Raising Health secures funding to keep arts café open for mental health patients

5 Aug 2025

Raising Health, the registered charity for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), is delighted to announce continued funding for the Arts Café at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit. Thanks to generous support from local funders, patients will be able to carry on accessing this unique and transformative form of art therapy.

The Arts Café provides a creative and supportive space where patients can express themselves through art, develop new skills, and build the confidence and connections that are crucial to recovery. The sessions encourage communication and collaboration, offering a welcome break from the clinical setting of the wards.

Patients who have taken part in the sessions often describe them as a lifeline during difficult times.

One former inpatient shared:
“I was in a sorry state when I first went to the arts café. I never imagined that it would be so instrumental in supporting my recovery—first as an inpatient, then as an outpatient—and that it would become such an important part of my life.”

The continued success of the Arts Café has been made possible through the generous donations from:

The Florence Turner Trust
The Himmat Tanna Trust
J R Corah Foundation

Tim Sayers, a qualified mental health nurse and Arts in Mental Health coordinator at LPT, leads the art therapy sessions. He said:

“We are extremely grateful for this funding that will enable us to continue to provide our Arts Café group at the Bradgate Unit. These sessions have such a profound impact on our patients and provide a space where they can socialise away from ward environments. The group gives people a place where they feel safe and that they belong, and which gives them hope of recovery in the future.”

The Arts Café is a shining example of how creative therapies can play a powerful role in mental health recovery, and with continued support, it will remain a vital part of the healing journey for many.