What Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham & Redbridge does

Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge (also trading as MindTHNR) is an independent registered charity (Charity No. 1006927) and Local Mind affiliated with National Mind as part of the Mind Federation of approximately 140 Local Minds across England and Wales. Founded in 1994 (with operations referenced since 1991), the organisation delivers community-based mental health services across three East London boroughs: Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Redbridge. It operates from four principal sites — the Open House community hub in Bow, the Newham Together Café (open 365 days/year) in Stratford, a 24/7 Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre pilot, and an advocacy office at Mile End Hospital — and embeds additional touchpoints in GP practices, schools, and community venues.

Its service portfolio spans crisis intervention (Newham Together Café, Safe Connections suicide prevention), independent mental health advocacy for adults and adolescents, talking-therapy-adjacent navigation, one-to-one recovery support, employment support via the IAPT Employment Service, peer-led recovery groups, and culturally specific programmes such as the Sakinah Project for Muslim women. Co-production and peer leadership are foundational, with lived-experience service users shaping design and delivery. Adjacent social-enterprise elements include the Safe Space Café (with the Mindful Barista training pathway) and community gardening partnerships.

The business model is a hybrid charity funding stack rather than a commercial revenue model. Income is derived primarily from NHS England grants, contracts with East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), local authority funding from Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Redbridge councils, charitable trust grants, individual donations (one-off and monthly via website/JustGiving/Stripe), workplace giving through Benevity, challenge-event fundraising, corporate partnerships, and legacies. Services to end users are free, with the sole paid element being acupuncture at £10/session. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery infrastructure is human-staffed and physical-site-based.

Name

Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham & Redbridge

Legal name

Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge

Website

https://mindthnr.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Community advocacy
• Crisis support
• Peer support
• Wellbeing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through website, bank transfer, JustGiving, workplace giving via Benevity platform, and event fundraising (marathons, challenges). Organization relies heavily on public donations.
2. Charitable Grants and Public Sector Funding: Funding from NHS England, local authorities (Tower Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge councils), and charitable trusts. Barnsley Street project is a pilot with NHS England support. IAPT employment service delivered in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust.
3. Service Charges: Minimal charges for specific services; acupuncture sessions at £10 per session. Most services are free to users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge is a registered charity delivering free community-based mental health services across three East London boroughs. Its portfolio includes crisis cafés, independent mental health advocacy, talking therapies referral support (IAPT), navigation, one-to-one recovery support, employment support, suicide prevention, peer-led groups, and culturally-targeted services such as the Sakinah Project for Muslim women. Services are delivered in person at community venues, by phone, and via online self-referral, and are largely free to users.

Product overview

Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge is a mental health charity providing a comprehensive portfolio of community-based services across three London boroughs. The organization operates as a collection of interconnected services and projects, including crisis support (Together Café, Safe Connections), advocacy services (Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Adolescent Advocacy), employment support (IAPT Employment Service), community support (Navigation Service, One-to-One Support, Community Connectors), peer-led programs (Peer Development, Recovery Groups), and dedicated services for specific communities (Sakinah Project for Muslim Women, School-based Counselling). Key projects include the flagship Connecting Communities initiative, the Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre offering 24/7 support, and the Safe Space Café providing a community hub. Services are delivered through co-production with people with lived experience, with most groups led by peer leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tower Hamlets Independent Mental Health Advocacy One-to-one independent advocacy for Tower Hamlets residents, helping individuals express their views, explore options, understand their rights and access mental health services. Free, confidential and independent.
• IAPT Employment Service Employment support for Tower Hamlets Talking Therapies users, including finding work, returning after sickness or parental leave, and workplace wellbeing support. Delivered in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust.
• Navigation Service Helps individuals access services and support across Tower Hamlets for issues affecting mental health, including housing, bereavement, financial struggles, employment and NHS care. The navigation team contacts referrals within 3 working days.
• One-to-One Mental Health Support Longer-term one-to-one support from recovery workers who help individuals work towards personal goals related to mental health recovery, providing both emotional and practical support.
• Newham Together Café Crisis café in Stratford providing a safe place for Newham residents experiencing mental health crisis. Open evenings, weekends and bank holidays without requiring a referral, offering emotional and practical support.
• Safe Connections Suicide Prevention Self-referral service providing up to 6 weekly sessions offering a warm, safe space to explore suicidal feelings, triggers and underlying causes. Available in Barking and Dagenham, City & Hackney, Havering, and Waltham Forest.
• Sakinah Project (Support for Muslim Women and Girls) Safe space for Muslim women in Tower Hamlets to share challenges and experiences of mental health. Includes the Young Sakinah strand, with weekly sessions across multiple locations offering storytelling, activities, and peer support.
• Recovery and Wellbeing Groups and Activities Groups and activities offering opportunities to meet people, share experiences, learn and make friends. Includes mindfulness, creative writing, cycling, Somali support group, Bangladeshi men's group, and music groups.
• Connecting Communities Flagship project supporting people with mental health challenges in Tower Hamlets, integrating navigation, welfare and housing support, one-to-one support, recovery groups, Safe Space Café and Activate Café.
• School-based Counselling Counselling service working with an all-through school in Newham to support children navigating difficult issues including family problems, bullying, self-harm, health issues, low mood or anxiety.
• Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre 24/7 community-based mental health support hub offering around-the-clock access without appointments. A diverse team including psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists and peer support workers deliver clinical and non-clinical support, with guest beds for short stays. Piloted for specific Bethnal Green GP patients.
• Safe Space Café Community café at Open House serving hot drinks and wholesome meals, using surplus food from supermarkets via The Felix Project and Old Spike Roastery. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10:30am to 3:00pm, with affordable pricing.
• Mindful Barista Project 12-week volunteer placement at the Safe Space Café developing skills and work experience. Volunteers gain a Level 2 Food and Hygiene qualification and a pathway to employment, supported by Old Spike Roastery's training programme.
• Peer Development Programme Empowers people with lived experience to support others through peer leadership training, peer-led groups and co-production committee involvement.
• Community Connectors Community Connectors helping people with serious mental illnesses access community support. They work with NHS multi-disciplinary teams to address wider issues such as debt, housing, employment and isolation, including dedicated Older Adults and Newham strands.
• Newham Independent Adolescent Advocacy Advocacy service for young people aged 12-18 admitted to the Coborn Centre for Adolescent Mental Health, supporting them to understand their rights and make their voices heard during hospital stays, ward rounds and meetings.
• Activate Café Free twice-monthly get-together featuring presentations on health and wellbeing, music and crafts, storytelling, and visitors from local services. Held at Open House, 13 Whitethorn Street, Bow.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovery and wellbeing through community connection
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Foundation Trust providing clinical mental health services. Partnership covers IAPT employment service, Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre, Community Connectors in Tower Hamlets, and Newham Together Café. ELFT provides psychiatrists, nurses, and clinical staff while Mind THNR provides peer support and community engagement.
• Look Ahead Care and SupportsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing and support charity partner at Barnsley Street Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre, providing support services alongside clinical and community partners.
• Asian People's Disability Alliance (APDA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance at Barnsley Street, providing culturally sensitive mental health and peer support for Asian Disabled people.
• Carers Centre Tower HamletssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance providing support for people caring informally for loved ones with mental health challenges.
• Working Well TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance providing employment support for individuals with mental health challenges.
• Women's Inclusive Team (WIT)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance providing mental health support to Black and ethnic minority communities, with specialist support for women and people experiencing domestic abuse.
• Social Action for Health (SAFH)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Tower Hamlets Mental Health Alliance running Wellbeing Wednesdays at Brady Arts Centre - exercise and social group for men with Bengali language support.
• The Felix ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity providing weekly surplus food donations from supermarkets and businesses to Safe Space Café. Food is used to prepare nutritious meals, supporting sustainability and combating food waste.
• Old Spike RoasterysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise coffee supplier for Safe Space Café. Their 8-week training programme supports mental health, barista skills, and employment pathways.
• The Castle GardensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity garden in Stoke Newington providing fresh, organic produce to Safe Space Café. Supports local sustainability efforts using seasonally grown produce within a 5-mile radius.
• Community LinkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partnership providing Community Connectors in Newham alongside Aston-Mansfield Community Centre and NHS ELFT.
• Aston-Mansfield Community CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center partnership providing Community Connectors in Newham alongside Community Links and NHS ELFT.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Rethink Mental Illness: Major UK mental health charity providing services, advice, and campaign work for people affected by severe mental illness. Broad portfolio but closely comparable charitable model and service mix (advocacy, groups, employment, helplines).
• Samaritans: Nationwide UK listening and crisis support charity. Comparable charitable crisis support positioning but operates a volunteer listener model rather than clinical/advocacy services.
• Mind (National): National federation of around 140 Local Minds and the brand parent of Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge. Operates across England and Wales with information, policy, and grant programs; comparable as the umbrella for the same community mental health mission.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: UK charity supporting people with mental health needs through housing, advocacy, and community services. Comparable multi-service community model and similar reliance on local authority and NHS commissioning.

Direct peers

• Mind in Haringey: North London Local Mind offering talking therapies, advocacy, and wellbeing groups. Closely comparable borough-level community mental health charity with similar funding mix.
• Mind in Camden: A London Local Mind operating across one borough with mental health advocacy, wellbeing services, and community programmes. Direct comp in scale, service mix, and Local Mind delivery model.
• Mind in Hammersmith and Fulham: Local Mind covering a West London borough with counselling, advocacy, and community programmes; Brian Hanley of Mind THNR previously worked here — direct model and staffing analogy.

Others

• Centre for Mental Health: UK mental health research and policy charity influencing commissioners. Adjacent peer — informs the same funding environment Mind THNR operates in, but does not deliver community services.
• East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT): NHS mental health and community health provider partnering with Mind THNR on IAPT employment, Barnsley Street, and Community Connectors. Strategic partner/commissioner more than competitor; comparable as the dominant local clinical provider in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Bipolar UK: UK charity supporting people affected by bipolar through peer groups, information, and advocacy. Comparable niche mental health charity model with peer-led services, smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mindthnr
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100089783203114
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mind-in-tower-hamlets-newham-redbridge
• Instagraminstagram.com/mindthnr
• TikToktiktok.com/@mindthnr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham & Redbridge