As we look back on 2025, the Devon Mental Health Alliance would like to thank all of our incredible staff who have made such a difference to our 3000+ service users this year. Including our Sessional Recovery Practitioners who, week after week, create welcoming, inclusive spaces, for our Devon-wide Mental Health and Recovery Drop-ins. This December, our Drop-in groups have come up with their own ways to celebrate the end of the year, from wreath making to group dinners to Christmas parties.

In Holsworthy and Bideford, Recovery Practitioner Lisa collected materials for the wreath making workshop from her garden and the groups came together to make sentimental wreaths ahead of the festive period. Lisa said “Everyone involved enjoyed choosing materials and went away with a beautiful wreath and a smile. It was lovely to see people engaging and supporting each other to produce something fabulous, which surprised several people who didn't think they would be able to create anything!”

Throughout the year, many of our Drop-ins have have enjoyed regular visits from local services and taking part in wellbeing activities. In Honiton, the Mental Health Drop-in has welcomed visits from both the Devon County Council Family Hub service as well as the Devon Partnership Trust Research team this Autumn term. Sessional Recovery Practitioner Esther expressed what this means to service users who now can “put faces to online forms and breaking barriers to engagement”. Community members were able to find out more about services offered by the Family Hubs, and get specialised support for issues, such as housing, education, domestic abuse, and more.

DPT Researchers introduced drop-in attendees to studies around mental health, helping the community to become active participants, using their lived experience to impact mental healthcare. These connections help researchers gain better insight into the care people want and need, and community members are empowered to share their experiences. Esther continued “Building strong working relationships between community spaces and the wider infrastructure of mental health care and support feels like a hugely positive step for system change, creating a safety net around our community members and recognising the importance of their knowledge and experience.”

In Plymouth, Adrian Bruce from Livewell Southwest regularly supports the Mental Health and Recovery Drop-ins. We spoke with Adrian about why he thinks the Drop-ins are so important. Adrian said “Working alongside amazing staff from Livewell, MIND, and the Devon Mental Health Alliance has provided that safe space for people to get clarity and fill those voids. Mental health support has a big role in our community, where it matters, and this is why the drop-in is genuinely making a difference and will continue to grow, how can I not love Thursdays”.

There are many opportunities that our Mental Health and Recovery Drop-ins offer communities. At the very heart, the most important opportunity is always building new connections. Our Drop-ins have provided service users with over 3000 opportunities to connect this year.

Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited to bring new initiatives into the forefront of our work. Including our Winter Warmers campaign, running across our Drop-ins from January-May 2026. The DMHA have teamed up with Mental Health Matters to run weekly ‘Winter Warmer’ sessions across Devon. These will be friendly, welcoming spaces to help you stay well throughout the colder months. The sessions are free and open to all adults (18+). Whether you’d like to pop in just once or come along regularly, you’ll always be welcome. You can have a one-to-one chat with a member of our team, get help connecting with other services, or simply take a break and enjoy a hot drink. Learn more about our Winter Warmers via the button below:

Winter Warmers

If you have any questions regarding our drop-ins, you can email us at drop-ins@mentalhealthdevon.co.uk. If you’d prefer a call, simply include your phone number in your message and we’ll be happy to ring you back.

You can view our full Drop-ins offer, including our Winter Warmers, on our Main Drop-ins page

To all of our communities and fellow organisations, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

See you in 2026!