Shine Lincolnshire is a regional mental health and wellbeing charity working across Lincolnshire and beyond to connect people, communities and services.
Our mission is to connect people and communities by promoting health, wellbeing, independence and choice. We believe everyone deserves to live a life of value, with access to the right support, opportunities and connections to enable them to Shine.
Founded in 2011, Shine began with one part-time member of staff and a simple aim: to bridge the gap between individuals, communities and statutory services. We have grown considerably since then, but that purpose remains at the heart of everything we do. Today, our team works across mental health, community development, learning, training, funding, peer support and children and young people’s services.
We believe strong, connected communities play an important role in supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Our Community Connectors work within local communities to build relationships, connect people with support and opportunities, strengthen existing groups and identify gaps where something new may be needed. We work alongside residents, community organisations and statutory services to help create support that reflects the needs of local people.
We also produce Shine Connect, our quarterly community magazine. Written with and for communities across Lincolnshire, it shares local stories, activities, opportunities and information alongside a comprehensive directory of support services. Printed copies are distributed throughout the county, helping information reach people both online and offline.
Our community venues provide welcoming, non-clinical spaces where people can meet others, take part in activities and access support.
Bert House in Horncastle offers a regular programme of groups, activities, one-to-one support and opportunities to connect with others.
Our Betty’s Corner Training and Development Hub in Lincoln provides a dedicated base for learning and training, while our community café at the Norton Lea mental health ward in Boston provides another space for people to come together.
Through Wright Way Sports & Education, we also support children, young people and families through sport, education, youth activities and community programmes, including provision from our youth centre in Cherry Willingham.
Our Mental Health Peer Support Workers use their own lived experience of mental health challenges and services to support others.
Working alongside local mental health teams, they provide compassionate, person-centred and non-clinical support, helping people build confidence, identify their goals, access community opportunities and navigate the support available to them.
We deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid, Suicide First Aid and Physical First Aid training to individuals, communities, organisations and businesses, giving people practical skills and confidence to support others when it matters most.
Alongside this, our Adult Learning programme provides accessible learning opportunities designed to develop confidence, knowledge, wellbeing and practical life skills. For some people this may support a journey towards volunteering, further learning or employment; for others, it is about greater independence, connection and personal development.
We recognise that local communities understand their own needs best.
Shine administers community funding programmes on behalf of partners, supporting grassroots organisations to develop projects and interventions that respond directly to local need.
Through Shine Together, we also provide infrastructure support to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations, helping them develop areas such as governance, funding, volunteering, partnerships and sustainability.
Our work takes many different forms, but it is all connected by the same purpose.
Whether someone visits one of our community spaces, meets a Community Connector, receives peer support, attends a course, joins a Wright Way activity, picks up a copy of Shine Connect or benefits from a project we have helped to fund, our aim is the same:
To help people feel connected, supported and able to live a life of value.
By listening, collaborating and working alongside communities and partners, we want to create healthier, more connected and more resilient communities across Lincolnshire and beyond.
