Case Study: Craig Tyler Trust

Introduction 

The Craig Tyler Trust has been an established mental health and suicide prevention charity in the Basildon borough since November 2020, before which it provided mental health support through a drop-in centre since July 2018.  The organisation was created to help those struggling with their mental health and suicidal ideations and to provide a safe space to meet with compassionate volunteers and others in similar situations.  

The Trust runs two gentle exercise classes for those de-conditioned as a result of the pandemic.  Professor Rory O Connor (2021, When it is darkest) puts it best when he says “Although we can never bring back those we have lost, we can better support those left behind and, if we work together, we can save more lives.  My ultimate hope is that, as a society, if we are kinder and more compassionate, both to our ourselves and to those around us, then we will go some distance in protecting all of us from the devastation of suicide”.  

The Story of The Craig Tyler Trust 

The Craig Tyler Trust is a charity set up in the memory of a beloved boy, who, after a battle with mental health, took his own life, at the age of just 22, in April 2018. Craig left his family and friends grieving immensely and who wanted to make sure that anyone who needs support doesn’t suffer in silence.  

Too often people do not seek help when they are feeling suicidal. The Trusts work in the community therefore aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide, with the view to engaging more with communities and to encourage them to seek help.   

The Trust are committed to serving individuals and their families who need help coping with mental ill health and are a friendly face for people to chat without any judgement.  

In 2021 in Basildon alone there were 10 deaths registered as suicide, effecting 1,350 people.  

The “Challenge” or “Opportunity” 

The Trust wanted to encourage the people who use their services, including people with mental health illnesses and with suicidal ideations, to take part in new activities that they wouldn’t usually try and wanted to use ECC funding to build resilience and a future love of the arts that would benefit their lives moving forward. 

How ECC supported   

The Craig Tyler Trust’s application to the Arts & Culture Fund clearly outlined the Essex residents it aimed to engage with those living with mental health conditions 

The ECC culture team has supported the project via regular catch up’s, offering assistance wherever needed and appropriate.  

The Results 

The Trust had a 100% improvement rate with the project benefitting the 25 people who attended the weekly Wednesday Club arts sessions at the Basildon centre. 

Scrapbooking for recovery and resilience was designed to help service users express their emotions through the art of scrapbooking and included finding magazine cut-outs that reflected daily mood, photographs to reflect upon memories, poems that capture emotions or simply drawing using colours to capture feelings.   

Creative writing for recovery and resilience focused on creative writing, encouraging expression through writing.   

Mindful colouring and knitting looked at mindfulness and the various ways we can incorporate it into our lives.  During the sessions the Trust covered how being mindful means slowing down and being aware of the moment. 

The programme increased the overall mental wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem, enabling service users to learn the tools necessary for recovery and resilience.  

The Trust will now offer further support through the drop-in centre and we are now developing ways to work with other organisations at the end of the programme to signpost to other groups and services.   

Testimonials 

“This club has been beneficial as I have had a chance to meet local people in the community and do craft that I wouldn’t normally do at home and meet friends. It also has helped with my mental health. To do something that does not cost a fortune with the cost-of-living crisis is really important to me and my son”. 

 “This club has been really helpful to me and my daughter as it gets us out meeting new people as I suffer with mental health. It gives me a reason to get up and go out and it’s a great group” 

 “The Wednesday club has been brilliant I’ve loved meeting new people getting out of the house and keeping my children entertained. The crafts are really good and really helpful for mindfulness – we’ve loved spending time here.” 

“The Wednesday group has been great for joining the community together everyone has really appreciated having a place to go during the holidays that hasn’t cost a fortune it’s been really enjoyable 

CASE STUDY A: 

A joined us after a long term physical and mental illness had impacted so much she was at crisis point. A had been supported by various different agencies in our area. On A’s first visit she was very reluctant to join in, stated she couldn’t do it. We sat and helped A with gentle encouragement and gradually she joined in. A was our star pupil, often taking items home to continue them throughout her week. The sense of achievement and lift in self-confidence was so apparent, it was amazing to experience. Such a change, from scared, hopeless and withdraw she became a lovely addition to the group and always with a smile. A will always have hurdles to overcome but to be able to introduce some activities that bring her a tool to get through her day as easy as possible, it has been so powerful.  

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