With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.
Jamie Hutcheon of Cocoa Ooze.
A north-east charity is set to get a sweet boost after establishing a partnership with a leading chocolatier.
Jamie Hutcheon of Cocoa Ooze, which specialises in unique handmade chocolate, and his team are hoping to raise awareness and funds through the link with Mental Health Aberdeen (MHA).
Employees will undertake a range of fundraising activities in the next 12 months to support the charity, which provides support services, counselling and advice to people affected by challenges related to mental health and wellbeing.
This includes emotional and practical support; information and advice; support with helping overcoming social isolation; links and access to other community resources; and activities promoting mental wellbeing.
Cocoa Ooze is planning to hold a charity dinner for MHA, as well as donating raffle prizes and a variety of other activities throughout the year.
Jamie said:
“Cocoa Ooze is delighted to be supporting Mental Health Aberdeen as our charity of the year. We chose the organisation because of the crucial work it does to help people throughout the north-east.
“Mental health is not spoken about enough and it affects a large number of people, who can often find it difficult to reach out for help. It can feel like a secret illness in some respects which people feel ashamed about and we want to help change that perception.
“It is a topic that should be discussed without stigma, and we hope to make a difference through the events and activities we will be involved in over the next twelve months.”
Astrid Whyte, chief executive of MHA, said gestures like that of the Cocoa Ooze team are even more crucial than ever in the current climate.
She said:
“We were absolutely delighted that Jamie and the team at Cocoa Ooze have chosen Mental Health Aberdeen as their charity of the year. In the current economic climate support like this is particularly appreciated and we are looking forward to building a relationship with them.
“Partnerships like this also help to raise our profile and build awareness of our services, which is absolutely essential. We want people to know we are here to help and what kind of services we offer.
“Mental Health Aberdeen works within the city and the north-east and our services range from youth counselling sessions to our Companions Befriending Service and Comraich community support service among others. There is huge demand for our services and we are working hard to meet that as well as continuing to improve our offering. Links with generous companies like Cocoa Ooze are a tremendous boost and make such a difference to us.”
MHA was founded in 1950 and the organisation was among the first to provide community care with its first residential project, a group home for discharged psychiatric patients, opened more than 35 years ago. MHA has also been providing day services continuously for over 60 years.
Further information is available online at www.mha.uk.net
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