The Creative Voices Collective (CVC) is a Community Interest Company established to promote sustainable, community-based mental health improvement through creativity, connection, and peer support. CVC primarily operates within the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark and their neighbouring communities, working with adults experiencing mental health distress, including those who hear voices or experience other sensory phenomena. During the financial year, CVC secured funding to establish and deliver Expressive Voices, a weekly open creative group for local residents experiencing auditory and sensory phenomena. The group has been running consistently for over six months and offers a safe, non-judgemental, and supportive environment where participants can explore their experiences through conversation, movement, and visual art. Expressive Voices supports participants’ mental well-being by reducing isolation, encouraging self-expression, and fostering a sense of belonging and mutual understanding through shared experience. Alongside this, CVC delivered a range of creative mental health workshops, training sessions, and facilitated away days for community organisations and partner services. These activities supported staff and participants to engage creatively with mental health, strengthen reflective practice, and build emotionally supportive environments within their organisations. This financial year also focused significantly on research, reflection, and organisational development. CVC undertook evaluation of its delivery, engaged in consultation with participants and partners, and worked with mentors to review impact and identify areas for growth. This work has informed a strategic plan to expand and upscale CVC’s programmes and organisational capacity in the following financial year, ensuring services remain responsive, sustainable, and rooted in community need. Through its creative, relational, and psychologically informed approach, CVC has continued to benefit the community by providing accessible mental health support, strengthening community connections, and laying the foundations for longer-term impact and growth.

Creative Voices Collective (CVC) prioritises the co-production of services and programmes that meet the needs of our community. To ensure our work remains relevant and impactful, we actively engage in consultation with stakeholders, including participants, partner organisations, facilitators, artists, and community members. Stakeholder Consultation Approach: CVC collaborates with a research partner (TRUE Research) to evaluate, review, and monitor both individual services and the organisation as a whole. This process includes: a. Feedback Forms – Distributed to participants and facilitators to gather structured input on experiences and areas for improvement. b. In-Person Conversations – Informal and formal discussions with community members to understand emerging needs. c. Group Reflections – Sessions with participants and stakeholders to assess impact and inform programme development. Outcomes of Stakeholder Consultation: a. The Expressive Voices hearing voices group was developed in direct response to community discussions highlighting the lack of supportive creative spaces for individuals experiencing auditory and sensory phenomena. b. Plans for the upcoming year - including an ambassador programme, creative wellbeing gatherings training sessions, consistent creative spaces, and improved accessibility support - have all been shaped by insights gathered from participants and collaborators. c. We are actively working on strengthening our consultation structures to ensure that community voices continue to shape our future programmes. Company Governance and Stakeholder Engagement: CVC’s Board of Directors comprises: a. Esme Green b. Nicole Manchester c. Aidah Namugenyi The Board meets every other month, and meetings are open to anyone interested in or supporting CVC’s mission. CVC also has seven honorary voluntary members from the community and relevant sectors who contribute to these discussions. Meeting minutes are kept online and made accessible to all members. Within CVC, volunteers, participants, artists, creators, and the Board are all considered members while actively engaged in our work, ensuring a collective and inclusive approach to decision-making.

For the financial year the amount of £4,680 is paid or payable to the director Esme Green for their services to the company.

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration