First things first, what's your name?
Matt King
What charity do you work for?
Trust Links
And what's your role at Trust Links?
CEO
Which causes does Trust Links support and what work do you do?
Trust Links focuses on mental health, well-being and the environment.
We run: Growing Together therapeutic community gardens for adults with mental health problems and learning disabilities; REACH Well-being Hub and Recovery College improving mental health and well-being; and youth mental health support.
What sort of things do you use donations for?
We use donations for essential items at our project such as seeds, tools, compost and plants at our Growing Together therapeutic community gardens as well as staff to run our projects and support our members.
What have you worked on that you're most proud of?
At Growing Together Shoeburyness, our members have built a large labyrinth - a meditative pathway for people to walk around, divided by hedging made up of herbs, flowers and sensory plants.
It is a beautiful, reflective and transformational space and we have won a national Green Flag award for the Best Health Initiative.
What are the biggest challenges still to overcome?
We have increasing demand for our mental health services, as so many people have suffered through the Covid pandemic. Issues are getting more complex and entrenched.
Other than donating, what’s the one thing people can do to support your charity and its mission?
Tell everyone you know about Trust Links! You can come and visit our wonderful sites, then share our social media posts and talk to other people about our projects.
Support Trust Links by downloading the Toucan app.
