Mind in Kingston

Who we are

Mind in Kingston is a registered charity that supports people with mental health issues with a wide range of services in and around Kingston Upon Thames. Founded in 1972, the charity is user-led and offers recovery-focused services, campaigns on mental health issues, engages widely with beneficiaries, and works with the local community to reduce stigma and discrimination.

Mind in Kingston is an independently funded charity affiliated to national Mind; a partner of Southwest London Minds; and a member of Mind in London.

We provide a diverse range of community support offers — including prevention services, therapeutic interventions, advocacy, peer support, group activities, outreach events, mental health training, and campaigns to influence change. We work closely with other organisations to ensure we deliver high-quality and impactful services to people in the local area.

Our overall aim is to improve the mental health of people in and around the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames by providing a range of services that offer support, advice, information, and signposting. We also promote better understanding and raise awareness of mental health issues, as well as reduce stigma. We do this by:

• Empowering
• Improving services and support
• Acceptance
• Enabling social participation
• Providing trusted networks
• Removing inequality of opportunity

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Our Mission:

• Our mission is to advance the views, needs, and ambitions of people with mental health problems, and to challenge discrimination and promote inclusion.
• We will influence policy and promote equal rights through campaigning and education.
• We strive to develop innovative quality services which reflect expressed need and diversity.
• In all our work we promote our vision and core values.

Our culture and values

Our Vision:

We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect.

Our Values:

• Open - We reach out to anyone who needs us.
• Together - We're stronger in partnerships.
• Responsive - We listen, we act.
• Independent - We speak out fearlessly.
• Unstoppable - We never give up.

We strongly believe in involving our beneficiaries in our services and adhere to these principles in all out work. Beneficiaries:

• Are involved in the development, management, and improvement of our services.
• Are treated with respect and dignity.
• Have their strengths, as well as needs, acknowledged.
• Receive support in determining their choice of services.
• Are treated fairly and without discrimination.

In addition, the following principles underpin all out work:

• Autonomy - both for the charity which is independent and for those who use our services to have their 'self-governance' respected.
• Equality - embracing diversity and ensuring equality of opportunity for all.
• Knowledge - for service users to make informed choices, and the charity to offer sound and up-to-date information, as well as informing decision-makers on many areas relating to mental health and what service users want and experience.
• Active participation - recognising, supporting, and using the skills people with lived experience of mental health needs.
• Respect - working with an empathetic, non-judgemental, and person-centred approach to deliver services.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Our team is passionate about improving mental health and wellbeing, often due to their own experiences, whether personal or professional. We offer our team a safe and non-judgemental space to work, encourage their participation in the development of our charity, and have a strong ethos of openness, diversity, dignity, respect, and inclusion for all.

Mind in Kingston is fully committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring that people accessing our services are treated equally and with respect and dignity, and that our charity and services are inclusive and reflective of our local community. We have appointed an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead, who is one of our Trustees.