‘Rising costs, alongside reductions in available funding, mean the charity can no longer continue its work’
17:02, 28 Nov 2025Updated 17:03, 28 Nov 2025
Mental Health Resource in Tunbridge Wells – its The Hub wellbeing and support centre is in Grosvenor Park(Image: Google Street View)
The trustees of the Mental Health Resource charity which began 32 years ago in Tunbridge Wells, and has helped thousands of people, have announced it will close due to lack of funding. The board said it was with “deep sadness” it had taken the “difficult decision” to stop delivering services on January 30.
Since it opened in 1993, the charity has helped people in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding towns improve their mental health and emotional wellbeing and take their first steps to recovery. It “proudly delivered free services” throughout West Kent which included wellbeing groups, safe spaces, support sessions, and one-to-one support: in some cases it saved lives.
Funding came from contracts with local authorities, charitable trusts and foundations, and local organisations and individuals. Its services included The Hub, the wellbeing centre in Grosvenor Park in Tunbridge Wells, which had activities Monday to Friday, along with personalised support and peer groups.
There was also Reachout Family; Reachout Youth and simply Reachout for adults, and a specialist advocacy service Assert for people detained under the Mental Health Act. One client who had used The Hub for 23 years, said: “Mental Health Resource is a sanctuary for the confused, the difficult and the lonely.
“It stops me getting isolated and keeps me on the straight and narrow.” The charity held its last fundraising quiz last Friday (November 21), at The Skinners’ School, where 74 people took part in 10 teams.
The sad closure news shared with those at the quiz was a “bittersweet farewell”, said the charity. Trustees said it had recently become increasingly difficult to secure sufficient funds to sustain the charity’s services.
In a moving statement, the trustees expressed their gratitude and paid tribute to many who had been a part of Mental Health Resource’s long and meaningful history in Tunbridge Wells. They also said how they would help those who used the service.
“Despite exploring every possible alternative, we have sadly been unable to find a viable way forward. We are immensely proud of all that has been achieved over the past 30 years and how we have helped to improve the mental wellbeing of thousands of people through the provision of wellbeing groups, activities, peer support groups, information and one-to-one support.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to our incredible team, whose dedication and compassion have been the heart of Mental Health Resource. We are also deeply grateful to our funders, partners, volunteers, fundraisers, corporate partners and everyone in our community who has supported us throughout our journey.
‘We will do all we can’
“We understand how much people rely on our services and how difficult this news will be. Over the coming months, we will do all we can to support our clients through this transition and to share information about other sources of support available locally.”
Mental Health Resource will not be able to provide support to people after January 30. Charity manager Rachel Corry told KentLive during the charity’s more than three decades, it had “proudly supported thousands of people to feel valued, supported and heard, to connect with others and take their first steps toward recovery”.
She said: “But the legacy of what we’ve built together will live on. We’ve helped to raise awareness of mental health in our community; we have had many conversations with people; given people tools and strategies to manage their mental health, and we know that we have saved many lives.”
And to everyone who had been “part of our story”, she said: “Thank you. You have helped us reach countless people in need and made a tremendous impact on so many people’s lives.”
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