A CHARITY that has been a pillar of strength for people suffering with mental health issues for almost 20 years is to close its doors for the final time later this year.

The Service User Network Swindon, better known to many as SUNS, was established in 1998 to provide a voice for those attempting to navigate the often complex system of mental health treatment and support.

In 2013, amid a wave of budget cuts, SUNS saw its annual council grant of £92,000 taken away.

Since then, the small team tasked with running the charity has had to search for new sources of income to allow them to provide the crucial emotional and psychological support that service users across the town have come to rely on.

While fundraising drives have helped to keep the service going, albeit in a reduced form over the years, almost four years on the challenge of self-financing has become too great. SUNS is expecting to close by October.

“They took all our money away and we’ve been self-financed ever since,” said chairman Ann Mooney. “We’ve fought and fought to keep going.

“They just won’t realise that they have a fantastic service user organisation in Swindon who knows what is needed here.

“We’ve been working so hard doing tombolas and all that sort of stuff but it’s not enough.

“Over the years we’ve done so much. We’ve saved so many lives in Swindon.

“The police used to send people to us, the ambulance used to ask us to call people who were persistently contacting them and needed someone to talk to.

“We help people understand their benefit forms, we go to appointments with them, we really do everything we can for people.”

One of the things that sets SUNS apart from other groups is that the team behind it are service users themselves, they have struggled and are still struggling with their mental health and have experienced the system first hand.

“We’re the people that are ill ourselves,” said Ann. “We’ve been through it and know what it’s like.

“AWP (the local mental health trust) don’t like us but we need to hold them accountable.”

The news will come as a further blow to mental health service users in Swindon after the announcement last week that the Place of Safety at Sandalwood Court is to close, but Ann is keen to stress that she and her team are not disappearing completely.

While SUNS will close, Ann is determined to continue providing support in a more informal way, most likely as an informal support group once a week.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland has urged the relevant organisations to work with the SUNS team to find ways to fill the gap that their departure will leave behind.

“SUNS has made a huge contribution to the support of people with mental health conditions in Swindon,” he said. “I want to pay warm tribute to Ann Mooney and the team for everything they have done over the years.

“I would urge mental health agencies to work with SUNS as they move towards closure in order to ensure that mental health service users get the continuity of support that they need.”