We’d like to say a huge thank-you to David Down, the former Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne, who chose Everyturn Mental Health as one of two charities to fundraise for during his time in office.
Now that his term is complete, David and his wife Barbara popped by our head office to make his donation – a grand total of £1,350! The funds were raised through a variety of events, including an afternoon tea and the annual Lord Mayor’s Christmas Charity Dinner.
David specified that he would like his donation to go to Moving Forward, one of our community and wellbeing services. Moving Forward helps people who have experienced mental ill-health to get back on their feet, by supporting them to regain skills, confidence, and self-belief.
Michael, a member of Moving Forward, described the impact that the service has had on his life:
‘For the first time, I felt like I was making a contribution – not just to society, but to other people’s lives – and that I had a purpose again. It gave me back hope. It gave me that belief that the future could be better than the present was.’
The team at Moving Forward link members up with a range of groups and classes, as well as offering a variety of courses to help people to gain new skills, brush up on previous knowledge, or take steps towards getting back to work.
Thank you to David for such a generous donation – it will make a real impact on the lives of Moving Forward members!