Elmore celebrates 30th birthday

The surviving founders of a charity reunited for the first time in decades to mark its 30th birthday.

Elmore Community Services, which works across Oxfordshire, held a party last Wednesday at Modern Art Oxford which saw service users, its staff and supporters gather to celebrate its milestone and its achievements.

Since 1989, Elmore has worked with vulnerable people experiencing several overlapping challenges at the same time, including mental ill health, homelessness, rough sleeping, slavery, abuse, exploitation and alcohol and drug addictions.

Its 30th anniversary falls at the most difficult time for the delivery of community services with funding at its tightest and statutory services stretched.

The party last week was opened by Oxford’s Lord Mayor Councillor Craig Simmons and included speeches by the charity’s Chief Executive, Tom Hayes, two service users, and the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Richard Venables.

Some other figures who were present included Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld and the Mayor of Witney Councillor Duncan Enright.

The charity, which last year supported a total of 385 clients, emphasises that mental health was not an issue that was recognised in 1989, but it has helped to change this and bring its model of recovery into the mainstream.

It identifies the gaps in existing services and innovate services to ensure that no one is forced to fall through the cracks in service provision, using the ‘Elmore way’, a subtle, person centred and flexible approach which brings out the skill and expert judgement of its experienced workers.

Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “When you have a birthday, it’s a moment for reflection as much as celebration. Now, in our thirtieth year, Elmore wants to support more people with multiple and complex needs to ensure that nobody falls through the cracks in existing service provision.

“As ever we are grateful to our supporters and staff for all they do to enable Elmore’s vital work of directly changing lives and challenging mental health stigma. To the head of this list of people we must thank, we add the very reason we’ve been here for 30 years—our amazing service users.”

Please read the Oxford Mail’s report on this issue here.