A leading Oxfordshire mental health charity has received a significant boost at the start of the year after being backed by a group of local business leaders and directors.
Response, which is based in Littlemore, has been named Charity of the Year by the Frilford group of OpenDoorz, a local business networking organisation. The appointment will provide the charity with new opportunities to fundraise, build partnerships and raise awareness of its work among Oxfordshire’s business community.
Response is the county’s largest independent mental health charity and supports thousands of people each year across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
Working with individuals aged 11 and over, the charity focuses on supporting people living with serious mental illness and complex needs to live as independently as possible. Its services include supported housing alongside preventative care designed to reduce the need for crisis intervention.
As Charity of the Year, Response’s senior leadership team will be able to engage directly with OpenDoorz members, who represent a wide range of sectors and professional expertise.
The partnership will also create opportunities for the charity to showcase its work and explain how it supports people with complex mental health challenges to live fulfilling lives.
Emma Murphy, Associate Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications at Response, said: “We’re really grateful to OpenDoorz and its Frilford Group for this nomination.
“Having the opportunity to fundraise and develop strong relationships with Oxfordshire’s most connected business leaders is a huge opportunity for Response during a critical period.”
She highlighted rising demand for mental health services, citing British Medical Association data showing that 25 per cent of young people aged 17 to 19 and more than 17 per cent of eight to 16-year-olds live with a mental disorder. Among adults, the proportion living with a mental health issue has risen from 17.6 per cent in 2007 to 22.6 per cent today.
“Put simply, demand for statutory and community mental health services is increasing and, in many cases, demand is outstripping supply,” she added, stressing the importance of early intervention and supported housing in preventing crises and supporting recovery.
OpenDoorz Frilford Associate Director Caroline O’Connor said: “It’s why Response resonated so strongly with our members, and we’re so pleased to welcome the charity into our group in recognition of the outstanding work its team delivers locally.”
Alongside the new partnership, Response has launched Challenge28, a February fundraising initiative encouraging participants to complete 28 miles in a way that suits them, raising awareness of the growing pressures on mental health services.
