Community Cash Fund: Wiltshire Hearing Voices Group

Wiltshire Hearing Voices Group provides a safe and non-judgemental space for people with unusual sensory experiences - such as hearing, seeing, feeling, sensing and tasting things that others do not - to share experiences and coping strategies. 

Healthwatch Wiltshire's grant was used to fund the group for a year, and for them to host focus groups to gather feedback on services. 

Gavin Perry‑Harry, Peer and Volunteer Co-ordinator, at Rethink Mental Illness, said:​

"During the year, an average of seven individuals attended – the majority of whom got no mental health support outside of the group. Most people who attended had chronic mental health issues, which, in many cases, had marred their lives for decades.

"The grant was used to provide a safe space where individuals could give and receive peer support about experiences that included hearing, seeing, sensing, tasting and smelling things others do not. This resulted in the formation of friendships that then became an important part of people’s support networks. Stigma and discrimination meant that many members had few people to talk about their experiences outside of the group.

"During the year there were three occasions when group members gave feedback to Healthwatch Wiltshire on the health and social care services that they had accessed. This was invaluable as it gave members a voice and made them feel that their experiences might bring about change. One volunteer (who was previously a group member) also produced a short video to document his experiences of attending the group.

"The Wiltshire Hearing Voices Group is a lifeline for its members. It helps to normalise people’s experiences of hearing voices, reducing feelings of shame, isolation and marginalisation. It has been truly transformational for its members – several of whom now refer to the group as their family."