Mental health support for those who ‘fall through the gaps’

Shore-Up CIC use meaningful activity to bring people together, break down barriers and get a bit of respite from the ups and downs of everyday life. We caught up with them about the work that was funded by their Transforming Mental Health Grant.

 

Can you tell us a bit about Shore-Up CIC?  

We are an occupational therapy led organisation providing group therapy programmes and a social club to individuals in Leeds whose mental health difficulties negatively affect their quality of life, health and wellbeing. We aim to help the people who ‘fall through the gaps’ in services; those who are living lives with many challenges but either don’t meet criteria for, or don’t want to engage with, statutory services.   

We believe that everyone should have access to mental health support that: 

• • • • comes from a perspective of hope 

• • • • recognises and values the centrality of individual experience and expertise 

• • • • does not rely on diagnosis to determine inclusion 

• • • • recognises that fluctuation in mental health does not divide into ‘well’ and ‘unwell’ but is the result of the ongoing relationship between individuals, their circumstances and the things that they do with their time 

  

What has funding from Transforming Mental Health Grants enabled you to do? 

We have been able to run two occupational therapy group programmes in 23/24 and have planned three further group programmes in 24/25. We’ve also started working on a Follow On Group which will be open to all graduates from the occupational therapy group programme. The Follow On Group will be codesigned and provide space to return to useful themes identified in the original therapeutic group and be a practical source of support for individuals to explore other community resources and facilities available in Leeds. 

 

Can you tell us about the impact of what you do on the people you work with? 

In 2023/24, of the 24 individuals referred to the programme 17 accepted a place and 13 completed the programme giving a 76% completion rate. Across both groups, there was an average attendance rate of 80%. 

A key element of the programme is providing a space to connect, share experiences and feel part of a community. Members often reflected on the validation, acceptance and support offered by the group. 

“Group thinking is helpful” 

“A safe space, no judgments” 

“I don’t feel like I have to edit myself here” 

  

We recognise and validate the impact of complex mental health difficulties on daily life. By offering structures, theory and a safe environment to think about the relationship between occupation (all the things people do with their time) and health, we provide an alternative perspective that leads to positive change: 

“The theory applies in all the bits of life 

“Made me think and look at my choices differently” 

“You can see the change and what works for you” 

“I think about everything differently” 

  

When asked for an overview of their experience, members said: 

“I’ve found it one of the best courses I have done over the many years I’ve been treated” 

“The most useful group I’ve ever taken part in.” 

“Group thinking with professional oversight, guidance and support” 

 “Recognising that there are knots in life, but that life moves on” 

  

 What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an organisation?  

Our biggest challenge is funding suitable venues. We talk often at the group about the importance of the physical and social spaces we spend time in as creating support or barriers to our occupational engagement. As a consequence, we strive to find community venues that are accessible, friendly, spacious and nice to be in so that the values of the group can be mirrored in the physical space. We have some great venues which we love but the cost of these can be difficult to manage as a small organisation. We would also like to be able to offer more individual support as part of the group programmes but again, costs of venue and staff restricts what we are able to offer. 

  

How is your organisation preparing for the future, and what kind of funding is needed? 

We are continuing to work closely with the Transforming Mental Health Grants and Leeds Community Foundation support teams with the hope that we can continue this relationship. In addition, we are developing a series of Workplace Wellbeing Workshops  for private businesses, larger third sector organisations and the wider corporate space with the aim of increasing our profit generating arm of Shore-Up CIC.