A Christmas fundraiser for a Sheffield mental health charity welcomed hundreds through their doors last week.
Sheffield Flourish who organised the event to support those who are struggling with their wellbeing in a bid to raise funds to ensure they can carry on providing a service for their users.
Around 250 people bought a ticket which was held at SADACCA in Castlegate, last Thursday (8 December) raising over £2500.
Managing Director of Sheffield Flourish, Josie Soutar, said: “We wanted to have a really fun event, one we’d want to go to ourselves, so that people could forget all their worries for the night whilst raising money for the organisation.”
The organisation, which was established in 2012, runs activity-based groups for people struggling with mental health issues, including arts, theatre, music and football.
This was the first official fundraining event hosted by the organisation, in a bid to to give something in return to donors, during the cost of living crisis.
Ms Soutar said: “It’s particularly tough at the minute when everyone’s feeling the pinch.”The funds will go towards heating Flourish’s main building, maintaining their digital resources, and equipment for their support groups.
Guests took part in a pub quiz and raffle and live music was provided hip-hop/Afro-fusion emcee Franz Von, as well as the 40-piece, female-identifying local choir Neighbourhood Voices.
Ms Soutar said: “The event has proved to us that there’s a good feeling amongst the mental health community that we could put on a bigger, better event.”
Gina Walters, founder of Neighbourhood Voices, told Sheffield Wire Flourish contactedher several months ago, to get her involved in the Christmas event.
She said: “Sheffield Flourish has a very tight-knit community – very creative and artistic. We all need to look out for each other as a community, look after ourselves and rest, and prioritise mental health.”
The Sheffield Mental Health Guide, run by the organisation, is an online directory where users can find all local services and support groups targeted at any mental health condition they struggle with.
The guide, which reaches 85,000 people, is currently targeted at adults, but from next year the charity aims to expand this resource to cover services for people of all ages.
Flourish, which is run by a core team of eight part-time staff, aims to ‘support people to use their skills, ideas and talent to build the lives they want.’
The organisation has already been approached by venues in the city to plan further fundraising events, which are likely to happen during summer 2023.
