About Us

From the inception of Friend in 1981, our ethos has been for service-user empowerment and involvement in decisions around the services we provide.

Consequently, our Board of Trustees/Directors consists of 50% Service Users and 50% External Managers.

We are both a registered charity and limited company.

Our staff team currently numbers 8, including Centre Workers, Mental Health Advocates, Borderline Personality Disorder Worker and Finance and Administrative Workers.

Brief History

Coinciding with the setting up of psychiatric services in Weston in the early 1980s, Friend began as a Society following pressure, from the local Community Health Council, to provide charitable resources.  

There was an increase in rehabilitation in the community at the time, resulting in placement of vulnerable people in minimum support homes and small hotels in the area; people who had mostly long since lost contact with their families and suddenly in a totally alien community.

Initial aims were to provide a day centre, raise awareness of the realities of mental health and a positive attitude within the community.

Friend achieved charitable status the following year, and offered two hourly afternoon drop-in sessions two days a week in Weston.  The government's 'Care in the Community' policy in 1986 led to an increase in the numbers of people requiring the "person-centred" approach offered by Friend.  We became a registered company at this time.

Since 1987 Friend has been located in Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, developing a comprehensive range of holistic, information resource and advocacy services and establishing the charity as a major third sector resource provider of mental health support in North Somerset.

Early in 2002, Friend Ltd was asked to consider taking on the management of a service user led group in Clevedon.  69 Old Street, Clevedon now forms our second resource centre offering access to the majority of the services available in Weston-super-Mare.