Mind the cheque


(l-r) Dee Swinton the charity’s income generation and marketing manager, Emma Regan from Douch Family Funeral Directors, Alexis Stevens, Dorset Mind’s training manager and Nick Douch, managing director of the group

A Dorset mental health charity has received a considerable donation of more than £3,500 from a funeral group.

Douch Family Funeral Directors raised the money at a series of events last year, including an ascent of Mount Snowdon, Halloween Fancy Dress Night and a Cheese and Wine evening.

Nick Douch and Emma Regan presented the cheque to Dee Swinton and Alexis Stevens from Dorset Mind.

The mental health charity has been supporting local people in Dorset for over 70 years with their mental health challenges.

Staff and volunteers from the charity educate, challenge stigma and provide support for peoples of all ages that focuses on education, prevention and recovery towards positive wellbeing.

Although an affiliate of national Mind, the charity generates its own income which means that all donations remain within the county.

Nick Douch, Managing Director of the funeral group, said: “Dorset Mind was our charity of the year for 2018 and our staff really got behind the fundraising.

“We have also made use of the charity’s services by putting our staff through mental health awareness training that also covered trauma and peer support.

“It was hugely beneficial and useful and means our staff know what signs to look out for and what to do.

“We’d encourage all businesses to consider training their workforces.

“We have already begun raising money for this year’s charity: Dementia Friends.”

Dee Swinton, Dorset Mind’s Income Generation and Marketing Manager, said: “We’ve grown incredibly over this last year, which can be attributed to our work with local forward-thinking organisations such as Douch Family Funeral Directors.

“Not only were we their charity of the year which has obvious financial benefits, but we were able to work with their team and raise mental health awareness in a profession that can be very challenging.

“We’re extremely grateful to Douch Family Funeral Directors and the staff in all their branches for their efforts – we’ve had a brilliant time working with them over the course of the year.”

The funeral group has branches in Wimborne, Ferndown, Wareham, Poole, Upton, Wimborne, Swanage, Blandford and Corfe Mullen.

 

 

Note to editors: Douch Family Funeral Directors have been helping families with funeral arrangements for over 100 years. Branches include Douch & Small, A E Jolliffe & Son, Albert Marsh, James Smith, Ives & Shand and Lesley Shand Funeral Service. They’re based in Wimborne, Ferndown, Wareham, Poole, Upton, Wimborne, Swanage, Blandford and Corfe Mullen.

Dorset Mind:

Dorset Mind is a pioneering mental health charity that has been supporting local people with mental health difficulties since 1946. They educate, challenge stigma and provide support towards peoples’ wellbeing and recovery from mental ill health in Dorset.  Although an affiliate of national Mind the charity generates their income and does not receive direct funding from Mind or the high street Mind shops.

Mental health problems can affect anyone: around one in four people will suffer from some form of diagnosable mental health problem during their lifetime. The most common forms of mental health problems are anxiety and depression, but there are many others including bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder.

To discover more about Dorset Mind; their support for mental health in the workplace, their Adult and Young People Recovery services, or to request an interview, please contact them through one of the following means:

Bournemouth Head Office: 8 Stratfield Saye, 20-22 Wellington Road, Bournemouth. Dorset. BH8 8JN.
Dorchester Office: Dorset Mind, c/o Dorchester Volunteer Centre, The Coach House, Acland Road, Dorchester, Dorset. DT1 1EF.
Tel: 01202 315329  Email: contact@dorsetmind.uk Web: www.dorsetmind.uk
Twitter: DorsetMind Facebook: DorsetMindOfficial Instagram: Dorset Mind

 

 

Editor’s Note: For more information please contact: Ed Baker, Deep South Media, on 01202 534487, or Ed Baker on 07788392965.