Brighton LGBT mental health charity is out for an award

Helen Jones has been involved with LGBT mental health charity MindOut since it started and now its work is being recognised. Frank le Duc reports

Helen Jones was working for the mental health charity Mind in Brighton and Hove when she embarked on a project with the Gay Switchboard – now known as the Brighton and Hove LGBT Switchboard. It involved looking at the mental health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community in the area. And it led to an application for funds from Comic Relief.

She led the resulting project, MindOut, and said: “At the time we didn’t know what those needs might be but over the years it has snowballed in line with knowing more about those needs. And we are more known which has helped. When we became independent from Mind about 18 months ago, that’s when I became director as opposed to project manager.” Her chief executive-style role means more responsibility.

Helen, 53, trained as a psychiatric nurse before coming to Brighton in 1984 to study for her degree in social anthropology at Sussex University. She has since also trained as a psychotherapist. Her skills have stood her in good stead as MindOut has grown. Now the charity has been recognised by the first National Diversity Awards with a shortlisting in the category for Best LGBT Community Group. At time of going to press, she and her staff were yet to find out if they have won.

If MindOut wins, she said, “the award would be a fantastic acknowledgment of MindOut’s pioneering mental health work developed by and for LGBT people who have experience of mental health issues, as well as recognising how important mental health is in LGBT communities.”

She added: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award as it’s a fantastic opportunity to spread awareness of LGBT mental health issues and MindOut’s work in this vital area. Our staff, volunteers and service users would love us to win.”

Over the past 13 years the charity, which operates out of Community Base in Queen’s Road, Brighton, has worked locally and nationally. It provides peer support, advocacy, training and anti-stigma campaigns. An independent report last year highlighted the “double stigma” suffered by some people in the LGBT community with metal health problems.

All MindOut’s services are non-judgmental, independent and empowering. And those who use its services are involved in all aspects of planning, designing and promoting them. Helen said that MindOut also provided training to organisations from all over the country and consultancy to groups wanting to run similar services.

She said: “Everyone who works for the organisation has experience – lived experience – of mental health issues. Our services are run with a high level of user participation.”
Last year there were 535 distinct interventions, she said, as MindOut worked with 350 individuals. Some people asked for information or advice and took up no more than half an hour of a member of staff’s time. “Others need a lot more support,” Helen said. That help, advice and support was provided by six workers, who are mostly part-time, and four volunteers.

“We provide a lot of information and support for people who are trying to negotiate their way through mental health services in the city. We’re often a first port of call for many people. We run support groups, some of them specifically aimed.”

After years of growing organically and quietly building a local reputation, MindOut is stepping into the awards spotlight. The awards themselves have attracted endorsements from celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Ade Adepitan and the stars of My Transsexual Summer and Paralympians such as Jody Cundy, Claire Hardy and Danny Crates.

The aim of the awards is to showcase the efforts of those who have shown outstanding devotion to enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion. MindOut is on a shortlist of three. Whether or not it picks up a prize, its success is felt most keenly week in week out in Brighton and Hove by those most in need of its services.

MindOut can be contacted on 01273 234839. www.mindout.org.uk

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