Restore mental health charity chief: 'we are still poor relation'

A serious lack of funding for mental health services in recent years means the support offered by charities and volunteers is more vital than ever before.

Founded in 1977, East Oxford charity Restore is one of the longest established services in the UK, providing help to those living with mental health issues to take control of their recovery, often teaching them new skills in the process, including horticulture, woodwork and other crafts.

Restore CEO Lesley Dewhurst has been at the charity since 2017 and was recently one of the loudest voices to speak out against £1.6m worth of proposed county council cuts to mental health services in Oxfordshire.

The council has since scrapped £1m of the budget reduction.

File photo of a volunteer working at the Restore Cafe off Cowley Road.

However, Mrs Dewhurst, who has lived in Oxford since 1985, said despite the council u-turn, the serious lack of funding in mental health continues to limit and prohibit support to those that need it most.

The 58-year-old, who has 30 years experience in the charity sector, said: “I’ve only been at Restore for 18 months, so I feel at the start of a long journey here in many ways.

“Initially, the priority was to make sure the organisation is financially stable and structurally sound.

Read again: County council makes dramatic u-turn on mental health cuts

“We have made excellent progress in this area and are now thinking more widely about how we improve and develop our services.

“Oxfordshire as an area receives the lowest government funding for mental health per capita in the country.

“There is a funding disparity between mental and physical health – mental health services are still the poor relation.

“We were really pleased that Oxfordshire County Council heard this message loud and clear last month, and as a result of Restore’s campaigning with others, have taken out a proposed £1m cut to mental health services.

“However, our services are still underfunded and we continue to make this point as powerfully as we can in a variety of ways and to a variety of audiences.”

As well as battling for improved funding, Mrs Dewhurst said the charity, with others, must also continue to challenge the stigma attached to mental health, opening up services to as diverse a population as possible (ethnicity, gender, social background) and making sure that as wide a population as possible are able to benefit from the training the charity offers.

Read also: New mental health safe haven opens in East Oxford

Growing up in Portsmouth, Mrs Dewhurst developed a passion for the arts, leading her to eventually move to London to study English Literature at the University of London.

After spending time working in theatre as an actor and stage manager, a natural curiosity about the human mind and a desire to see people’s lives enhanced by the creative process eventually drew her to the charity sector.

She said: “I love the way that human beings are so different. I find great joy in helping people to develop - either as staff members, volunteers or service users.

“I find their life stories so interesting and learn so much from the people I come across.

“I’d hate to be working in a field that didn’t interest me – and the charity sector is endlessly fascinating. It’s never boring.”

Looking back on her career to date Mrs Dewhurst said “I have been working in the charity sector for 30 years now.

“I have always worked with people who have different vulnerabilities – homelessness, substance misuse, offending and mental ill health.

“My experiences as a front line worker for Elmore Community Services was fundamental in learning about the diversity of problems experienced by people who cross over all of these client groups.

“Over the years, I had always been aware of Restore – indeed, in other roles, I have referred people to Restore and seen them benefit from the services on offer which has helped them flourish and grow.

“So, when the opportunity came to lead Restore’s services as chief executive, I was thrilled to take it with both hands.”

However, the nature of the work means often dealing with society’s most vulnerable which Mrs Dewhurst said can be challenging on an emotional level.

“The nature of the problems that our service users experience can provoke great pain and misery – as well as joy. We are brought back to life’s fundamentals on a daily basis,” she said.

File photo of fundraisers hosting an event at the Restore Cafe.

“But then talking to them and hearing first-hand about the effect our services have had on their lives – meeting them in the street a few months later and hearing how they are flourishing elsewhere and moving on with their lives, is very rewarding.”

Restore is part of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, which sees the charity work with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire Mind and other organisations, to offer a more cohesive service for those with mental health issues in the county.

And Mrs Dewhurst said it was this idea of integrated working that was essential to the success of the future of mental health support.

Read again: One in ten GP patients in Oxfordshire has depression

She said: “One of the main priorities is to make sure that health and social care services are as joined up as possible.

“For third sector organisations to be treated as equal partners by the public sector.”

Restore intends to continue to grow its services across Oxfordshire to provide support to as many people as possible, and later this month will be holding a fundraising charity auction with actor Jeremy Irons.

However, the priorities going forward for the charity are, according to Mrs Dewhurst to simply ‘listen and to respond’.

Visit www.restore.org.uk