Delays to the relaunch of the MASH Meet & Eat sessions

source: Catalyst/Tippa Naphtali

published: 9 October 2024

Regrettably, we were unable to announce the Summer 2024 return of the MASH Meet & Eat sessions that were so popular until they were discontinued in early 2019 due to a lack of funding resources.

The very first eat-out had taken place in November 2017.

This was due to significant staff changes and a temporary lack of staff capacity to complete the preparation work to complete the delivery of this service.

With the help of a small project award from the LEx Leaders Training Programme in 2023 and from other sources, we will be able to set aside a small bursary fund to assist any participants experiencing serious financial hardship - for all other attendees there will be a small charge of between £10.00 - £12.50 per session. All such charges will go back into the bursary fund.

In addition to this, the engagement and organising of the programme will be driven under the support and guidance of Tippa Naphtali (Central Services & Development Director) and other community development staff.

So, what is Meet & Eat?

It is simply about enjoying relaxed evenings with good food and company (helping to alleviate isolation and loneliness), while sampling fine multicultural cuisine from around Birmingham, Sandwell and, eventually, the wider Black Country.

The sessions will be open to anyone with lived experience of mental health issues, their carers, friends and support staff from all sorts of agencies.

Tippa Naphtali said; "We're simply taking a thing that we all do in everyday life, tweaking it and injecting a little resource, to ensure that those who do not often enjoy socialising in this way, can do so in an affordable and safe space, with familiar people around them."

When will Meet & Eat sessions start?

We hope to commence sometime between March and May 2025 once we have been able to secure discounted meal-deals with various restaurants and establishments. Initially the sessions will be Birmingham-based, but we hope to role these out in other areas in future.

Though not the primary purpose of Meet & Eat, we may also use these meal sessions to listen to any service user general concerns, and consider those of others present!

Want to hear more?

Be sure to keep up with future developments by signing up for the Catalyst 4 Change e-newsletter, if you have not already done so Click here. See the MASH Newsletter Archive. Click here

Mentoring & Advocacy Support Hub (MASH):

After almost a  7-year gap in service delivery due to loss of funding, MASH is looking like it has a brighter future now that it features centrally with the Catalyst 4 Change community development plan as announced at its Annual CommUNITY Assembly in 2023.

Following the end of Phase 2 of the 300 Voices Project, The Peer Support Programme (renamed as MASH) secured funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office for a further year to March 2017 - at this point the service was sadly closed.

For more information or if you are able to help please contact Tippa Naphtali:
Mob/Message: 07874 926 246 or 0844 884 3133
Email: tippa@catalyst4change.org.uk