Values and Ethos of the Centre

The Centre’s staff embrace the ethos of the social model of mental health, focusing on the social, cultural and environmental issues that impact mental heath. The staff do not use psychiatric diagnoses to support the Centre users as these can be seen as stigmatising. 

Instead, staff work empathetically and non-hierarchically in partnership with service users through group interactions and one-to-one therapeutic support. Power is shared equally between staff, volunteers and service users in decisions about how the Centre is run and what it offers. 

“Hey, there's something here, there's something, in terms of community that I'm, I'm really liking”
— Colin, Centre user and Trustee

“The first thing that struck me about Middle Street is how welcoming it is, you can come along with any lived experience of mental health, no matter how old you are, no matter how you live, what postcode you are. If you want to come along and be part of it, you’re really welcome to join in.”

Centre user


“Our model was about the importance of having a base for the community to be rooted in, well resourced, run by the service users, or alongside, the co-production with service users. Without that core community resource, people were just isolated, in an uncaring and unsupportive space where they have no power.”

Staff member


“Other day centres lacked the sanctuary element that was there at Middle Street.”

Centre user


“The Centre enables people to help themselves. I think that’s a good way of putting it because, you’re not gonna get all the help you need here, but in some respects it gives you the erm, the ability to meet other people and feel better about yourself and develop the tenacity within yourself to make things in your own life better.”

Centre user

“Almost most importantly what it offered was safety, security, but it was never strangling, it was never institutionalised, you were always encouraged to mix together and mix outside.”

Centre user

“From entering the Centre I felt instantly connected, I felt like the Centre was a second home. I feel safe, confident, comfortable and happy. I met a lot of wonderful and incredible people, who in their own way inspired me.“

Centre user