Tucked away in Bognor, West Sussex, there’s an open, bright and cheerful picture framing warehouse with a stunning flower garden. It is here, where local adults with mental health issues, learning disabilities or dementia can come once or twice a week to take part in the skillful work of picture framing.
Frame of Mind is an award winning Community Interest Company who provide bespoke picture framing and printing services to local businesses and residents. In addition to this, they also provide vocational training and well-being places for their trainees. In their time they have won numerous local business awards and 2 national awards for their work with people living with dementia.
How did it start?
In 2000 Ian Bates and his wife Theresa moved down to the South Coast from Newcastle. As a mental health service user, Theresa understood the value of having somewhere she could go, keep herself busy and take her mind off of things.
Once on the South Coast, Theresa got involved in a therapeutic centre that offered, amongst other skills, picture framing. As the months went by, she became more and more involved resulting in her running the picture framing section for several years. Unfortunately, the centre was shut down; luckily Ian and Theresa had the foresight to purchase the equipment used for the picture framing and stored it at their home.
Theresa was then employed by Sussex partnership NHS Foundation Trust to provide the same service in Bognor Regis. With the support of Theresa’s manager, the couple were put in touch with Judith Badger at the University of Brighton who ran classes to help people looking to start up their own social enterprises/businesses.
The decision was made to set up a company and Frame of Mind CIC was born.
How does picture framing help the visitors?
It’s an opportunity for people to come along to the centre and have one on one time with support workers. They work using their hands and have to concentrate on what they’re doing, which for some is a great relief from the troubles they have.
Ian and Theresa have worked hard to ensure that the environment is fun, lively and vibrant and everyone is treated as equal. They work together, they eat together and they laugh together. (A lot in fact!)
The time spent at Frame of Mind can often act as respite for the trainees loved ones as well. It gives everyone time for themselves.
The end product? Well, let’s say they don’t do things by halves at Frame of Mind. They work to an extremely high, professional standard. The trainees have a real sense of achievement as well as a completed project to be proud of, something that Paul a senior support worker believes is incredibly fulfilling for them.
It’s not just photographs and artwork they frame either, they’ve done all sorts. From horses tails to daggers, army uniforms to books.
This community business also boast an award-winning garden, nestled alongside their warehouse. The team rely on donations from local plant nurseries and garden centres to keep the garden looking its best and it looks so good delivery drivers often stop to have their lunch there.
How is it funded?
Frame of Mind rely on a number of sources to run the business day to day and employ the 7 people permanently working there. Along with council funding, they work on large scale projects for the likes of Butlin’s and have also been involved in trials with the Department of Work and Pensions. Their Dementia work also receives funding from the Henry Smith Charity
How does World of Rare Books fit into this?
World of Rare Books approached the team at Frame of Mind in early 2017, to see if they would commission a number of framed book pieces. These are then sold at www.worldofrarebooks.com
How can you get involved?
Get in touch with Ian by visiting their website or calling 01243 828066, or if you’re in the local area – why not pop in and take a look?
You can also follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook too.