Make A Difference Tavistock

Make A Difference is a mental health charity and wellbeing hub in Tavistock, providing friendship, activities, and support for the local community in a relaxed, café-style hub. The charity supports people who need help, by providing a quiet room, a listening ear and practical advice to guide them through some of the difficulties of living with a mental illness. Make A Difference also aims to raise awareness about mental health issues, and encourage everyone to talk about them openly, since most people will encounter situations in their lifetime which could affect their mental health. The charity has put together a wealth of online resources which anyone can refer to with information about various common mental health disorders, how they affect people, and some of the signs and symptoms to be aware of, as well as self-help videos, helplines, other mental health charities, and further online resources.

Make A Difference was started in 2005 by Sandy Edney, a mental health social worker, Fie Mason, an occupational therapist, and several of their patients, to create a place, where people dealing with mental health issues could come together and chat over a drink in an informal and safe setting. Initially the group met in the café at Tavistock United Reformed Church, and then in 2010 the charity set up a base at Trident House in Taylor Square, enabling it to expand its offering to include music, art and cookery sessions, together with games and internet access. At the start of 2020 the charity moved around the corner to a new home at The Arch Workshops. Shortly afterwards though the pandemic took hold, creating difficulties for most charities with volunteers and members in lockdown and many regular fundraising channels cut off. It was a challenging time for Make A Difference which revolves around creating a friendly, sociable environment where people can meet up – plus the new building was basically a shell in need of a considerable amount of work to create a warm, inviting hub.

Mark Feeney is the charity’s project manager, and he and the previous manager, Mark Rickman, have worked tirelessly to transform the new base into a welcoming venue, fitting new floor-length windows, repainting walls and adding a coffee bar. The facilities also include a cosy quiet/TV room, a well laid-out office area, and an outdoor courtyard area which came in very useful for outdoor meetings during lockdowns, and by now will be filled with pots of flowers, fruit and vegetables, ready for this year’s Tavistock in Bloom. The Make A Difference team has already made huge progress with settling into the new building but there is still massive potential to open up the rest of the space so that it can be used for activities. The charity’s enterprising team of volunteers have a host of plans for future workshops including making clocks, windchimes, and simple musical instruments; Sandy has even recently undertaken a pottery course so she can get the potter’s wheel and kiln up and running. Mark has plans for music sessions, film nights, Saturday morning breakfasts, and a BBQ and music evening in July. The centre also has a variety of woodwork machinery all ready for use, while a stack of mugs and T-shirts sit waiting next to the high-definition laser printing kit, ready for the charity’s new commercial printing service.

Chaired by Dr James Allenby, the charity’s trustees have a wealth of expertise in medical and mental health issues; Sir Geoffrey Cox MP is the charity’s patron, and the charity receives valuable support from a number of local councillors including Debo Sellis and Ursula Mann. However for the charity’s plans to come to fruition, Make A Difference needs more volunteers to help keep the current sessions running, add additional sessions, complete the renovation of its premises and explore fundraising opportunities. When I visited the centre, Linda Worsey from Tavistock Community Printing Group at The Printworks, was showing the group how to make simple lino prints, which everyone very much enjoyed. If you have a skill you would be happy to share with the group and could lead one or more sessions please get in touch. Previous fundraising has included many events, from a sponsored freefall tandem jump, to an auction of pledges. However fundraising is a continual process and if you could help with funding applications, or organising fundraising events then please get in touch. Alternatively, you can make a donation via the PayPal Giving Fund link on the website.

You don’t need a diagnosis, referral or appointment to access mental health support and friendship at Make a Difference on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 12pm until 4pm at The Arch Workshops, Taylor Square, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0DG (under the viaduct). For more information visit makeadifferencetavistock.org or contact 01822 613746 or hello@makeadifferencetavistock.online. For upcoming events see Facebook: Make a Difference.