Kells Connections A periodic news update from The Kelly FoundationJuly 2025 |
| A word from the Chairman…… |
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Welcome to our summer newsletter. I need to apologise for the gap since our previous communication. We have been so busy with clients and fundraising that the Spring just seems to have disappeared before our eyes. We provide a completely free, self-referral support service for clients, and also accept referrals from community health nurses and other professionals. We offer face-to-face counselling and support over the normal working day, five days per week. We also undertake what we describe as a holistic service, which we believe is unique in the Swindon landscape. The charity continues to steadily grow and develop, but we remain ambitious to properly embed ourselves in the local mental health landscape for the long term. money to tackle the epidemic of poor mental health, and in this context, I want to tell you about a new initiative, “FRIENDS OF KELLY”.
Why a “FRIEND OF KELLY”? When alive, Kelly was a friend to so many people, I’d like to ask you now to be a friend to her memory. Most organisations asking for money leave it right to the last sentence, but in our case, we’re going to ask you upfront, if you would consider a regular donation of £6 calendar month to “The Friends of Kelly”. Now, I know this is the price of a pint of beer plus a little, a pricey glass of wine, or 1.5 Costa lattes, and I know many of you donate to other charities. We also realise this adds up and we’re very conscious that all budgets are under pressure right now, but if you have a second or two, I’d like to explain how crucial this service is. Despite a lot of government PR about the money going into mental health services, it doesn’t reach us at the grassroots. We get no statutory help, although paradoxically, we do get a reasonable number of referrals from the NHS in different forms. All of the money we need to run our services, we have to earn through small grants, fundraising events or rely on the generosity of local people who feel as we do, that much more should be done to properly support those in despair. Just out of interest, I checked this week to see how long it would take to see a mental health nurse at my local general practice and I was told the wait time is seven weeks and even after that there is no guarantee of treatment beyond antidepressants. We believe MIND have a six months waiting list, we think that Talking Therapies have waits up to 12 months and PCLS, who manage health service referrals locally, are inundated with clients looking for help. The only way to see somebody quickly is via the crisis service. Suicide, especially male suicide, is above the national average and slowly increasing year on year, and this is an area where we as a charity, are desperate to invest in. There is the private sector of course which is quicker if you can afford £60 per hour, but everything we do is free for clients.
The Kelly Foundation was set up in 2022 in order to provide a listening and support service for those suffering from anxiety, depression, in some cases, bereavement or loneliness but with overarching poor mental health. Whilst a small charity, we help a lot of people in our community and not just with therapy, hypnotherapy, counselling and group sessions. We are a holistic charity, which means uniquely, we try to understand and do something about the causes which may be driving the illness, which can include bereavement, relationship breakdown, domestic violence housing pressures, substance abuse and excessive debt. We work closely with other agencies and we advocate for our clients both in GP surgeries and with the DWP. We attend Magistrate and Crown Court cases where we are mostly act as “McKenzie friends”, but occasionally we are asked to contribute our opinions for the benefit of the court. We also operate a therapeutic café where those recovering from mental health episodes can regain their confidence and self-esteem in a compassionate and empathetic environment. This is home to a number of volunteers from the SEND community and if you come along to use the café any day between 9.30 and 2.00pm, you like us will come to appreciate and love our young people who feel valued and appreciated, in some cases for the first time in their lives. I promise you their determination and commitment is a joy to behold. If you do feel able to become a “Friend of Kelly”, it need not be entirely altruistic as we are endeavouring to offer a modest package of benefits to those who support us.
These will include: Priority reserve seating at all our charity events. Copy of our Annual report and accounts. Regular periodic newsletters updating you on the charities progress. A 50% discount on food and drink in ‘Kells Kitchen’ every Monday. Free coffee and cake at ‘Kells Kitchen’ on your birthday. Free mental health support for you with a guarantee you’ll be seen in three days. A discount on any chargeable specialist mental health support that might be called for. A monthly draw for £250, when “The Friends” exceed 500. Support and advocacy in all areas where the charity has expertise or contacts. We will add to the above list, whenever we can find worthwhile and relevant additions to the benefit package! The direct debit instructions will be managed by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF). The £6 will be taken each month directly from your bank, but you can cease this at any time by either writing to us at info@4kelly.org or to the Charities aid Foundation or of course to your bank, who will cease this direct debit on instructions from you. There will also be a payroll giving facility soon that will enable deductions to be collected by your employer before tax.
We really do hope you will feel able to help us embed the Charity as a permanent feature in the Swindon Community Mental Health landscape. We already cover our basic cost of operation from certain key donors and from fundraising concerts and selective grants … so as a “Friend of Kelly”, your own regular giving will be allocated specifically to providing open-ended support to individuals in despair, who feel they have nowhere else to turn.
If you’d like to visit us any time, see what we’re doing, and learn more about and talk about our future plans, we will be delighted to welcome you to Pinetrees, show you around our facilities and invite you to an astonishingly good latte in the café (and something to go with it, if you’re feeling a little peckish!)
So, if you are inspired to join us, call me on 07836 609369 or message info@kelly.org and we will get a mandate to you at the speed of sound!
John Stooke Chair |
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| We are pleased to announce that Stephen Carr, who recently received the British Citizen Award at the Palace of Westminster in recognition of his contributions to healthcare, has joined the KF board of Trustees . He is founder of Mind Canyon, an organisation that provides mental health and suicide prevention training, which is a key area of future investment for the charity. Steve’s journey in founding Mind Canyon was inspired by his own experiences and these kinds of real life backgrounds characterise so many of the people that work with and alongside us at The Kelly Foundation. After a severe mental health crisis at work left him homeless, he walked the length of Great Britain to raise awareness about mental health issues. Since 2016, Steve has delivered more than 200 mental health and suicide first aid courses and frequently speaks at conferences and events, sharing his personal story and the work he is doing to empower others towards better mental health. Welcome, Steve. NOTE: The Charity has a further position for a trustee with good knowledge of PR, Social Media, Video skills combined with experience, personal or professional in this field, so if that is you and you are interested, please do get in touch. |
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| | We’d like to welcome Sarah Forrester as the newest member of our team. Sarah has recently assumed a role as Counselling Coordination Manager and in the short time she has been with us, she has already dramatically improved our referral processes, the triaging, and the management of client appointments and our therapy team. It’s a real delight to have her on board and if you are around, please do come and say hello to her in the office.
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| | The charity relies on many volunteers that you will not necessarily see in day-to-day contact with the Kelly Foundation. In this column we highlight some of those amazing individuals, giving them both a wave and our sincere thanks: Ever wonder who does the impeccable artwork for the forms, leaflets, brochures and event posters? Then step forward Derek O’Hanlon. |
| | Derek writes, “Historically I was a print designer, or rather a '4 colour final film planer and plate maker' but computers took over this work and I ended up just designing.
When I moved to Swindon we had a local newsletter come round every other month I saw they need an Editor and someone to put it together so I volunteered. Now, a few years on, the Rodbourne Cheney and Moredon Newsletter is all colour, with many types of article old and new. I hope I was able to give it a real professional look. |
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| It was through this that I met John Stooke who needed a little booklet designing and setting and one thing led to another now I really enjoy helping 'The Kelly Foundation’ in my own way. Since 2005 I had a nasty head injury that went unnoticed though my recovery, I've had mental health problems dealing with it. One of my biggest was being unable to work, which I had always done, so doing something useful to help The Kelly Foundation has given me a sense of purpose. Although it’s not much and with big gaps in between, I do look forward to new jobs”. And from us Derek, we sincerely appreciate your endeavour and especially your creative design skills! |
| Big makeover for a small charity! |
| | As a small charity, we have to sometimes double up on our therapy rooms to be used as offices or meeting spaces, Our team has been indicating for a while that one of the areas we have is just too stark, to ‘officey'' to create the right ambience for clients, in order they feel properly relaxed and can properly unburden. Wow, what a transformation!! With a grant from the Highworth Festival Committee we have turned our Owen Room into a modern, multipurpose facility, that is now well-suited to its different uses. The final work is to change the lighting balls so that they can be dimmed when in use for one to ones, then can be restored to full brightness for meetings and more office type uses. This is expected to be done in the next week or so and then it will be entirely complete. Also, we can make our rooms available to other individuals who might be engaged in similarly supportive work throughout our community, in exchange for a small donation to The Kelly Foundation, and of course subject to the main building being open during the hours any associates might wish to be there. If you are interested then do get in touch at www.4kelly.org. Thanks again to the Highworth Festival Committee, especially to Chris Laken, and the irrepressible Steve Peacey, for their help in this project, without which it would’ve not been possible to even contemplate what we have done. |
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| | We would like to sincerely thank the following organisation for funding grants received |
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| What can we say about the team at Christchurch that has not already been said in spades? Unusually for most churches, once a year they move the pews out so that they are able to rack up 40 or more firkins of real ale and loads of boxes of proper cider. This raises much needed money for the maintenance of this fantastic building but in addition, they don’t forget the third sector in their planning. This year we, at The Kelly Foundation, have to say a huge thank you to the Reverend Simon Stevenette, Chris Smith and the team. We had our own stand in the summer Beer Festival, which was well attended, and where we were able to meet and talk to many of the visitors about the mental health landscape locally and the part we play as a charity, to support individuals who are in despair. Our services are of course entirely free of charge. Pictured are Chair John Stooke, Church Operations Manager Chris Smith, Our COO Emma Rees, and the Reverend Simon Stevenette, handing over a bumper cheque (and this is a cheque that takes no prisoners I promise, Emma ordered it online and then we mounted it on 5mm foamex, no question, it certainly won’t bounce!) in the sum of £1310, a donation which equates to more than 65 weeks of support for our clients. An incredible amount which will help to make people’s lives inexorably better and in some cases we hope may even be a reason to continue. Our sincere thanks to all at Christchurch. |
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| A Great Swindon Employer The ThermoFisher Scientific site has been based in Covingham since 1970. It started lifeas Roussel Laboratories before being acquired by Patheon in 1999 and was thenacquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2017. Thermo Fisher is one of thelargest Life Sciences Companies in the world employing over 120,000 people withapproximately 400 based at the Dorcan site. Since 2020 over $200 million has been invested to support the manufacturing of vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs for serious diseases. Over the next five years ThermoFisher Scientific plan to further grow this site, in a move that would create up to 100 more jobs for local people. We were delighted to be invited to their premises during Mental Health Week, to present to various groups what ‘The Kelly Foundation’ is, how it can positively impact people’s lives, and what employees, friends or family should do, if they think they could benefit from our services. We were also delighted that their cake sale on the day raised such a fabulous sum … and then the company management doubled the amount!! This was an extremely positive day, and the charity is interested in undertaking more outreach with large companies and discussions with Thermo Fisher Scientific continue. We think the photographs tell their own story. |
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| Sinewave may not be a household name quite yet, but the company, created by Adam Woodley in 2015, has found itself amid the elite list of the Sunday Times' ‘100Britain’s fastest growing private companies’ award scheme. This places Sinewave, which provides high-voltage and low-voltage electrical services for EV charging, renewable energy, and data centre infrastructure, among the business elite and, as one of the country's fastest growing, they’re almost certainly our communities' fastest growing business… but that’s not all. We at The Kelly Foundation are very pleased and proud to be able to say they work with us, one more example of the company taking their community responsibility seriously. We were delighted to receive the results of this year’s fundraising efforts on our behalf … and even more pleased to be told that in the coming year they will also be supporting our charity with a series of new initiatives. Thanks go to CEO Adam Woodley, Tamara Southworth, and Kym Rose for all their help. |
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| | HUGE thanks to Paramount Interiors Paramount Interiors are a Swindon based construction company specialising in dry lining, suspended ceilings and partitioning. They cover all types of work including residential, commercial, retail, pharmaceutical and healthcare. From individual house builds to multiscreen cinemas, Paramount tell us that they can get your project finished on time and to the highest standards. The really good news for The Kelly Foundation is that as part of their civic responsibility, they’ve decided to adopt our Charity this year for the purpose of fundraising. We look forward to working with them. Many and sincere thanks go to Richard Bates and his outstanding team. |
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Michael Lloyd was inspired by our recent visit to his home, at the huge Tesco in Ocotal Way, to try to raise money for our charity. He’s not a natural athlete, but is out pounding the streets right now, to ensure he not only completes the course but sets a respectable time, a time in what you ask? Michael will be running the Swindon Half Marathon on 28th September this year. If you want to help his total, which we would all love, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/michael-lloyd-86?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
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| | We couldn't resist this pic of the crowd at the end of the recent Queen Fundraiser, it was that kind of evening!! |
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| Upcoming Events- The Beatles |
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| Get your ticket to ride! This is a doubleheader The first half will feature many of the clever ballads that the Fab Four put together, in which McCartney was so good at the compositions. This section finishes with the haunting Lennon ballad “Imagine” and then after a short interval the headline act will take us through a journey from the early Cavern days, through Beatlemania and onto Abbey Road. Close your eyes and you could be back in the 1960s in the Cavern Club! Musically, no detail will be overlooked to re-create a true sound and excitement of the Beatles, with every song performed completely live and in its original key. Visually the presentation is as close to the real thing as you can imagine and features authentic vocals and identical instruments. With the sound, look, and even the persona of the Fab Four, this is a magical mystery tour you really will not want to pass up on. The price is £15 … Date of concert is 7:30 pm on Friday, the 10th of October 2025 and the venue is Christchurch. A fully licensed bar will be available and all the money earned from this concert will be ring-fenced to provide mental health support for those in despair and also some of the other client services we provide at ‘The Kelly Foundation’. This promises to be a sell-out with about 350 tickets available, so to get your tickets booked early, as we have had some real disappointments at some of our concerts which have sold out completely! |
| | | Kells Kitchen continues to be a very popular meeting place, where customers are guaranteed a warm welcome and good food and drink and sensible prices. Presently it delivers no financial surplus but that’s not the reason for this endeavour. It helps the charity meet people in difficult circumstances and, particularly in the winter months, we can ensure no one goes away hungry and can talk about their problems if they want to. |
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| NOW OPEN SATURDAYS! Our fantastic volunteer Jo Pruitt has responded to a long-standing objective to make the café available to clients for 5 1/2 days each week. She has a profound hearing issue, so if she doesn’t respond immediately it's because she needs to lip read… and not anything to do with customer service. From the beginning of July, we will be open from 9.00 till 12.30 every Saturday morning, unless the Centre itself is closed. This is especially advantageous to groups who are using the Pinetrees Centre. (There is an amazing ballet class on Saturdays if you have young children who might be keen to learn or develop this skill.) And of course, for any members of the public passing or workmen who might like to call for a nourishing and sensibly priced big breakfast? Alternatively, you’ve got a range of drinks, toasties, and if it’s really hot, then why not cool down with one of our £2 Magnum ice creams. See you there! |
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| | COLLEAGUE OF THE MONTH
In April we chose Levi McArthur to be our charity ‘Colleague of the Month’. Levi is a quiet and unassuming young man, in whom we see great potential as he builds his confidence. He volunteers regularly at the café and in addition is a huge assist at the various events and especially, concerts that we regularly run to raise funds. He takes all things in his stride in a calm and unflustered manner. He tells us he would like to develop a career in the construction trade, so if there is anyone out there who is in this sector, and is looking for a first class young assistant, then do make contact with us. |
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Did I say £2 Magnums! Just in time for the gloriously hot weather we have been blessed with so far, Walls have provided us with a free ice cream fridge! A Magnum Extra for £2!! Is that right, surely they ought to be more?
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| Kells Kitchen Buffet Service
Whilst most know about our successful, efficient, and well-loved local and supportive community café, not everybody knows about the buffet options that we can provide, either for meetings within our own facility or for hirers of other rooms at the Pinetree Centre. We tend to stick to work inside the centre because of the logistics of travel and not necessarily having a kitchen available, so if this is something that might be of interest to you, then do not hesitate to get in touch. Just take a look at some of the recent fayre that the girls have produced. It makes me hungry just looking at it!
You can reach us at info@4kelly.org and mark it for the attention of Siobhan Vaughn, who runs our catering activity. We will then be back in touch in a trice! These are just some of the things we are doing but we want to do a lot more so if you have ideas do come and speak to us.
We look forward to hearing from you!!
Kells Team
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| | Deaf Community Group Kells Kitchen (part of the Kelly Foundation Mental Health Charity) is a fully inclusive community café based at Pinetrees, on The Circle, who support individuals recovering from mental health challenges as well as those with learning and physical disabilities.
Among our brilliant team dedicated team of volunteers at Kells Kitchen is a young lady, Joanne Prewett, who is profoundly deaf, and as part of our policy to improve communication and inclusivity for all, our café manager Siobhan Vaughn has come up with fascinating a new initiative. |
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| We are planning a ‘Deaf Community Group’ on the last Tuesday of every month starting in September this year, on a date yet to be finalised. The aim is to help foster connection and understanding within the community and we are delighted to say that local businessman Mark Ingle, owner of the Vale Hotel in Cricklade and a well-known supporter of local charities, has offered to fund this initiative for six months. The ‘Deaf Community Group’ will be open to members of the deaf community who would like to join a welcoming social café environment, as well as individuals interested in learning British Sign Language (BSL) and those just interested in the concept. A hot meal and drinks of your choice will be served and the opportunity to socialise and learn this fascinating skill will cost just £6a session (covering the food cost). They will be held in the café at the Pinetrees Community Centre. This is perhaps a unique, but without doubt an interesting and innovative opportunity, for the community to come together and learn, regardless of ability. Interested? Go to info@4kelly.org and leave a contact message and we will be in touch or call us on 01793 200710 to register your interest. |
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Congratulations to the lucky winner of our ‘Name That Bear’. competition which was arranged by Sarah, one of our counsellors, in support of National Mental Health Week.
The winner was one of our café regulars, the lovely Derek- he’s the one in the grey patterned shirt (not the one with the brown bow around his neck 😁) The introductions were carried outby one of our Trustees, Finance Specialist Martyn Woerner, and we’d like to take this opportunity of giving all of the participants a big, big thank you from The Kelly Foundation for this ongoing support. |
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| | HM Revenue and Customs have announced that this scheme, which provide bonuses to savings accounts, is now open to 550,000 more people. Under this plan the Government can increase by up to £25 a month for those saving £50, and is available to anyone working or receiving universal credit. Most savers pay in the full £50 each month and setting up an account takes less than five minutes. If anybody needs help, we are happy to assist at the Kelly Foundation as we feel this is a really good incentive to build for the future. Bonuses are paid at the end of the second and fourth years that the account is open and it’s based on the highest amount of regular saving. Over four years someone saving the maximum of £2400 would receive a bonus up to £1200 from the Government and money can still be taken out, but of course it affects the bonus. It really is a brilliant way for people to start to save and build financial future. Get in touch with the Kelly Foundation if we can help you. |
| Can you help us distribute our brochures? |
| | Please let us know if you have premises where these could be displayed for the public and we will arrange a pack for you. Email info@4kelly.org with your contact details. Many thanks for your support. |
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| | We have teamed up with “ALL YOURS” to provide free sanitary products to women in our community. Each box contains 2 months supply. If you think this will help you then get in touch with The Kelly Foundation at our offices in Pinetrees on The Circle in Pinehurst. |
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| | Volunteers are important within our community and vital to our charity! We are looking for the following help and support: Volunteers who may like to work one day in our café, Kells Kitchen or even fill in for holiday cover. Lots of different roles, no experience needed. Qualified mental health support workers or therapists who may be able to spare us just one hour a week or a fortnight to help us with our waiting list and support individuals having a tough time, with nowhere to turn. Want to join our Fundraising Committee? We are currently pulling together a team of fundraisers to handle local events for us. This could be attending a fete, organising a cake bake, managing collection tins in the local community etc
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| Mental Health and The Kelly Foundation
Kelly Foundation supporters come in all shapes and sizes and now we can say… all ages. Step forward, 13 year-old Rosie Brokenshire, a talented pupil at the Swindon Academy, who has once again shared her thoughts on mental health from her perspective. |
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| | “Nice message today after yesterday‘s presentation to the Phoenix Rotary Club at the Kings Arms. Huge interest in the project and lots of questions about the Swindon mental health landscape subsequently.” |
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| From: Richard Smoltz Hi John,
Just a polite to thank-you for your time and an excellent presentation, enjoyed and appreciated by all.
You and your team are doing great work. In Rotary.
Kind regards
Richard |
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| | Copyright (C) 2025 . The Kelly Foundation. Registered Charity No: 1200389. Registered Address: Pinetrees Centre, The Circle, Pinehurst, Swindon, SN2 1QR. All rights reserved.
EMAIL - info@4kelly.org
TELEPHONE - 01793 200710
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