With the funding from Berkshire Community Foundation they have been able to significantly support their beneficiaries by running 60 events, comprising of 19 in-person meetings, 24 informal in-person coffee mornings and 17 online zoom meetings. Speakers attended the meetings and explored topics including mindfulness, emotional first aid, nutrition and nature as well as gardening.

All the activities are user led and the community group is always ready to listen to their user’s needs and make changes as necessary to maximise their benefit from the service. The organisation has strong links with other community organisations in the area. They keep in touch with the local council and local volunteer action group to learn about other initiatives that align with their aims.

Throughout the project Depression Xpression was able to support 90 individuals, one beneficiary journey was shared with BCF.

 ‘John has suffered from depression for many years and was in the process of getting a diagnosis for ME at the start of the project. He moved to live with his parents during lockdown and was unable to leave the house for more than a short walk. He found Depression Xpression Zoom meetings to be a lifeline during this period – he was a regular attendee and was able to share the details of his ongoing issues with other people who had empathy for how he was feeling. The regular meetings helped improve his confidence and gave him social interaction that was otherwise missing in his life. More recently, John has been able to attend some in-person meetings and has told us how much the group has helped him and lifted his spirits at difficult times.’