Christmas Open Minds and a big Thank You!

Our Open Minds Social in December was Christmas themed; we wanted to invite all of our service users, staff, trustees, friends, and neighbors. These socials are a chance to all come together, have conversations and enjoy nibbles. Our festive themed social was a massive hit, with quizzes, prizes and festive chats! 

Here at Sheffield Mind, we welcome feedback both positive and constructive. During the social, we gave our service users the opportunity to fill in a short form reflecting on how our services were helpful in 2024 and share suggestions for improvement in 2025. 

The responses we collected were overwhelmingly positive, which we loved hearing and reading! Many mentioned the impact that our therapy services and peer support groups had on their physical and mental health. As well as valuing the non-judgmental, welcoming space we provide for people to find emotional support, build connections, and improve their wellbeing.

We also asked our service users, ‘what could we do better in 2025?’ We are committed to implementing as many suggestions as we can in the upcoming year and will consider these closely when planning and developing events, new services, and improving our existing groups. We are proud of how we have already began to incorporate Service User suggestions and strive to continue this in 2025.

One of our service users said that they’d like to see, “Mindfulness. Yoga. Meditation,” in 2025. On the topic of yoga, excitingly we’ve got weekly yoga classes with Millie lined up for every Tuesday evening in January. These classes are 45 minutes long, pay as you feel, and are comprised of breathing exercises, poses, and a mediation to end. Beginners are more than welcome! 

We also asked our service users, “What activities would you like to see more of in 2025?” Popular suggestions included photography, wildlife trips, countryside days, and walking activities. We’re proud to promote our Mind Forward peer support group which runs every Monday afternoon from 2–4 pm, offering a low-pressure, friendly space for people to try and learn new things. Our 2025 calendar is already filling up with exciting outings and activities, such as a Nature Photography session on 3rd February and a Spring Botanical Walk on 3rd March. We have many more engaging activities planned for Mind Forward, and we’d love to welcome new faces!