Gloucestershire group campaigns for wellbeing centre in former hospital

The community group wants to improve mental health provision

Author: Alice SmithPublished 12th Sep 2024

A Gloucestershire community group is campaigning to turn an old hospital into a wellbeing centre.

Cindeford's Dilke Memorial Hospital has been empty since the beginning of this year when it was replaced by a new 25 million pound hospital.

Lisa Harris help set up the campaign and tells us why they're calling for a new mental health facility:

"For me, I believe there's just not enough mental health services anywhere in the UK.

"You've got a lot of telephone lines, but the problem with that is, when you're at the depths of despair, the last thing you want to do is speak to a faceless person," she says.

"You really want somewhere you can go that's a safe space - where you can feel safe."

Lisa says the group have ambitions plans for the centre:

"We'd actually like to make it a big facility where we can have breath workshops, yoga, meditation, as well as craft workshops - and also have a wellbeing side.

"Because the first thing to go when you're struggling with your mental health is your own self-care," she says.

But, reaching the fundraising target is still a long way off.

"At the moment that side of things is a little bit slower. We've raised about £500, but we've got an awfully long way to go," says Lisa.

"I've been told that we're looking at around £850,000 to buy the building. Then it's going to take refurbishment of £1.5 - 2 million. So at the moment, we're way off.

"But as more people become aware of the campaign, we're getting more and more donations."

Aside from donations, Lisa says local charities have shown an interest in getting involved in the project:

"We've got three or four different charitable organisations, who are keen to work alongside us, and have said that, if we can get the building, they'd be keen to rent offices and to work within what we're trying to do."

Lisa says the group won't back down from all the challenges they face.

"We're just going to keep trying until it's actually sold. And even then we won't give up on a mental health/wellbeing centre because it's so needed," she says.

"We'll keep going and find another location if we have to."

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