A mental health charity is set to lose its Greenwich base after 45 years due to funding cuts from Greenwich Council. The council plans to sell two terraced houses on Ormiston Road, which have housed the local branch of Mind since 1979, as part of efforts to address a £33 million budget deficit, with an additional £27 million expected next year.
South East London Mind is currently negotiating for new premises but will remain at Ormiston Road at least until spring. The building is located less than a minute’s walk from Westcombe Park station and is in a “high value area,” according to the council, which has been letting it at a concessionary rate.
The two houses originally served as the base for Greenwich Mind, which merged with branches in Bromley and Lewisham in 2017 after facing financial difficulties that prompted a £200,000 grant from the council. In January of this year, Bromley, Lewisham, and Greenwich Mind joined forces with Lambeth and Southwark to form South East London Mind.
Although the sale announcement came just before World Mental Health Day on October 10, the decision to sell was part of a property strategy approved by councillors in February 2019. South East London Mind has been discussing the future of Ormiston Road with the council since 2018.
A spokesperson for the charity stated, “As a charity established in 1954, we are used to evolving and turning new chapters to meet the needs of our communities. Our physical home in Greenwich may be moving, but our team is not going anywhere—nor is our mission to provide high-quality mental health and dementia support.”
The charity already has staff operating from other locations in the borough, including Oxleas NHS Trust premises and children’s centers. A Greenwich Council spokesperson confirmed that the decision regarding Ormiston Road was made in 2019 and that they are working with South East London Mind to facilitate the relocation.
Additional properties being sold by the council include car parks in Blackheath, Charlton, and Plumstead, old public toilets in Greenwich and Abbey Wood, tram shelters in Eltham, and the mortuary at Miller House in west Greenwich. The council has also withdrawn from a deal with special effects company Mo-Sys regarding a 125-year lease on the Plumstead power station.
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