Raise £35k startup funding by September 2023

Synolos are creating a West Oxfordshire-based community wellbeing centre to open in September 2024, which will support the growing mental health needs of the community - "Are we living lives that are best suited to the physical and emotional needs of the human body and mind?" - Barry Ingleton

• Section 1 – Our Plan(summary)
• Section 2 – Project rationale
• Section 3 – What we need
• Section 4 – Funding phases and milestones
• Section 5 – Fundraising methods to be used
• Section 6 - Overall project outcome and outline.
• Section 7 - Long-term project sustainability
• Section 8 - Breakdown of phase 1 startup costs
• Section 9: Research
• Section 10 - In conclusion

Section 1: Our Plan (Summary)

Synolos will create a West Oxfordshire-based community wellbeing centre to open in September 2024, which will support the growing mental health needs of the community.

It will include 5 main elements:

• A non-clinical setting to support all in getting early help.
• A mapping and signposting service for quick support and district-wide joined-up thinking (MAP)
• A community-wide platform will be based around a concept that we call the 4corners of community. This will create a powerhouse of mental health change within West Oxfordshire (further details are available on request).
• Plug a number of local needs by creating new services. (Further details below.)
• Operate a project that is sustainable beyond initial startup funding (further details below).

We will create a platform that will build a powerhouse of change using our 4Corners of the Community concept. This unique concept will create partnership work from statutory services, third-sector operators and funders, the business community, and the mighty power of the local individuals. The whole community must work together to reduce mental health illnesses, and we will facilitate this while creating much-needed services.

Section 2: Project Rationale

With more people struggling with mild mental health issues—conditions such as depression and anxiety—demand for services has increased, this is clear. It is apparent that statutory services and funding alone will never be able to keep up with this. Never before has it been so necessary for a new approach to address mental illness that is both long-term and community-led. It is also evident that the NHS cannot be the only solution to all our mental health difficulties; there needs to be a community-wide approach.

The clearest route forward is to create a platform that empowers the whole community to take ownership and responsibility—a community wellbeing concept. The aim of this is to build a network that meets support and treatment needs, is fully funded, and involves all elements of the community.

 

Section 3: What We Need

Synolos is looking to raise £35k as startup funding by September 2023 but has a strong long-term sustainability plan and a working concept that will bring the whole community together.

Section 4: Funding phases and milestones

The following phases and milestones that need to be met.

• Phase 1: £35k by September 2023-Start-up funding - Please note that this is the minimum we need for this project to start. Synolos is looking to raise £35k as startup funding by September 2023 but has a strong long-term sustainability plan and a working concept that will bring the whole community together.
• Phase 2: £45k by February 2024-Building and equipment completion.
• Phase 3: £60k by September 2024-Six months of operational running costs. The centre is to be self-funded thereafter.
• Phase 4: The centre will be self-funded and will only use pot funding to start new projects or new provisions.

Section 5: Funding methods to be used (Summary)

We will use a combination of the following method to raise money for all 4 phases of the project:

• Synolos profits for the year ending Aug 2023 (match funding opportunities
• Statutory contracts and council financial support
• Statutory and charity pot funding
• Community group support and donation (Church groups etc)
• Business sponsorship, please see below for further details.
• Fundraising letters to business or wealthy supporters
• Crowdfunding Campaign and donation pages
• Fundraising event.
• Selling merchandise from our https://inndi.co.uk website
• Encourage high-value gifts that can be auctioned off or sold
• Enable recurring donations

Section 6: Overall project outcome and outline

Our centre will serve those who need support for their mental health with the hope of creating early interventions. To do this, we will work with the whole community to promote a joined-up approach.

This centre will fill the following identified mental health needs within West Oxfordshire:

• A non-clinical setting to support all in getting early help

Synolos will create and operate a non-clinical setting that helps normalise the need to maintain good mental health. This will allow early support and reduce the need for GPs and further clinical support.

• A clear mapping service to signpost for support (MAP)

Synolos will create and operate a strong signposting offer that signposts to all mental health support or healthy activities to create a free-flowing early support ethos. This map will also allow us to identify gaps in provision, which we will then use to build new provisions with our partners or expand existing provisions.

• A joined-up community approach to reducing mental health illness (The powerhouse of mental health change within West Oxfordshire)

Synolos will create and operate a unique and innovative funding model that draws on the 4corners community to make lasting change—statutory services, third sector operators and funders, the business community, and the mighty power of the local individuals will come together to build a platform for change called The Powerhouse of Change.

• A gym for those who feel anxious in traditional settings

Synolos will create and operate a low-key gym for those who struggle with confidence to attend regular gyms due to body image or overwhelming feelings. This has been something we have been asked to do many times over the last 10 years, but now we have a clear reason to invest in this kind of need (a sustainable funding stream).

• A community, multi-purpose safe activities area

Synolos will create and operate a large multipurpose use activities area, e.g., dance, exercise groups, crafts, group therapy, etc. Again, over the years, we are asked if we can hire out our spaces to make safe places for therapeutic work. Unfortunately, our current building isn't set up for this. (a sustainable funding stream)

• Meeting rooms for professionals -

Synolos will create and operate a room-for-hire for community-based support workers such as councillors and therapists. We used to operate this service as we had spare rooms used for 1:1 sessions. This was a good funding stream for us, but offered a solution to many professionals who needed rooms that were not in business parks, clinical settings, or for some, an office at their home (a sustainable funding stream).

 

We are looking for an initial funding amount of £35k, which will enable us to get started on creating the physical space while building a long-term funding model. This £35k will start the project to create a powerhouse of change for West Oxfordshire and a wider preventive mental health offer.

The centre will be founded on building community awareness and promoting the idea that we all play a part in supporting our own wellbeing and that of the community.

It will start by The platform will seek to pull together local individuals, the business community, the third sector, and statutory services. Community Wellbeing believes that these four corners have a responsibility to work together to improve and sustain the wellbeing of individuals and the wider community

Section 7: Long-term project sustainability

The centre is designed to support individuals in getting early help within a non clinical setting, create stronger support pathways between services (MAP), and create links between all aspects of the community to form long term funding streams and joined up partnerships based on community involvement.

The following aspects of this project are not easily funded in the long term without constant grant funding:

• A non-clinical setting to support all in getting early help.
• A mapping and signposting service for quick support and district-wide joined-up thinking (MAP)
• A community-wide platform will be based around a concept that we call the 4corners of community. This will create a powerhouse of mental health change within West Oxfordshire (further details are available on request).

However, to create the above services, it requires ongoing funding that does not rely on grant money alone. Grant pots always run out over time, and often an organisation has to develop their offer to meet the funding requirements. Therefore, we have designed a hybrid service that will improve mental health and generate income to pay for the above difficult funded elements of Synolos Community Wellbeing Centre.

 

We have identified a number of services that are lacking in West Oxfordshire and the income streams available that will be a part of the physical makeup of the centre and create long term sustainability.

• The gym
• Room hire
• A community, multi-purpose safe activities area
• Wellbeing business/organisation services

We have also got a number of other funding avenues as described below.

Services offered by Synolos Wellbeing that can generate income for the whole centre

• The gym:

The gym will be aimed at those who need a less "intimidating" experience to improve their mental health through physical activities. Funding can be achieved directly from the following areas:

• Direct membership for those who can pay
• GP and health professional referrals (NHS)
• Care packages for those who receive care support (social services)
• Additional needs educational funding (education)
• Business packages for wellbeing business support.

 

• Room hire

As stated, we will operate a room hire service for professionals. Five years ago, we were charging £15 per hour and had a 72% occupancy rate with limited effort.

If we were able to do the following, we could generate £10,600 per year.

• 5 rooms
• 5 hours a day
• 45 weeks a year
• £15 per hour
• 60% occupancy

= £10,600

• A community, multi-purpose safe activities area:

We will be able to create a further funding stream by hiring out this space to other organisations that need space to deliver their services but do not have their own, the same concept on the room-hire.

• Wellbeing business/organisation services:

Synolos will be able to offer wellbeing packages to businesses and other types of organisations as a way of making wellbeing support more readily available to smaller businesses and organisations that want to increase wellbeing in the work place but cannot afford internal systems or offers.

• Other income streams using our 4Corners of community concept

Statutory services

• Partnership funding applications for national contracts or other national pot funding opportunities
• Subcontracting or providing other services for the different elements of statutory services

The business community

● High-profile business sponsorship:

we will encourage businesses to support this project and highlight the social benefits of their brand and community exposure.

This is a simple example but a powerful one: There are a reported 8,000 businesses in West Oxfordshire. If each business on average donated just £150 to community wellbeing per year, the income generated would have a massive impact and generate £1.2m (£150 x 8,000 = £1.2m). With this kind of income, our centre would have the potential to reshape the mental health landscape by creating services that businesses could use.

 

The third Sector operators

● Partnership funding applications for statutory bids and other national pot funding

● Subcontracting with other organisations

● Joined up buying to reduce costs and cross-pollination of staff between organisations.

 

The mighty power of the local individuals

The following activities are just a few of the things that can be supported by local volunteers as a form of raising funding:

• Assisting in collecting donations. There are many types of activities available to do this.
• Assisting in spreading the word of our online shop: We operate an online shop selling Synolos merchandise (www.inddi.co.uk), with profits going towards this project. We will sell these products within the centre and will need volunteers to run this.
• Run special events that involve the whole community.
• We operate an honest box system that raises money; this has been something we have done for years.

Section 8: Breakdown of Phase 1 Startup Costs

Prices are based on costs that occurred when we moved into our current 6500sqfot building. This £35k will be used as a platform to generate further funding and be the braces of provision.

• Renovation of building
• Admin and further income stream creation and partnership building
• Staffing
• Rent of a building for at least 4 months -
• Legal fees to obtain a lease

Section 9: Research

From our own survey conducted by Synolos Wellbeing in West Oxfordshire – Based on 375 respondents

• 92% feel West Oxfordshire needs a stronger preventive mental health plan that supports the NHS.
• 98% feel there is a need for a wellbeing centre in West Oxfordshire.
• 63% feel they lack a good understanding of how to maintain good wellbeing.
• With waiting lists so high, 86% believe the NHS cannot be the solution to all mental health issues.
• National research conducted - MHFA
• 1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year.
• 70-75% of people with diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all.
• About 20% of young people with mental illness wait more than six months to receive care from a specialist.

Section 10: Conclusion

There are many steps that we will take to make the Synolos Community Wellbeing Centre a reality, but for it to work, the community has to be on board. If this opportunity is given the right outside support, it will be a game-changer. As a community, we need to make changes before it is too late, before the NHS and other services implode. It is very clear that the NHS and even the 3rd Sector cannot keep up with demand.

Synolos Community Wellbeing believes that only when you bring the whole community together can you begin to reduce this growing problem, as with many social and health issues. The NHS was not created to cope with such caseloads, and with the growing awareness and need, we must create a powerhouse of change. With the support of the community, we will create Synolos Community Wellbeing Centre—a platform to create a powerhouse of mental health change within West Oxfordshire.