Aberdeen Foyer

Aberdeen Foyer’s Impact Project aimed to continue delivering, developing and expanding their successful self management project enabling individuals living with long term mental health conditions to move from a state of isolation to one where they are living their life well and on their own terms. The organisation aspired to use previous learning gained over the last two years to shape the future of Impact and influence service delivery to embed a self management approach across Grampian.

Throughout the five years the project received funding from the ALLIANCE, Aberdeen Foyer expanded service delivery and engagement opportunities and involved individuals in a variety of self management sessions such as Thai Chi, healthy walks, museum tours and in creative writing sessions to name a few. By giving all group members the skills to lead meetings, the groups could self-lead a variety of sessions and external groups, empowering individuals to ‘be in the driving seat’ and, therefore, to establish what works best for them in living well. Two of these self-run groups are a book group and a craft group.

Aberdeen Foyer also created opportunities to influence and inspire key stakeholders to understand and appreciate the benefits of lived experience and the importance of involving people in the design, delivery and evaluation of services across the wider partnership. Furthermore, by increasing community links, the project created sustainable activities and opportunities in the local community and linked local people with businesses, the local authority and community groups.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Impact Project continued to support those who are digitally excluded by providing digital devices for those without one, along with providing digital support and training where needed. Over six months, the funding was found to provide an additional five laptops to Impact group members, allowing more individuals to access the virtual Impact group activities and virtual community groups activities outwith the project.

This summary is by no means exhaustive of all the fantastic self management engagements and projects Aberdeen Foyer undertook during their five years of funding. You can find more detailed information of their work by visiting their website, here (this link will take you away from our website) or keeping up to date with their newsletters, here (this link will take you away from our website).

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