Cumbria Police & Crime Commissioner visits Turning Point mental health service

Peter McCall, Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, recently visited Gulliver House – a mental health supported living service run by Turning Point.

The visit comes as Turning Point is awarded funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Property Fund to help improve opportunities for service users. The money will go towards helping service users re-integrate into their community through various activities.

Mr McCall met service users and was able to see what a difference the funding will make to individuals, and importantly, how it helps meet some of the aims of the police and crime plan.

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall said: ‘I am delighted to be able to provide Turning Point with funding. I am a great believer in ‘we, not they’, therefore working with organisations such as Turning Point in order to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and help keep our vulnerable people safe is very much part of my vision.

‘It is rewarding to see the changes to the individuals through positive experiences and the chance to learn new skills. This in turn helps people to make a positive contribution to society, demonstrating that people can change by making a positive choice to avoid being drawn into crime.’

Emma Coverdale, Team Leader at Gulliver House said: ‘These funds will go a long way to ensuring people who access support at Gulliver House are able to re-integrate into their community and live independently through learning new life skills such as building their communication skills.

‘We are very thankful to the Police and Crime Commissioner for recognising the importance of supporting people with mental health issues to build their confidence, helping them on their journey to recovery.’

Gulliver House is a 24 hour supported living, recovery and rehabilitation service in West Cumbria that provides intensive support to nine individuals with significant mental health issues to encourage them to take control over their own life situation. For more information, visit http://www.turning-point.co.uk/gulliver-house.aspx