The Don't Lose Hope charity is creating a garden and 'man shed' workshop at The Wellhead in Bourne
At Christmas time last year Tony Jones had lost all hope.
The 75-year-old was suffering from depression and no longer felt he wanted to live his life.
But, thanks to the work of a charity that is creating a garden and workshop at the Wellhead in Bourne, Tony is enjoying life much more and making plans for the future.
He was saved by Don’t Lose Hope, a relatively new Bourne-based mental health charity that offers counselling and activities to help people talk more freely about their feelings.
Don’t Lose Hope has a drop-in café in the centre of Bourne, next to the Old Town Hall, and has taken over a corner of the Wellhead near to the Shippon Barn.
Dominic Brister, 40, who founded the charity with his wife, Nicola, 48, said: “Since we set up Don’t Lose Hope about 18 months ago there have been more than 250 free counselling sessions for people and we now have 14 counsellors and therapists.
“However, not all men want to sit in a counselling room, so fortunately we were given this outdoor space by Bourne United Charities in the Spring and came up with the idea of putting a ‘man shed’ on it.”
Dominic, who teaches woodwork at Stamford Welland Academy, is keen to get retired engineers and similarly skilled people involved as volunteers once the ‘man shed’ received planning permission.
Men coming along will be able to help fix items that people bring in, in return for a donation to the charity, while other items will be fixed and resold. In addition, art therapy sessions will be held in the shed.
In preparation for the man shed’s arrival, Tony, Dominic’s father Peter Brister, and a team of volunteers from Stamford-based Cummins, have been clearing weeds and rubbing from the garden area and will create accessible raised beds for flowers and vegetables to be grown.
Meanwhile, the charity has recruited another ‘volunteer’ in the shape of mascot Eddy the bear, named after Dominic’s brother Ed, who died unexpectedly, aged 33.
“Ed did a lot to help people with mental health issues without saying much about what he was doing,” said Dominic. This is our way of keeping him involved.”
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