A Wallsend-based mental health charity founded by a armed forces veteran with his army pension continues to expand and has won nine national awards in three years.
Anxious Minds, which runs drop-in sessions, counselling and a range of other provision including outdoor therapy and a community café from premises in Wallsend and Blyth is set to open its Hope Centre in the old Wallsend Memorial Hall – the Mem – next month. The Veterans Recovery College is already based there – offering support with issues from housing to addiction for those who have served their country.
Meanwhile founder Edward Deans, who has spoken candidly about how his own post-armed forces difficulties with PTSD left him homeless, is passionate about providing real and tangible support to veterans and the wider community who may be struggling amid rising pressures.
Edward founded Anxious Minds in 2015 and he and the charity have won a series of awards – including being named one of the Prime Minister’s “Points of Light” by then-PM Theresa May. Now he is in the final three for another award, but says the most important thing is spending every spare penny to support those in need.
He’s on the shortlist for the “making a difference” gong at the national Third Sector Care Awards. He told ChronicleLive the charity’s story – and why expanding was vital given the pressures people in the area face.
Edward said: “Anxious Minds was founded in 2015. I founded the charity with my war pension when I myself was homeless, after leaving the armed forces. I had been waiting for NHS support for PTSD that never came. I had lost my job – I had been working for the MoD [Ministry of Defence] – and I had lost my marriage.
“Our first project was running the ‘Let’s Talk’ support groups across Newcastle and North Tyneside – that was all about self-help and getting on the road to recovery. When you can’t get to see anybody, you notice that we don’t talk about how we can help ourselves. We married up with a small counselling organisation that had two counsellors. Now we have 19.”
Edward, who served in the Fusiliers around the world, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Kosovo, said that turning space at the Mem into the Hope Centre would make a huge difference – at existing drop-in sessions held in the town’s Forum shopping centre he said “we just don’t have enough chairs”. Edward added: “The Hope Centre will open in February. When we were talking to the community, everyone said they wanted this in Wallsend – and the Mem is a prime location.
“The project has been totally funded by the community – we’ve raised £18,000 – and we have started the makeover. It will provide a lovely environment and long-term support for people struggling with mental health issues. It will also help people who are struggling on the poverty line, through our community cafe and food bank.”
Edward explained that tackling the strain people are under would require NHS and governmental decision-makers to support local charities like Anxious Minds – and he said that with stresses like the cost of living showing no sign of abating this was vital. He also highlighted the need for support to be joined up.
He added: “What can tend to happen is that if you’re struggling with poverty you might get offered a cooker or clothes for your kids but what they don’t necessarily help with is the reason you are in poverty in the first place – which could be addiction or PTSD or whatever it may be.”
Anxious Minds supports hundreds of people each week. To find out more about what’s available click here.
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