We find ourselves in unprecedented times and need your help and support more than ever before. The current crisis has meant all our traditional fundraising activities for 2020 have had to be cancelled and the wonderful local businesses that usually support us by hosting our collection tins have been unable to do this.

The impact has been felt across the whole charity and across communities we support and we must ensure we can continue to develop and expand our areas of work for the future. In the last 6 months we have seen a 400% increase in referrals to some of our services and reports of depression almost doubling based on this time last year.

Despite all of this, since March 2020 we have not stopped! Remaining as proactive as possible whilst helping as many people as we can.

We have worked in a rapid and innovative way to redesign our mental wellbeing training programme. 'Connect 5 - Live Online' has already started to create a ripple of change across Greater Manchester using Zoom to deliver the training, stage one has seen 40 courses delivered with over 700 people accessing the training in the last 5 months.

"I am new to a role where mental health issues exist, found the content was good for a beginner like myself and the more experienced members on the module. Found it very educational and thought provoking and look forward to Module 3." Jane Age UK

"A very interesting and thought provoking session. Lots of ideas and tools to help promote wellbeing. Thank you." Phillip Active Tameside

Our Tameside Buddy Project has seen an increase in referrals of 442% with dedicated support provided to over 150 of the most socially isolated people locally. We have learned there is ever increasing demand for this service and want to provide much more support.

"My buddy has been helpful and really lovely to talk to."

"How lovely it is to hear cheerful voice on the end of the phone line, when you haven't spoken to anyone in 7 days. It makes such a difference to your day."

Our counselling service has had over 150 new clients start with us since lockdown and we have adapted to provide on-line and telephone counselling sessions. All our final year placement counsellors have been supported in providing remote counselling so that they could complete their training/qualifications. We have developed a new relationship with the Manchester University, providing and supporting their doctorate students with the opportunity to practice remotely during the lockdown period and continued to provide sign posting, support and referral information to over 400 individual people.

We have delivered over 65 individual online wellbeing sessions since April. These included: Mindfulness, arts for wellbeing, growing from home, online social sessions and writing for wellbeing.

Lorraine B is a single mum with 2 children who was working from home, then on furlough through lockdown. She joined the mindfulness sessions to learn new skills to manage her stress. She said this about it:

"Mindfulness via Zoom is perfect for helping me to keep focused on finding time for me and reminding me to focus on the here and now. There is still so much going on in lock down ... with home schooling, house work, missing family and friends ... getting together with others via Zoom is helping me to keep in touch and to remind me that mindful moments really do bring calm ... even over the Internet."

Our long-standing relationship with GP surgeries in Oldham meant that we were able to mobilise to a remote service delivery model, via telephone or video call, to ensure that the client journey remained as smooth as possible, especially at a time of such change and uncertainty. As well as continuing to work with our existing clients, we adopted a pro-active approach and reached out to people that we had worked with previously and offered wellbeing calls to those identified as vulnerable by their GP surgery. Many of the people called appreciated the contact and took up the offer of treatment, or a weekly wellbeing call, resulting in an increase in referrals - 545 in June and 961 in July 2020.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our TOG Mind Safe Haven staff have been providing ongoing telephone support for people who present in crisis, offering anxiety management, mindfulness sessions, self-care tools and techniques alongside access to Silvercloud (free online therapy), Early Help and Counselling services. During this time, we have engaged with over 130 clients, supporting those with some of the most complex issues out in the community, coming through A+E and Home Treatment Team pathways. As we emerge as a community from lockdown measures, our Safe Haven staff are looking forward to opening doors again, continuing supporting vulnerable people and providing over-night care that is invaluable to so many experiencing mental health crisis.

Our dedicated work with BAME communities and people with dementia has continued throughout with guidance and support provided through:

Pakistani Community Centre

Indian Association

European Islamic Centre

Anglo West Indian Club

Khazeena Women Group

Carvan-e-Adab

Probash Bangla TV

We have directly linked with over 1500 people from these communities through individual direct support and partnership working with local mosques and temples with ongoing support through WhatsApp groups and social media networks to help peoples overall wellbeing, dispel myths and encourage self-care.

All donations made go directly to Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind to help ensure our continued work and development of new types of support because of Covid-19.

We want to help ensure a future where mental wellbeing is prioritised and people can get the right support at the right time. After 40 years of supporting people and providing training, we need your help to ensure we can continue for another 40.

Your help is hugely appreciated by all at Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind.

Thank you.