Healthy Minds Packs bring comfort, creativity and wellbeing across Making Space

Published 13 October 2026

People across Making Space are enjoying specially created Healthy Minds Packs, thanks to £8,500 in funding from three charitable organisations.

The project is all about supporting mental wellbeing, providing people with activities and resources that encourage relaxation, creativity and enjoyment, while offering helpful distractions during difficult moments.

Thanks to generous grants from The Grace Trust (£5,000), The Medicash Foundation (£2,000) and The Hospital Saturday Fund (£1,500), we've been able to develop and distribute the packs across our services.

So far, 241 Healthy Minds Packs have been delivered, with around 40 more awaiting distribution and plans to put together approximately 130 additional packs.

Each pack contains a selection of wellbeing resources, including colouring activities, puzzles, quiz books and other items to help people relax, keep their minds active and enjoy some time for themselves. Wherever possible, people can choose items that suit their own interests and preferences.

Services that have already received packs include Rivacre House in Ellesmere Port, Sherdley Court in Rainhill, Inspiring Minds in Preston, Harpers Green in Warrington, Ashwood Court in Lowton and several of our supported housing services across Lancashire, Merseyside and West Yorkshire.

Bringing smiles to people's faces

It's been lovely to see how much people have enjoyed receiving their packs!

At Rivacre House in Ellesmere Port, Senior Support Worker Annie Alexander shared how much residents appreciated their gifts.

"The residents absolutely loved their Healthy Minds Packs. It was lovely to see how much they enjoyed receiving them."

Over at Sherdley Court in Rainhill, resident Dennis was delighted with his pack and soon got stuck into some of the activities.

Residential Home Manager Deborah Appleyard said:

"A big thank you from Dennis for his gift. I think his smile says it all! He really enjoyed spending the morning colouring and doing puzzles from his wellbeing pack."

Supporting mental health and wellbeing

As well as providing enjoyable activities, the Healthy Minds Packs are part of our wider commitment to supporting people's mental health and wellbeing.

We've prioritised services where people may be at greater risk of self-harm, helping to make sure these additional resources reach those who may benefit most.

We're also looking at ways to make the packs even more useful, including developing versions specifically for neurodivergent people and adding more distraction and sensory tools for people who may be at risk of self-harm.

Bob Towers, our Fundraising Manager, said:

We're incredibly grateful to The Grace Trust, The Medicash Foundation and The Hospital Saturday Fund for making this project possible. "Something as simple as a colouring book, puzzle or activity can provide a welcome distraction, encourage relaxation and bring a little enjoyment to someone's day. Seeing the smiles on people's faces when they receive their packs really shows why projects like this matter.

We're also keen to make the packs as personal and useful as possible, giving people choices and developing new resources to meet different needs. With more packs planned and further funding applications underway, we hope to reach even more people across our services.

Helping more people benefit

We're continuing to build on the project, exploring new ideas for pack contents and looking for ways to make them as affordable, accessible and useful as possible and looking at keeping the project going and bring the benefits of Healthy Minds Packs to even more people.

A huge thank you to The Grace Trust, The Medicash Foundation and The Hospital Saturday Fund for their generous support, and to our colleagues who are helping distribute the packs and bring a little extra happiness to people's days!