During Covid, it became increasingly evident how many people were struggling with their mental health. Added to this were financial constraints for many who were not able work, lost their jobs & businesses or were made redundant, without any hope of finding new work at that time.

We also saw an increase in people not being able to access mental health services due to long waiting lists and reduced services due to social distancing.

At Fortis we were providing many services free of charge to support people in the community, and when Jayne called us to ask if she could help by raising funds so we could provide therapy to more clients and families free of charge, we immediately said yes.

Jayne raised several thousands of pounds over the next few weeks, and we were able to help hundreds of people of all ages, by offering therapeutic support – this funding enabled us to provide support that was life changing and in some cases lifesaving.

Subsequently, having applied to the charity commission the O’Flynn Foundation has been founded and we are incredibly proud to support the foundation and the incredible work they do.

The foundation bridges the gap for those people who need support with their mental health but are not able to access a service or who are struggling whilst being on long waiting lists, as well as supporting people from the physical health perspective providing physiotherapy to those in need.

All funds are monitored and measured in terms of their outcomes, impact and effectiveness. All cases being put forward for funding are presented to the Board of Trustees for approval to access funds.

All monies raised and accessed are supporting people in need in the community and the impact is palpable.

Whilst we provide therapy for over 650 sessions a year, free of charge across our service, with our trainee therapists, to be able to offer support with qualified and experienced therapists for those with complex needs at no cost to them, is amazing.

Client Vignettes

To give a snapshot of some of the people who have been supported through the Foundation;

We have been able to support ‘Martin’ who was showing signs of PTSD following being assaulted without provocation and having sustained injuries that nearly blinded him.

We had offered him support through Fortis free of charge as we had seen in the media what had happened and I reached out to him.

Following his sessions, when Martin was well again, he subsequently raised funds for the O’Flynn Foundation to pay the support forward to others by asking friends and family to donate the worth of his Christmas presents and he then matched it, meaning we could then support another person at no cost to them. He has done this for the last two years.

‘Lee’ was able to access us because of the fund, as he was in financial difficulty having had 11 bereavements of close family and friends and he had developed agoraphobia and severe anxiety.

He was unable to attend work and was behind on his mortgage and other bills. Lee accessed sessions through the Foundation and is now able to work, socialise and is working towards being financially stable.

‘Charlotte’ presented with signs of PTSD and had been in a domestic abuse relationship.

She works for the NHS and having fought her DA case in court and for her two children, was ‘freezing’ due to being hypervigilant when working in A&E – especially is there were people escalating or becoming combative.

Charlotte is currently worked with her therapist to be able to manage these responses and process her experiences. She is now no longer anxious and able to manage many situations in work well and to be able to be ‘present’ for her children.

‘Louise’ struggles with her mental health and has done for many years.

She was diagnosed with a life limiting illness as a teenager which is dormant in her body and so lives with this as a ‘ticking time bomb’.

Louise, having experienced watching a family member die of this disease now has PTSD and she is working with her therapist to process this loss and to manager her PTSD and to be able to live a full life.

Examples of feedback

We have had feedback such as;

‘I was at such a low point that I didn’t know where to turn, I’m a parent of a child with additional needs which meant that my needs were not being met. However, through the support at the funding I was able to finally start to understand ‘me’. I will always be thankful to the O’Flynn Foundation, Fortis Therapy and my therapist.’

One client did a Facebook live on leaving her first Fortis session – sharing with her friends and family how she knew the sessions were going to help and for the first time, since losing her child, she felt there was hope. She has been struggling for many years with her mental health, grief and anxiety.

To conclude, all are incredibly grateful for the support the O’Flynn Foundation has been able to fund and how they & their lives have changed having been given the opportunity to work with trusted therapists when otherwise they would not have been able to access a service.

The ripple effect of this work and the funding cannot be underestimated.

When people recover from their mental health challenges their relationships also flourish and lives move in a different, more positive direction meaning the support can create results to families and their communities and for future generations too.

They also become advocates to others for asking for help and support with mental health and emotional wellbeing challenges. 

Kindest regards 

Alexis Powell-Howard MA., System Prac., BACP (Accred) 

Managing Director