Richmond Foundation

Richmond Foundation
.............for mental health in the community

Richmond Foundation was founded in 1993 and is a non-governmental, non-profit making organisation providing services for persons already experiencing a mental health difficulty as well as services aimed at preventing mental illness from developing.

The Foundation offers five different services which are:

• Villa Chelsea: A rehabilitation facility offering day and residential programmes, to persons with mental health problems. Clients have the opportunity to (re)learn the necessary skills which will enable them to live an independent life in the community.
  
  Villa Chelsea has now been providing its services for these last ten years. The running of the house incurs a very large cost and currently the refurbishment of Villa Chelsea is taking place. It is for this purpose that ZAK Zabbar are organising this table-tennis marathon.
  
• Home Support Service: Clients are holistically supported in their own homes within the community. They are assisted in attaining and maintaining skills which help them live a good quality life in the community.
  
• Supportive Housing Scheme: Clients who do not have accommodation, are helped to find suitable housing. Tenants are supported to live independently, maintain their tenancies. They are empowered to achieve a good quality of life.
  
• Supported Employment Programme: This programme is run in collaboration with ETC. Persons with mental health problems are supported in order to find suitable, paid, employment. Training and support on the job are provided.
  
• Staff & Organisation Support Programme: Through this programme which is offered to different organisation, the Foundation is helping to prevent mental illness from developing. Employees have the opportunity to make use of a confidential and voluntary counselling service and other support services.
  
• Self-Help Groups: Richmond Foundation has supported the setting up of two separate self-help groups. One of these self-help groups is run by persons with mental health problems for persons with mental health problems whilst the second self-help group is run by family members of persons with mental health difficulties for family members.
  
• Reaching the Kids Programme: This project targeted children in years 5 in 40 Primary Schools across Malta and Gozo. Through this programme, children were provided with skills which would help them to become more resilient in the face of stress.
  
• Hostel: Recently, Richmond Foundtion has opened a ‘hostel’ in Floriana. The hostel offers 24 hour supervised ‘accomodation’ for males with mental health problems who had been residing at Mount Carmel Hospital for a number of years but who are now ready to move out from the hospital setting.
  
• Leisure Centre: This EU-funded project serves as an entertainment centre for all youths and is particularly sensitive to those youths who are at risk of social exclusion and isolation. This centre hosts activities such as sports, reading, crafts and games.
  
• Raising Awareness and Preventing Mental Health Problems: In order to promote awareness of mental health issues and prevention of mental health problems amongst the general public, the Richmond Foundation utilises radio, television programmes and the major local newspapers to disseminate information. National Conferences on mental health issues targeting different populations are also regularly held. Talks in towns, villages and even in schools are also held.