Milsom Place is proud to support the valuable work of two local charities:
Bath Mind and Art at the Heart of the RUH
Bath Mind is a local and independent mental health charity, working at the heart of the community in Bath & North East Somerset.
Providing mental health and wellbeing support to individuals, Bath Mind offer both both 1:1 and group services across B&NES. The charity exists to make sure anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn for advice and support.
Bath Mind was established in 1998 by a group of local people with lived experience of mental ill health who wanted to provide information and activities for people in the community. Since then they have worked hard to develop what they do in response to local needs. Many of their current staff have lived experience of facing mental health challenges; they have a greater understanding of the community that they support.
They are in contact with over 3,400 people annually to improve, prevent and maintain mental health and wellbeing. While they are affiliated to national Mind, they receive no direct funding from them. They are a self–sustaining, independent locally run charity.
What does Bath Mind do?
• Befriending Service – supports adults (16+) needing regular telephone contact if they are feeling lonely or isolated, anxious or have low mood.
• Counselling – an affordable counselling service for individuals looking to benefit from talking therapies.
• Breathing Space Service – both a face-to-face and telephone service, offering calm, non-clinical support for individuals experiencing or at risk of a mental health crisis.
• Wellbeing Groups – supporting hundreds of people across B&NES in creating new connections and support systems.
• Supported Housing – a 24-hour supported house, accommodating eight people and a ‘wellbeing house’, a community partnership service.
• Supported Living – including 1:1 Community Support service, Intensive Outreach service and Welfare Benefit Service.
• Support for Young People – youth-specific services support young people across Bath & North East Somerset access both 1:1 and group support for their mental health and wellbeing.
What impact do they have?
Bath Mind’s vision is of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all and treats people with experience of mental ill health fairly, positively and with respect.
They are here to promote and nurture everyone’s mental health through the provision of information, activities, advice and support.
You can find out more about Bath Mind here.
An art and design programme in an acute health care setting.
The Royal United Hospital is an institution that touches the lives of many in and around Bath.
Art at the Heart brings together the wealth of artistic talent found in the area with an art and design programme that stimulates healing and well-being and creates an uplifting environment for patients, visitors and staff.
They favour a non-institutional, patient-centred approach which reaches on average 200,000 people per year through exhibitions, workshops, performances and design.
What does Art at the Heart do?
• Provides the RUH with Bath’s largest and most accessible gallery space, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Hosts patient-led art workshops run by their Artist in Residence on the Children’s and Older Patient Wards.
• Delivers a professional live public music programme.
• Hosts creative reminiscence workshops based on the Older Patient Wards.
• Oversees a fully inclusive music service run by their Musician in Residence.
• Integrates artworks and design into new builds and refurbishments.
What impact do they have?
Art at the Heart is always creating new opportunities for patients, visitors and staff to experience and participate in the arts. Good healthcare delivered alongside stimulating art and environmental design can have a significant effect on medical outcomes.
It has been proven to:
• Reduce stress and anxiety.
• Reduce pain.
• Improve sleep quality.
• Lower infection control.
• Improve patient and staff satisfaction as well as self-esteem.
• Reduce costs by supporting clinical staff.