Strategic plan
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.
Planning for the future
Based on our successes in recent years, we believe Arts and Minds is in a unique position to develop more services and programmes to support people who are seeking assistance to help them manage their mental wellbeing. Demand for such interventions is particularly high at this time, as society is becoming more aware and focused on the importance of supporting the mental health of our communities.
Looking at the evidence and feedback we received, we have set out a strategy that has three phases:
2021-2022
Recover and maintain
Like many organisations, Arts and Minds needs to recover from the impact of Covid-19, as well as deal with resource challenges faced by all small charities. We aim to do this by:
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returning to face-to-face delivery of our core programmes
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continuing to offer some programmes online, including piloting an evening Arts on Prescription programme, aimed at Peterborough residents
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developing our Creative Break initiative - supporting workplace wellbeing
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developing our evaluation framework, based on good quality data, to help us understand the impact of our work
2022 - 2023
Develop and grow
In addition to maintaining our existing programmes, we will:
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expand our service offer to provide a new service in Ely
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raise more funds through diversifying our income streams
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prepare to offer a broader range of arts-based programmes by developing a wider pool of arts practitioners
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strengthen our range of partnerships with local stakeholders to reduce barriers to people accessing our services
2023 - 2024
Build and sustain
We will build on our successes from the previous two years, seeking to offer more choice and widening access to our services. We plan to:
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identify at least one specific group of participants at significant risk of mental ill health and offer a programme which meets their needs
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expand our range of arts activities to suit the needs of those who can benefit most from our programmes
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prepare to develop additional services in Fenland by working with GPs and other relevant local partnerships
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We plan to have grown our organisation modestly by sensibly such that it can withstand the departure of individual members of staff or trustees, is an exemplar of good governance and can offer a sustained service to those who depend on our programmes.