Our team consists of trustees, paid support, management staff and volunteer support.  We also have ad hoc volunteer support from a bid advisor and we have a counsellor (in response to consultation with members as to what provision they wanted) These people have all been vital to our success in establishing ourselves, continuing the support Cornerstone provided and improving it greatly. Cornerstone was led by Richmond fellowship by paid staff who were fantastic but were still providing a service to people in a manner directed by a company. Informed by contracts dependent on the decisions of ‘experts’ or commissioners. These decisions included the decision to remove funding entirely from the only preventative mental health service in Blackpool at the time. We understand that the local authority had budget cuts to manage and they cannot cut the crisis and teams that provide care directed by legislation. However, this was still a short sighted decision to save a small amount of money in total budgetary terms. Conversely it was a massive amount of support from the perspective of one of the least heard and most vulnerable groups in Blackpool.

Because the people who attended wanted a provision to continue we banded together and created Blackpool Inspirations. We had no support but made agreements with the community locations that Cornerstone used to continue meeting at the various places (detailed later in this proposal). Our team are all previous attendees of Cornerstone and precious staff:

Steven Royle (Chair)

Steven has severe and enduring mental health difficulties that he has strived for many years to live with and to live his version of recovery. Steven also has long term experience of primary, secondary and inpatient mental health services.   Like Carol Steven was adamant that the support previously provided by Cornerstone could be continued and improved by the people who attended. Steven is passionate about challenging stigma and discrimination and about achieving equal opportunities for people with mental health difficulties. He has skills in organising and running groups and providing peer support. As well as working with statutory services if people need more intense or crisis support. Steve also is a member of the shadow core partnership board of Fulfilling lives, a Lottery funded project working with multiple complex needs in Blackpool, providing mental health expertise to the organisation. 

Andrew Hamilton (Trustee)

Andrew has volunteered and helped Inspirations greatly from the start. He recently agreed to become a trustee. Andrew has lived experience of Blackpool mental health services and helps facilitate groups and plan for the future of Blackpool Inspirations. He is a valued new  member of the team.

Matthew Hemming (C.E.O)

Matthew Hemming is a former Cornerstone staff member. He, as with the above trustees, recognised that Cornerstone could become more and that the provision was seen as vital by the people who attended and utilised the support to positively effect their lives and maintain a community and a social recovery. He supported the creation of Blackpool Inspirations and became a trustee soon after, when invited. Matthew is an experienced mental health social worker who also has a depressive disorder. He has worked with statutory, private and third sector mental health services and has skills in management, planning, assessment, report writing, providing supervision, training and interagency and multidisciplinary working. Matthew applies for funding and collaboratively plans and works towards the future of Inspirations with the other trustees and wider membership. Matthew also creates consultation documents for use to collect member’s views and wishes on top of our meeting discussions.

Matthew has recently become C.E.O. as he dedicates his time full time now to developing Blackpool Inspirations.

Sandra Arrell (volunteer group facilitator)

Sandra is a former Cornerstone Support worker. Her contribution to Blackpool Inspirations cannot be over stated. She organises our trips and our Christmas party, collects and deposits/contributions and facilitates the actual trips and any support people need while out. Sandra also facilitates one of our most popular drop ins, at the local church. Following Cornerstone, she went to work for the council Complex Care and Treatment Team as a social inclusion worker. Despite her work commitments she continued to selflessly give her time to Inspirations and her contribution has been integral to our continuing work and development. Sandra has skills in one to one support, focussing on the social aspect and life and friendship rather than people defining themselves by their mental health diagnosis.  

We have other regular volunteers who are members and help by opening drop ins and facilitating them. They have their own long term mental health challenges and experience of local services.