Work is due to begin on new mental health and wellbeing hub for Norwich

Published 21/12/21

Work is due to begin on the refurbishment of Churchman House, a Grade I listed property owned by Norwich City Council.  The site will become a much-needed Community Wellbeing Hub, run by local mental health charity Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

The works, which are being delivered by NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and head landlord, NHS Property Services, will include the creation of a drop-in emotional support service and a mental health café on the ground floor of the property.  Due to the historical significance of the building, contractors will also be undertaking a small amount of restorative works, including the replacement of floor coverings, repairing windows and general redecoration.

The establishment of this facility comes as part of the CCG’s wider mental health strategy, with it allocating £7.4m of funding for 2020-21 to bolster and transform mental health services locally.  Separate to this is an investment of £1.1m for the continued development and transformation of children and young people’s mental health services.

At the site, Norfolk and Waveney Mind will deliver a range of services, including a daytime hub, evening crisis service and telephone support line. This provision is part of a larger effort to improve access to mental health support locally.  In addition, Norfolk and Waveney Mind will deliver a strong digital offering, where local people can access information, advice, support and find out about local events and resources within the community.

Paul Cross, Regional Partnership Director, East of England at NHS Property Services, said: “We are delighted to have helped deliver this fantastic project in conjunction with the CCG and Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

Whilst the nature of the work on the site has been very complex, due to the building’s heritage status, we hope that this newly refurbished facility will provide local people with a pleasant and fitting environment to access mental health support for years to come.”

Philip Eke, CEO, Norfolk and Waveney Mind, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract to deliver much needed accessible support in conjunction with the CCG and will include an array of other stakeholder organisations.

As a local mental health charity and provider of a broad range of crisis support and care services, we at Norfolk and Waveney Mind understand the importance of the Community Wellbeing Hub in providing local people, experiencing mental distress or crisis, with the support they need. The hub will be a safe and welcoming environment, designed to promote empowerment and self-care, reduce social isolation and focus on wellness rather than illness.”