News

North London Forensic Collaborative small grants programme for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations has awarded 17 grants to date to organisations working across the boroughs of north central London, north east London and north west London. More funding is available to community projects that help improve health and wellbeing, promote recovery, inclusion and quality of life for people who use inpatient and community mental health forensic services.

Studio 306 Collective is a non-profit social enterprise that provides creative art activities, for individuals recovering from severe and enduring mental illness, at their Wood Green Makers Workshop:  Studio 306 Collective CIC – Recovery Through Creativity

Using their grant, Studio 306 delivered two 8-week art and craft workshop classes, led by specialist tutors, for 15 people. Participants benefitted from attendance in silver jewellery making, sewing, screen printing and ceramic modelling classes where they could put their creative skills to use, and try new art activities in a welcoming, safe, non-judgemental workshop space.

One participant said: “I’d recommend this course to anyone. It’s really therapeutic, you get to work at your own pace with the right amount of support from the staff.”

Studio 306 specialist tutors and a mental health professionals aimed to  support participants to regain life skills to help their transition back into their local community, listened to their daily life challenges, helping to resolve any issues so that they had free time to concentrate, focus and improve their own health and wellbeing, become more self-confident and independent

Two of NLFC’s Community Connectors, who have lived experience of using forensic services visited Studio 306 as part of our grants evaluation process and told us: “Everyone was really friendly, all the tutors had lots of experience and were really engaging with service users. It’s really important to fund projects that get people engaged, keep people busy and projects that are therapeutic.”

Pamela, Studio 306 Project Manager said, “the grant supported a collaborative delivery model for vulnerable adults who would not have had this learning opportunity. Participants were able to learn social skills and mix whilst respecting each other's space. Benefit was expression of ‘pure pleasures’ by beneficiaries' when seeing a finished handmade product.”

To find out about our NLFC VCFSE grant programme or apply for a grant visit:
Working with VCFSEs | North London Mental Health Partnership

Contact: Sarah Avery, Marketing and Communications Lead, Email sarah.avery4@nhs.net
Visit: North London Forensic Collaborative | North London Mental Health Partnership