A CHARITY providing arts therapies for people with mental health difficulties has been kept afloat by the council’s social enterprise network.

A report to Swindon Borough Council’s scrutiny committee says the charity Ipsum, which operates in Milton Road, says was able to increase its income by about £18,000 a year.

Founder Julie Mattinson said: “When I was setting Ipsum up again about three years ago I was wondering how it would pay for itself. It’s not meant to make a profit but it does have to cover its costs, otherwise it can’t continue.

“I was thinking about this and spoke to people who said 'there’s this thing called the social enterprise network'. Andy Hill (the network's coordinator) came and worked really hard with us. I’m a psychotherapist, my project manager is a psychotherapist – we are not money people.”

Julie said the solution was to ask people who could afford it to pay for the sessions – art, talking therapies, music and creative writing.

She added: “We looked at means testing – it went against the grain for me. I don’t believe anybody should be denied the sort of therapies we provide if they need them. They must be available to all.

“Those people who can’t pay at all don’t pay. Some people pay £2 for a session, but we have people use our services who are in work and they are happy to pay £25 or £30 because they love the sessions and find them useful

“It means we can continue and offer a very important service. Andy’s work was vital at a very important time for us, just as we were starting up again.”

Ipsum started up in 1974 as SWADS and provided alcohol and rehabilitation services funded by Swindon Borough Council. But it lost the contract three years ago and decided to rebrand and continue with its arts and talking therapy work.

Andy said: “It exists to help social enterprises or charities or even private businesses that want to make a social or environmental impact.

“Often charities or social enterprise have to monetise their services or product now because that’s a safer way of operating than relying on grants or fundraising – councils don’t have any money to give out anymore.

“It’s a voluntary network, we don’t have an office – but we meet about every six weeks and it can put an organisation which wants to do something in touch with another organisation or expert which has done that, and will help for free.”

More details about the social enterprise network are available at www.swindonsocialenterprise.com