We have hit the £500 target and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has donated - but let’s keep pushing!! The more money we get the bigger the difference we can make!! 

For over a decade our service users have had their treatment at Magdalene House. This is the place where our clients come to feel safe, form a healthy community and get better. However, during this time, whilst we have given all of our love and compassion to our service users, the same cannot be said for our building. I began my time as the service manager for Exeter, East and Mid in April of this year and one of the things I swore to do is to change the environment for our service users. I want a place that my staff can feel proud and a place where our service users want to come to. Earlier this year we asked our service users how they want the building to be decorated and this has informed our plans below.

At the heart of this is the absolute necessity to make our building Trauma Informed. The majority of our service users use substances to heal the hurt that past traumas have caused them. The model for Trauma-informed care acknowledges the need to understand our service users life experiences in order to deliver effective care and has the potential to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes and staff wellness. To put it simply our white walls and clinical interior is not the environment setting to get the best out of our service users. 

We have set a goal to create a new environment in Magdalene House that is warm, welcoming and demonstrates a safe environment which provides safe and private spaces. Recognising that the physical environment has an impact on attitude, mood, and behaviour, and that there is a strong link between our physiological state, our emotional state, and the physical environment.

What we need: 

A new colour scheme - To begin, an important factor to consider is the use of colour throughout the interior. Cool colours such as blue, green, purple are known to have a calming effect; lighter-coloured rooms are perceived as more open, less crowded and described as more “spatially available”, providing the feeling of a safer and more calming space

Plants, Flowers and Greenery for each room- The use of plants can be decorative and recent research shows settings which include vegetation can reduce stress, promote peace and tranquillity, enhance self-esteem and a sense of mastery of the environment.

Frames and canvas for service user artwork and creative writing

Outdoor seating for clients with dogs 

Outdoor plants 

Art 

Soft lighting 

New furniture 

Where you come in:

We are a charity and excess money for decorating is not something we have access to. So in light of this we are fundraising from 23/07/2022 until 30/07/20122 and you can help us by donating via our just giving page, by buying a raffle ticket for one of our amazing donated prizes, by popping in to see us at one of our bake sales in Magdalene house and The Co Lab on Wednesday 27th July or visiting us In Exeter city centre for our main fundraising event.

So please help us and spread the word and help to end the stigma of addiction and help us create an environment that does not ask our service users what is wrong with you but instead asks what happened to you and how can we help.

                               From Lauren Smith