Mental health charity able to continue renovation thanks to housebuilder’s donation
A local housebuilder is supporting a Bicester-based charity providing mental health support for young people.
Bellway South Midlands, which is building new homes across Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, has donated £500 to Nai’s House, which will go towards the renovation of the charity’s new premises at Garth House, off Launton Road in the town.
The charity provides a blended youth and well-being service that offers a new way to access mental health support. The renovation work will include soundproofing to ensure the confidentiality of conversations between visitors and volunteers.
Gemma Barrett, founder of Nai’s House, said: “We are so grateful for Bellway’s generosity and support to Nai’s House.
“We want to be able to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our visitors and this donation will help us do that.
“I founded the charity in 2017 after I lost my daughter Dené and the charity is in her memory. I started developing the model in January 2019 and we opened the doors at Kingsmere Community Centre in September 2019.
“We have faced a lot of challenges – especially with Covid meaning we had to shut down – but we have started to gain momentum again and moved premises to Garth House.
“The main work we do is to provide one-to-one support and counselling for those struggling with mental health and suicide ideation. We are in the process of developing our relationship with local schools to start working with them to help their pupils.
“We think of creative ways of working with young people and concentrate on well-being and youth work, as our volunteers aren’t from a clinical or medical background. We offer holistic work such as massages, reiki, aromatherapy, yoga and meditation and similar activities which distract sufferers’ minds from their self-destructive thoughts.
“As well as supporting those struggling with mental health themselves, we also offer support for parents and caregivers looking after someone with mental health conditions.”
Elaine Brown, Head of Sales for Bellway South Midlands, said: “We are pleased to be able to support a charity which does such important work for young people in the local community.
“The past year has been difficult for many young people, as they’ve not been able to socialise or interact with others, and this has had a negative effect on some people’s mental health. Coupled with the lack of events allowed to go ahead due to restrictions, fundraising has been next to impossible for many charities such as this one, which is why we are glad to be able to help such a worthwhile cause.
“Gemma and her volunteers work for free, many alongside a full-time job, and the charity relies solely on fundraising and donations from the council and businesses like Bellway.”
To find out more about Nai’s House, visit the website naishouse.org.uk.
For more information about Bellway’s new homes across the region, visit bellway.co.uk.
CAPTIONS –
- Clare Bricknell, Angela Nurse and Gemma Barrett
- (Left to Right) Shiron McGregok, Gemma Barrett, Clare Bricknell, Angela Nurse (Bellway), Ali Allen, Amber Knewman
