Devon Mind

Our Story

How we’ve been fighting for mental health since 1984

We are Devon Mind. We’re here to lead the fight for mental health in Devon!

Devon Mind is an independent mental health charity affiliated with the national Mind association. We provide advice, information, and support to empower anyone living in Devon who may be experiencing a mental health problem. We also campaign to improve local support services, raise awareness, and promote the understanding of mental health across Devon.

Our history

Last updated: March 2022

Devon Mind began life as the Plymouth & District Mind Association (PADMA) in 1984. Commonly known as Plymouth Mind, this small local organisation brought together professionals from health and social services, members of the local voluntary sector, and service users with lived experience to examine what was needed to make community mental health support services in Plymouth better fit for purpose, more effective, and more accessible.

In 1985, we opened our first drop-in facility at Sherwell Church, as well as bringing in our first official employee to help develop our brand new Recovery College service.

PADMA became an officially registered charity a few years later, as our flagship Recovery College continued to become a more important part of the mental health support system in the city.

As we continued to evolve and grow from strength to strength, we worked hard to ensure we were reflecting the needs of mental health service users and the community around us, as well as the ever-changing face of mental health across the country.

Over the years, we have worked closely with the other local Minds as part of the Mind network, contributing to projects such as Side by Side and Blue Light.

1996 saw Plymouth & District Mind move into its home for the next 26 years, 8 Woodside. It was here that we developed popular services such as the Oasis Centre, a safe place where people experiencing could find support, information, and access groups and courses.

For some time, we also managed the cafe in Freedom Fields Park, selling food and drinks, offering volunteering opportunities, and providing a safe place for meeting in the community.

In 2001, we were able to buy the Parkside building directly behind Woodside, which would serve as a space for offices, meetings, groups, and courses.

In April 2019, we relaunched as Devon Mind. There has always been great work happening across Devon, but as the fourth largest county in England, there are also areas with little or no access to mental health support.

By expanding our remit to cover the whole of the area, we committed to bringing as many services as possible to those areas that are isolated from larger urban hubs such as Plymouth, Exeter, and Torquay.

The COVID–19 pandemic made progress toward this goal initially challenging, but we will not rest until everyone in Devon experiencing a mental health problems gets both support and respect.

As we begin life in our new co-located spaces at the Mannamead Wellbeing Hub and Ernest English House, we are in a stronger position than ever to reach more people with mental health problems across Plymouth; and with new partnerships in areas such as Exeter, North Devon, and Torbay, and more resources becoming available online, we know that we can continue to grow and improve what we’re able to offer people across Devon.