Updated: Innovation Fund granted to writing for wellbeing social startup OutPour
The Devon Mental Health Alliance Innovation Fund has been awarded to social enterprise OutPour by our Community Mental Health Development Leads in Torbay & South Devon.
OutPour is a new social enterprise based in Newton Abbot, which encourages people to create and co-create stories, poems, and song lyrics for wellbeing, to facilitate personal growth, mindfulness, and greater self-awareness. No previous experience is necessary and all levels of literacy are catered for, with individually tailored sessions and workshops, making the process beneficial to a wide range of people with varying needs.
OutPour founder Debbie Jeffery
OutPour’s founder, Debbie Jeffery, helps to capture thoughts and ideas using gentle prompts, word association, free writing, and music in a relaxed, enjoyable way which promotes creativity without pressure to share or feel judged. It’s uplifting, unexpected, and inclusive.
People tell me emphatically that they can’t write, have never written, and have absolutely no interest in writing — then they produce the most wonderful poem or story that leaves them amazed,” Debbie explains.
“I was delighted to learn that OutPour had been selected for financial support from the Alliance’s Innovation Fund, which will pay for a new website (outpour.org.uk), leaflets, and other marketing tools, helping to literally spread the word in Devon. It will also release funds, enabling me to offer some free taster sessions in Newton Abbot.”
Update January 2024:
Debbie has provided the following update about OutPour’s work:
“Since starting OutPour a year ago, I’ve delivered workshops, offered free one-to-one sessions for people with mental health struggles, written poetry with a former psychiatric patient, talked about writing for wellbeing with a menopause group, and even given an outdoor workshop in an Italian garden! All of this started with the funding, which paid for my website, leaflets, roller banner, and enabled me to offer free workshops and sessions. I’ve been able to help so many people and spread the word through articles and even live on the radio.”
You can visit OutPour’s new website here: www.outpour.org.uk
