AVEVA’s Action for Good Programme marks Mental Health Awareness Week with support for Lifecraft’s essential Services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Cambridge-headquartered AVEVA, will mark Mental Health Awareness Week (10th-16th May 2021) by collaborating with Lifecraft, in the ramp of up its mental health support services in the local community. Lifecraft offers a wide range of free mental health services to help and support its members in their wellbeing and recovery. These include creative activities, recovery groups, social activities, counselling and employment and volunteering opportunities.
Lifecraft also provides a suicide bereavement support service, and Lifeline, a telephone helpline that runs 365 days a year. It believes that people who have experienced mental health difficulties are best placed to help others in the same position, that is why all their services are user-led and designed to promote recovery and empowerment. During the pandemic, Lifecraft has scaled up significantly in order to meet demand, extending working hours, and bringing in additional workers to support the community. Today, Lifecraft has over 800 Members and each year the charity supports over 200 different people with mental health issues. In addition, Lifeline took over 6,000 calls last year, which is over double the number of calls taken the previous year.
To date, AVEVA and Lifecraft have partnered to provide:
Marketing, Social Media, Communications and Human Resources (HR) services and expertise as the Lifecraft team grows in number
Laptops and IT Services for Lifecraft staff and volunteers, enabling them to respond more quickly to community needs
Funding of Lifecraft’s CRM System to enable the charity to work more efficiently and reach out more effectively for funding and volunteer recruitment
“We are delighted that AVEVA has chosen to support our organisation and in turn its local community, especially as this vital support has been in high demand since February 2020, when the UK was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented Gemma Barron, Chief Executive Officer, Lifecraft. “Widespread bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones and many people have faced increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety. The work that we carry out at Lifecraft is increasingly being seen as an essential community support service and for that reason contributions from organizational programs like Action for Good have now become a much-needed necessity.”
“I have been so proud to be part of AVEVA’s partnership with Lifecraft over the last year. I have seen our employees across many AVEVA teams find a way to share their experience and skills which has created a partnership between our two organisations which benefits all those involved. Lifecraft and AVEVA, although very different organisations share some common values which make this partnership so successful! I am proud to be involved in both these great organisations and look forward to how we can develop our relationship and continue to learn from each other,” commented Clare Bye, SVP Global Human Resources.
“Servicing our local community is always first and foremost on our minds and therefore it is no real surprise that AVEVA employees, through Action for Good, have chosen to support Lifecraft. From cleaning beaches and waterways to building houses and playgrounds, Action for Good harnesses the collective goodwill of our people who have embraced it even more during these particularly challenging times. Our teams are excited and motivated to help make a difference in the local community by supporting people whose daily lives are burdened with issues related to mental health difficulties as they embark on their day to day lives,” commented James Kidd, Deputy CEO and CFO at AVEVA and Executive Sponsor for Action for Good.
There will be many more opportunities to partner with Lifecraft throughout 2021 and beyond, such as the Cambridge Half Marathon, where AVEVA will be a sponsor supporting Lifecraft. To access Lifecraft's services (excluding Lifeline and the Suicide Bereavement Support Service) interested people need to become members. To find out more about becoming a Lifecraft member please visit their membership page or contact them directly.
About Lifecraft
Lifecraft is a user-led organization for adults in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area who have experience of mental health difficulties in their lives. We offer a wide range of free mental health services to help and support our Members in their wellbeing and recovery. Our services include creative activities, recovery groups, social activities, counselling and employment and volunteering opportunities. We also have a suicide bereavement support service, and Lifeline, a telephone helpline that runs 365 days a year. Lifecraft believes people who have experienced mental health difficulties are best placed to help others in the same position. Therefore, all our services are user-led and are designed to promote recovery and empowerment. To access Lifecraft's services visit: https://lifecraft.org.uk.