About Us

Make, Do and Mend was founded in 2010 in Cambridge by a small group of people with personal and familial experience of mental ill-health. We wanted to break down the social isolation and stigma that many people experience when they are unwell and we wanted people to be able to take an active part in their community in order to increase their self-esteem, confidence and well-being.

We are an organisation run by and for its members and our aim is to provide a safe space for people who experience mental health distress to meet, socialise and learn new skills. We do this through providing a range of free strengths-based workshops and events which are inspired by our members and run by volunteers. We adapt and add new workshops as our numbers grow or the needs of our community change.

We produce a monthly calendar available on our homepage which details what is happening and when. This includes workshops at Castle Street Methodist Church, The Whitehill Allotments and other local events.

‘’Before Make, Do and Mend, I was just stuck at home doing nothing except watching TV. MDAM has allowed me an opportunity to socialise, increased my confidence and given me somewhere to go and learn new skills. MDAM got me out into the open and encouraged me to engage with other human beings! It gave me structure in my day and a way to meet people. It has given me confidence to walk out the front door and a new reason to get up in the morning.’’

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Our Team

Our team is committed to helping people get the most out of our charity’s work and experience a great sense of reward from working in a supportive environment.

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Everyone has personal experience of mental health distress. Everyone has something to contribute or learn and there is little distinction between those attending as members and our team as we hope to build a sense of community and family.

Make, Do and Mend is a grass-roots organisation facilitated by a mix of volunteers and when funding allows, a few part-time staff do supported permitted work, supported by our board of trustees. If you are interested in becoming a trustee please click the button below to find out more.

Our Management

Hilly Day

Chair Trustee

My connection with Cambridge goes back to the time of my great-grandparents, who ran a farm just off Coldhams Lane. I brought up my family here and have always felt that it was home.

From my work in international education, I’ve learnt about communication across different cultures, and the importance of community to our well-being.

I’m the chair of Make, Do and Mend and I’ve been involved since we started. Our ethos of helping and supporting each other is at the core of everything we do.

Tahaa Butt

Trustee

I relocated from Manchester to Cambridge in 2000 and although I have lived in many places since, Cambridge has always felt like home.

No other city matches the kindness and sense of community within Cambridge and this is largely incorporated in MDAM’s work, in helping those suffering from mental health distress and isolation.

I have a background in marketing, business development and healthcare branding and hope I can utilise my skillset in helping to continue MDAM’s organisational growth.

Rasik Kotecha

Trustee

By profession, I’m an accountant and came to Cambridge over 40 years ago to work for Philips. When the Philips office in Cambridge closed, I decided it was time to try running my own company and I have been managing director of Securesafe Ltd since 1998.

From seeing the experiences of others, I know how important it is that people with mental health issues get support and how important it is that they have the opportunity in a relaxed environment to do productive activities. I know that some people feel ashamed of mental health issues and try to keep them secret which is very damaging.

As well as financial expertise and experience of fundraising with other charities I hope that I can work with Make do and Mend to build links with the local community to help to change the perceptions of mental health.

Our Funders

Make, Do and Mend are supported entirely by the generous time and skills of its members and volunteers, and donations from individuals and grants.

We’d like to thank the following organisations for their help:

Castle Street Methodist Church Logo

Castle Street Methodist Church

Castle Street Methodist Church for the use of their premises and donations from their monthly coffee mornings.

Cambridge City Council Community Grants Logo

Cambridge City Council

Cambridge City Council for a grant to support us in running our activities from 2022-23

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Groundwork

Groundwork, as part of the Big Help Out in July 2023, for providing a team of corporate volunteers to help us tidy up our allotment.

Our previous funders have included:

  • Tesco Bags of Help
  • Marks and Spencer
  • Asda
  • Greggs Foundation
  • TCHC for Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund
  • Waitrose
  • John Lewis
  • Rotary Club of Cambridge South
  • Cambridgeshire County Council