund materially in deficit
Most of our income in 2021 was received prior to registering as a formal charity. Therefore, our accounts, below, report we made a financial loss for the period of this annual report. However, we did enter the financial year 2023/2024 without making a loss, which will be reported in our next Trustees’ Annual Report.
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern
N/A
Statement of Financial Activities for period 25 October 2021 - 31 March 2023
Receipts and payments
Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
blink the mental health campaign c/o Berkeley Homes Project Office Beresford Street SE18 6BG
www.blinkmentalhealth.org.uk hello@blinkmentalhealth.org.uk