About us
We aspire to a creative society where people have the confidence and self-esteem to lead fulfilling lives.
Our vision
To use the arts to support the positive mental health of individuals and communities.
Our mission
Creative: that arts and creativity is interwoven in all that we do.
Collaborative: all our programmes and our ethos are centred around partnership working to ensure the best opportunities for beneficiaries.
Inclusive: that we are accessible to all, open in our sharing of knowledge and expertise.
Compassionate: that we care for and take the time to support those around us.
Respectful: recognising and treating each other equally and with respect.
Our values
Where have we come from?
Arts and Minds (known officially as Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Foundation for the Arts and Mental Health) developed from a Millennium Arts Project (MAP) set up by the Friends of Fulbourn Hospital.
We initially offered arts-based workshops to support adults with a range of mental illnesses, but the success of the project led to our establishment as a new charity in 2008, to expand and develop similar work countywide.
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Our office is based at Cambridge Junction and we deliver our programmes in local arts and heritage organisations, community centres, workplaces, and now also via Zoom. Over the years we have offered a range of art forms, including creative writing, dance, gardening, musical composition, pottery and music.
What do we have planned?
We aspire to a creative society where people have the confidence and self-esteem to lead fulfilling lives, and use the arts to support the positive mental health of individuals and communities.
In 2021, we developed and launched our three-year strategic plan (2021-2024) in consultation with a range of local stakeholders (including participants, staff, trustees, volunteers and partners). Like many small charities, our recent focus has been on adapting our plans during the Covid 19 pandemic to continue to offer support and services to our participants. It is a testimony to our staff, workshop facilitators and funders that we have succeeded in doing this.
Having returned to the face-to-face programmes we were offering pre-pandemic, we have taken some positive learning from delivering programmes online, which have proved popular, particularly to those living in rural areas and people with physical health conditions. We will continue to offer some virtual opportunities.
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We intend to grow our organisation – not for the sake of it – but in order to offer more services to more people in more locations.
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Find out more about our strategic plan here.