A project that provides free clothes for people receiving mental health inpatient care has raised £500 to buy underwear and socks, thanks to the generosity of the local community.
Roots of Hope community interest company runs a Community Clothes Cycle project to provide new and second-hand clothes to patients receiving care at mental health units run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).
Some patients don’t have many clothes, perhaps because they can’t afford them, they don’t have anyone to bring them clothes, or they have lost or gained weight.
Volunteers from Roots of Hope, a non-profit organisation, raised £500 from a pre-loved clothes sale at North Avenue Christian Centre in Chelmsford last month.
They used some of the money to buy underwear for 140 patients currently receiving care on wards in Chelmsford and Colchester and distributed them over two days last week. The rest will be used to buy underwear for patients who need them urgently.
Roots of Hope was set up by Charlotte Spooner and Amanda Crossley, who are Lived Experience Ambassadors at the Trust. Lived Experience Ambassadors are volunteers who have personal experience of health services, either as service users or caregivers.
Amanda said: “Charlotte and I had a wonderful couple of days, and it’s truly heartwarming to see the joy that something as simple as underwear and socks can bring to the patients. It’s a reminder of how we often overlook the essentials in our lives.
“We’re so overwhelmed by the generosity and the impact these small gifts have. One patient even made a beautiful picture for us, and another gave us a heartfelt hug.
“It’s moments like these that truly show how much of a difference we’re making, especially during the holiday season.”
Amanda and Charlotte started the Community Clothes Cycle project in January 2024, with staff, family and friends donating clothes for patients in need at the Linden Centre and Crystal Centre in Chelmsford.
The project has since expanded to The Lakes in Colchester and Basildon Mental Health Unit.
Roots of Hope recently secured £20,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund, which will help their team of volunteers to distribute clothes to more patients across other EPUT mental health wards over the next two years.
The money will be used for storage and office rent, hall hire so they can hold public clothes cycle events, and essentials like washing powder, dryers, boxes and rails to clean and store clothes.
You can find out more about Roots of Hope on social media. A fundraising page has also been set up for anyone who would like to make a donation.