Last Tuesday, 30th July, saw Bath MP Wera Hobhouse visit St Mungo’s staff and clients at their supported housing service, Mulberry House, in the Weston area of the city.
Gill Day, Manager of Mulberry House at St Mungo’s, said: “It was great to welcome Wera Hobhouse MP to Mulberry House, our Mental Health Supported Housing Service, which aims to ensure people who require high support housing have access to it.
“Mulberry House provides accommodation and support to clients who may experience complex and enduring mental health challenges.
“The service enables clients to maximise independent living skills by enabling them to improve their life skills including cooking, household tasks, budgeting and personal care.
“We also support clients to access opportunities for social inclusion such as employment, education, training, leisure and other meaningful daytime activities.”
Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, added: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with clients and support staff at Mulberry House.
“This specialist facility, the only one of its kind in Bath and North East Somerset, provides a safe space for recovery.
“It was especially valuable and moving to hear from clients who shared their powerful personal journeys of recovery, and to see how they, in turn, are going on to support others with mental health challenges.
“It is vital that we remove the stigma associated with mental health issues and that we give mental health parity with physical health.
“We need many more facilities like Mulberry House to support those in need, and the funding required to run them.”
Mulberry House has eight high support bed spaces in the main house as well as five self-contained mews studio flats suitable for more independent living.
Clients live there for up to four years, and during their time at Mulberry House, they are supported to take part in activities which develop a variety of skills including gardening, woodworking and social inclusion.