We’re a leading community-based organisation dedicated to providing outstanding mental health support and clinical interventions across London. Our experienced clinically-led teams are focused on directly addressing a range of mental health needs in our communities. We combine innovative solutions with decades of local community knowledge and help people to live the life they choose.
We collaborate with the NHS, Local Authorities, Corporate Partners and community stakeholders to deliver essential services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our community. We are an independent charity raising our own funds and managing local service delivery, regulated by the Charity Commission.
We believe that people living with a mental health challenge should be empowered to live their lives according to their own choices, irrespective of the impact of their mental health.
With over 25 distinct services, the availability and scope varies across different boroughs and target demographics. Whether by borough or by group, you can explore our comprehensive range of services for adults and children & young people.
Collaboration lies at the heart of our work and we often collaborate with other local Mind charities. By pooling our resources and expertise, we amplify our collective impact to address the diverse needs of our communities. These collaborations enable us to deliver services at scale throughout London, transforming outcomes to improve people’s lives.
The charity originated in the heart of London. Wandsworth Mind was formed in the 1980s and became one of the largest local minds in the country. The Westminster Association for Mental Health was also formed during this period. The vision was clear: to provide inclusive support for those experiencing mental health challenges. Around this time, Portugal Prints launched its arts project, a pioneering initiative that has now been running for over 40 years.
Through active consultation with service users, the charity expanded its services to address a growing need for housing and drop-in support. By introducing a supported housing service, we provided a lifeline to people. Drop-in services were also a critical resource, evolving into welcoming hubs of care that remain central to our mission today.
We were among the first to adopt peer mentoring provisions within schools, recognising the value of lived experience and peer support in early intervention. This programme laid the groundwork for much of our later work with young people and education services, setting the standard for mental health support in school environments. During this time, Wandsworth Mind reviewed its viability after changes to its block funding contracts.
We responded to the increasing demand for psychological support by introducing Talking Therapies and Counselling services. These initiatives made professional mental health support more accessible, further cementing our role as a cornerstone of the community’s mental wellbeing infrastructure within our community.
After Wandsworth Mind’s strategic review, it merged with Westminster Mind in 2015. The merger formed a unified, stronger organisation—Wandsworth and Westminster Mind. This brought together decades of experience and expertise, enabling us to expand our services at the Wandsworth community hub and reach more people than ever before.
Brent Mind joined forces with Wandsworth and Westminster Mind, creating Brent, Wandsworth, and Westminster Mind, a new organisation better equipped to serve the diverse communities in our area of West London. With this merger, we were able to increase our capacity, expand our reach, and continue offering vital mental health services.
With our roots firmly established, we focused on further growth, particularly in community and housing services. Our efforts during this period positioned us as a key provider of community and housing services, empowering people to live independently while receiving the mental health care they needed.
We launched comprehensive Mental Health Training programmes, extending our expertise to workplaces. Recognising that people spend most of their time at work, we understood the importance of making mental health support accessible in these environments. By expanding into workplaces, we reached people who might not have accessed traditional mental health services. These programmes empowered employees and employers alike to better support themselves and each other, contributing to a healthier, more informed community.
The pandemic presented challenges, but it also inspired innovation. We introduced a whole-school approach for children and young people (CYP), including counselling services, to address the growing mental health needs in schools. Our suicide support services launched, ensuring that critical support was available to those in crisis.
Our Wandsworth community hub expanded, adding services at Great Western Studios, and we significantly broadened our Children and Young People services, reaching new youth clubs and expanding mental health support across different communities.
This year marked the launch of several key services: SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) support, in-reach peer support, supported self-help, and a dedicated early support hub for CYP. By 2023, we were managing over 40 contracts, delivering impactful services across London. Read more in our Annual Review here.
Brent, Wandsworth, and Westminster Mind merged with Kensington and Chelsea Mind to form West Central London Mind, one of the largest local Minds in London. This merger has strengthened our capacity to deliver services across a wider area, enabling us to serve even more individuals and communities in need.
