Comedian Jo Brand joins Newbury group supporting vulnerable adults as they achieve charitable status

NEWBURY based Creative Communities have been awarded Registered Charity Status by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. This milestone marks a significant step forward in their mission to support vulnerable adults through structured, creative courses and workshops and community engagement across West Berkshire and the whole of the South East.

They also have new charity Patron - comedian Jo Brand!

As a passionate advocate for mental health, Jo’s experiences from her early work as a psychiatric nurse and her long-standing support for people with special educational needs and mental ill health makes her the perfect endorsement for everything Creative Communities stands for.

“The team are incredibly honoured to have her support,” said artist Tanya Reid.”

Co-founders and joint CEOs of the charity, Tanya Reid and Sarah Hemmings have spent the last five years working tirelessly to deliver impactful, creative courses and workshops to vulnerable adults across the region, including those with mental and physical health conditions, adults with special educational needs and older adults with age related illnesses and Dementia.

They hope this new charity status will unlock vital long-term funding, providing future sustainability for existing learners, as well as the ability to grow and expand to reach more vulnerable adults in need of support.

“It’s been a tough year for us, as it has been for many organisations. Our courses continue to grow in numbers, but funding has not kept pace. We are completely not for profit and even where we have fee paying courses, all the proceeds go straight back into running our free provision out in the community – in social housing schemes, in schools, carehomes and daycentres.

“This provision is so needed now, more than ever. For so many of our participants, barriers to learning and participation are already present and a real challenge, and if there was any cost to our sessions, this would create yet another barrier, so we provide everything, including qualified teachers and all materials needed.” said Tanya.

Sarah added: “Some of our courses are running with no funding at all, as we just don’t want to let people down. For some of our most vulnerable participants these sessions are a lifeline to not only learning new skills and building confidence, but also building vital social networks and support structures, allowing them to live fuller, healthier lives. Historically we have made it work with short grants, donations and the use of volunteers, however this is not sustainable long term.

“We hope with our new charity status and our fantastic board of Trustees; we can grow from strength to strength moving into the future, supporting more and more vulnerable adults on their journey to recovery. To make this a success and support as many people as possible, we are asking the local community for help; to share and promote the work that we do and get involved in whatever way they can.”

For more information on how to work with Creative Communities, donate to their charity, volunteer or access their courses (all course fees go straight back into running the charity, supporting vulnerable adults within the community) can visit their website www.creative-communities.org.uk

Creative Communities are now taking bookings for adult short courses from September 2025 onwards, with subjects including Machine Sewing, Printmaking, Digital Photography, Needle-felting and Floristry courses and workshops, including Christmas Wreath Making, with new courses such as How to Set up your own Creative Business and Expressive Art for Wellbeing.

Creative Communities has a Go Fund Me page, which can be accessed via their website, or directly through this link https://www.gofundme.com/f/v9esh7-community-outreach-project.

You can also follow, share and promote the work Creative Communities does via social media on:

Instagram: creativecommunities_southeast

Facebook: creativecommunitiesse

To get in contact with Creative Communities, email them at enquiries@creative-communities.org.uk or message them directly via their website.