Suffolk User Forum

What Suffolk User Forum does

Suffolk User Forum (SUF) is an independent, lived experience-led registered charity and company (Registered Charity 1133457; Company 06946785) headquartered in Kesgrave, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK. The organization speaks up for people living with severe and enduring mental ill health in Suffolk, providing mental health advocacy, peer support, suicide prevention initiatives, and co-production programs that allow service users to shape local mental health services directly. Its core offerings include inpatient and community advocacy, the Healthy Together peer support program, the Lived Experience Group and My Voice Champions volunteer bodies, Stepping Forward events, the LISTEN suicide prevention campaign, and an A-Z Signposting Directory of mental health resources, alongside specialized pathways for Long COVID, eating disorders, and Borderline Personality Disorder. The underlying operating model is fundamentally human-led: services are co-produced with people with lived experience of mental ill health, and the technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website, email newsletters, and social media rather than a software platform. SUF is funded jointly by the Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, and Suffolk County Council through the Suffolk Mental Health Pooled Fund, with services provided at no cost to members and supplementary donation income. The organization is led by CEO Jayne Stevens under a Board of Trustees chaired by Guenever Pachent, with a formal three-year strategy running 2026-2029.

Name

Suffolk User Forum

Legal name

Suffolk User Forum

Website

https://suffolkuserforum.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suffolk User Forum is an independent, lived experience-led charity providing mental health advocacy, peer support, and co-production services to people with severe mental ill health in Suffolk, UK, funded by NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and Suffolk County Council via the Suffolk Mental Health Pooled Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Support Communities (BPAMABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC)

Keywords

• Mental health advocacy
• Peer support services
• Co-production programmes
• Lived experience networks
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Ipswich, Suffolk

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Suffolk User Forum is an independent, lived-experience-led charity that provides free mental health advocacy and peer support services to people living with severe and enduring mental ill health across Suffolk. Its core offerings include community-based and inpatient advocacy, the Healthy Together peer support programme, suicide prevention (LISTEN) resources, lived experience co-production groups (LEG, My Voice Champions), and an A-Z Signposting Directory of mental health and wellbeing services in the region.

Product overview

Suffolk User Forum (SUF) is an independent, lived experience-led mental health advocacy organization offering a portfolio of interconnected support services rather than a technology product. Core services include mental health advocacy (inpatient and community-based), peer support programs (Healthy Together), and lived experience groups (LEG, My Voice Champions). The organization operates community engagement initiatives through Stepping Forward events, produces biannual newsletters, and maintains an A-Z Signposting Directory of mental health resources across Suffolk. Additional specialized support covers suicide prevention (LISTEN campaign), Long COVID recovery, eating disorders, and Borderline Personality Disorder. All services are co-produced with people who have lived experience of mental ill health, reflecting the organization's 'nothing about us without us' motto.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Advocacy Services Independent advocacy services for individuals living with severe mental ill health, helping them have their voices heard in health and social care decisions.
• Healthy Together Peer Support Peer support programme connecting individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges to share experiences and provide mutual support.
• Inpatient Peer Advocacy Advocacy services for individuals receiving inpatient mental health care, offering ward-based drop-in sessions and information about rights.
• LISTEN for Suicide Prevention Suicide prevention initiative providing guidance and resources for individuals working with people in emotional distress or mental health crisis.
• Lived Experience Group (LEG) Closed group of volunteers examining specific topics related to ongoing co-production initiatives, providing lived-experience perspectives on mental health services.
• Stepping Forward Events Community engagement events focused on mental health strategy development, suicide prevention, and crisis care alternatives, bringing together service users, carers, and professionals.
• A-Z Signposting Directory Comprehensive directory of mental health and wellbeing support services across Suffolk, covering advocacy, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicide support, and young people's services.
• Thrive with Five Project focused on supporting mental health and wellbeing through community-based initiatives.
• Long COVID Recovery Support Specialised support services for individuals experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19 on their mental health and wellbeing.
• Living with Eating Disorders Support Support services and resources for individuals living with eating disorders, providing information and community connection.
• Support for BPD Specialised support services for individuals living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), including resources and community connections.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: The UK's largest mental health charity, operating local Mind associations delivering advocacy, peer support, and information services. Comparable to SUF's advocacy and signposting offering but at significantly greater scale and with national brand recognition.
• Rethink Mental Illness: Large UK national mental health charity providing advocacy, support groups, and service directories across England. Overlaps with SUF's lived-experience and advocacy mission but at national scale and with a broader service portfolio.
• SANE: UK mental health charity offering helpline, peer support, and campaigning services. Comparable to SUF on suicide prevention and community awareness, with similar volunteer-supported delivery model.
• Mental Health Foundation: UK national mental health charity focused on prevention, research, and policy, with growing community-based programming. Comparable to SUF on mental health awareness and information-provision remit, though with a research/policy orientation rather than direct advocacy delivery.

Direct peers

• VoiceAbility: UK-wide independent advocacy charity providing Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) and broader statutory advocacy services. Closely comparable to SUF's inpatient and community advocacy work, with overlapping commissioner base and similar volunteer-driven advocacy model.
• POhWER: Large UK independent advocacy charity delivering statutory and mental health advocacy. Operates the same IMHA/inpatient advocacy model as SUF and competes for the same CCG and local-authority contracts across English regions.
• Together for Mental Wellbeing: UK charity supporting people with mental health needs through advocacy, peer support, and community-based services. Comparable to SUF in operating model, lived-experience ethos, and reliance on local-authority/NHS funding for delivery across defined UK geographies.
• Advocacy Focus: UK independent advocacy charity delivering IMHA, NHS complaints, and community advocacy services. Highly comparable to SUF on service mix, lived-experience values, and dependence on local commissioner funding.

Others

• Centre for Mental Health: UK mental health policy and research charity producing evidence used by NHS commissioners. Thematically adjacent to SUF — both engage with the same Suffolk and national commissioners — but focused on research/influence rather than direct advocacy delivery.

Regional players

• Richmond Fellowship: UK charity providing mental health support, advocacy, and recovery services, including peer-led programmes similar to SUF's Healthy Together. Operates regionally but with overlapping service design and lived-experience principles.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/suffolk-user-forum

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 Suffolk User Forum