Richmond Fellowship
 |
 | |
| Successor | Waythrough |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1959 |
| Founder | Elly Jansen |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Type | Charity |
| Legal status | Merged with Humankind into Waythrough |
| Purpose | Mental Health provision |
| Headquarters | Highbury, London |
Region served | England |
Chief Executive | June Riley |
Group Chair | Helen Edwards |
| Website | www |
Richmond Fellowship is a charity and voluntary sector provider of mental health services in England, the United States and Hong Kong. Established in 1959, as of 2009, it served over 6,000 people.[1]
The institution offers a range of support to people with mental health problems including supported accommodation, residential care, employment support and community based support, working with the NHS and local authorities to deliver services.[2]
In June 2024, it was announced that the Richmond Fellowship had completed the merger of its operations with those of Humankind.[3] In October, the charitable organization created in the merger was named Waythrough.[4]
History
[edit]Richmond Fellowship was founded by Dutch theology student Elly Jansen in Richmond, Surrey, England shortly after the Mental Health Act 1959 was passed into law.[1] The aim of the service was reintegrating people with mental ill health into the community despite long periods of time in hospital.
In 1973, Princess Alexandra became a patron of Richmond Fellowship[5] and the organisation became a registered housing association in 1976.[6] Richmond Fellowship played a significant role in hospital re-provision[clarification needed] during the 1980s, providing new homes in the community for people across England. At this time Richmond Fellowship expanded its services for people with mental health problems including work schemes and day centres.[citation needed]
In 1974, a Richmond Fellowship incorporated as a not-for-profit company in Queensland, Australia.[7] In 1975, the Richmond Fellowship opened a halfway house in Morriston, New Jersey.[8][9] In 1985, the organization expanded to Hong Kong.[10]
Throughout the 1990s, Richmond Fellowship grew and developed a widespread programme of mental health support including self contained flats, floating community support and 24-hour nursed care. It achieved Investors in People status in 1998.[citation needed]
Continued growth saw Richmond Fellowship adapt its mission to ‘Making Recovery Reality’ in 2006 to reassert its core values and better represent the holistic range of support it offers to people with mental health problems.[11]
In October 2015 Richmond Fellowship joined a new national group of charities, Recovery Focus, which brought together organisations with strong individual services, innovative approaches, flexible local presence and a wide range of expertise from around England. The partnership is made up of mental health charities Richmond Fellowship, 2Care, Croftlands Trust and My Time along with substance misuse charities Aquarius and CAN.[12]
In April 2016, Helen Edwards was appointed the new group Chair of Recovery Focus, the group which brings together a coalition of mental health and substance use charities such as Richmond Fellowship and Aquarius.[13][14]
Campaigns
[edit]Richmond Fellowship is an active member of Time to Change running awareness campaigns to tackle mental health stigma. Richmond Fellowship is also a supporter of the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat and a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Youde, Kate. "Case study: the Richmond Fellowship". www.thirdsector.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "How We Can Help - Richmond Fellowship - Mental health". Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Humankind merges with Richmond Fellowship". Drink and Drugs News. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "UK's biggest charity merger promises a Waythrough for people dealing with drug and alcohol, mental health and housing challenges". Drink and Drugs News. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "Royal visit to garden centre that helps people get back on their feet after mental illness". Surrey Comet. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Hysel, Maggie (2009). "50 Years: Richmond Fellowship Annual Review" (PDF). www.richmondfellowship.org.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 August 2016.
- ^ "About RFQ - Richmond Fellowship Queensland". Richmond Fellowship Queensland -. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Mundy, Marian H. (9 March 1975). "Mental Half-Way House Is Meeting Resistance in Morristown". New York Times.
- ^ Times, Jeff Offgang Special to The New York (10 August 1975). "Morristown Bars A Hallway House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Richmond Fellowship of Hong Kong". China Development Brief. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022.
- ^ "Our history". www.richmondfellowship.org.uk. Richmond Fellowship - Mental Health Charity - Recovery. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ http://www.recoveryfocus.org.uk/welcome-to-recovery-focus/ [dead link]
- ^ "Recovery Focus appoints new chair - Recovery Focus | Mental Health Charity Group". www.recoveryfocus.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017.
- ^ "Aquarius Charity". aquarius.org.uk. 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2025.