Gateshead Clubhouse
A mental health community hub run entirely by its members

Our Ethos

 

The Clubhouse is built on the belief that:

 

• Lived experience matters

• Recovery looks different for everyone

• People benefit from spaces where they are not judged or “managed”

• Support works best when it feels natural, mutual, and human

 

Participation is always voluntary, flexible, and led by the individual.

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What Is Peer-Led Support?

 

Peer-led support means that the Clubhouse is shaped and supported primarily by people who have their own lived experience of mental health difficulties. In practice, this means:-

 

• Members support one another through shared understanding

• There are no paid support staff running programmes or directing activity

• Conversations happen naturally, not in a therapeutic or clinical way

• Everyone is encouraged to contribute what they feel able to, when they feel able

 

Peer support is not about “fixing” one another. It is about:

 

• Feeling understood

• Not having to explain or justify your experience

• Being part of something together

 

This approach helps create a space where people often feel more comfortable speaking openly and being themselves.

 

What Do We Mean by Mental Health?

 

Mental health affects how we think, feel, cope, and relate to others. Everyone has mental health, and many people will experience difficulties at some point in their lives. Experiences that may be supported at Gateshead Clubhouse include (but are by no means limited to):-

 

• Anxiety and panic

• Depression and low mood

• Bipolar disorder

• Psychosis

• Personality disorders

• Trauma and post-traumatic stress

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Emotional distress linked to life events

• Isolation and loneliness

 

You do not need a formal diagnosis to be a member.

This list is not exhaustive, and people’s experiences may change over time.

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Membership at Gateshead Clubhouse is for adults who:

 

• Live in the Borough of Gateshead

• Have lived experience of mental health difficulties, where mental health is their primary need

• Feel they would benefit from a peer-led, community-based environment

• Are able to engage in a shared space that values mutual respect and independence

• Membership is free, and involvement is always a choice.

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Gateshead Clubhouse is a mental health peer-support service, which means:

 

• Mental health must be the primary reason for joining

• The environment is informal, adult-focused, and community-led

 

We aim to include people with additional needs where the Clubhouse environment is a good fit and where individuals are able to benefit from, and contribute to, a peer-led setting. Where the Clubhouse may not be the right service, this is always discussed openly, respectfully, and compassionately, with signposting to alternative support where possible.

 

Support Workers and Accompaniment

 

Support workers are welcome at Gateshead Clubhouse where this may be needed.  We recognise that:

 

• Some people benefit from attending with support, particularly when first joining

• Support may be related to mental health or other needs

 

To protect the peer-led nature of the Clubhouse:

 

• Support workers attend to enable the member, not to lead activities.

• The focus remains on the member’s participation and voice

• Ongoing arrangements are discussed collaboratively to ensure the environment continues to work well for everyone

 

Our approach is flexible and based on individual circumstances, not blanket rules.

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Joining the Clubhouse

 

Anyone interested in becoming a member will be invited to:

 

• Complete an application pack, available to download from our website.

• The referrer will be required to complete a light-touch risk assessment to ensure the space is safe and suitable. The details of the prospective member’s GP, psychiatrist, CPN or support worker will need to be supplied. This process is about mutual understanding and fit, not judgement or exclusion.

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We are committed to:

 

• Being inclusive while remaining clear about our purpose

• Maintaining a safe, respectful, peer-led environment

• Treating everyone with dignity and compassion

• Reviewing our approach regularly based on feedback and experience

 

If Gateshead Clubhouse isn’t the right place for someone, this does not reflect the value of their needs — only that different spaces support people in different ways.

 

Get in Touch 

 

If you’re unsure whether Gateshead Clubhouse is right for you, or if you’d like to talk things through, you can call or email us using the information below:

 
Tel: 0191 440 9033
E-mail: gateshead.clubhouse@gmail.com
Website https://www.gatesheadclubhouse.com/

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Gateshead Clubhouse Charter

 

A peer-led mental health community hub run by and for its members. This Charter sets out the shared principles, commitments, values, and expectations that guide life at Gateshead Clubhouse. It applies to: Members; Member Representatives; Trustees; Volunteers; anyone acting on behalf of Gateshead Clubhouse

 

This Charter:

 

• Complements (but does not replace) formal policies and procedures

• Provides a values-based framework for how we work together

• Acts as a reference point for members, partners, funders, and regulators

 

Our Vision

 

To be a welcoming, inclusive, and empowering community where people living with mental health challenges can belong, contribute, and move forward at their own pace.

 

Our Mission: Gateshead Clubhouse exists to

 

• Provide a safe, non-judgemental, peer-led space for adults with lived experience of mental health difficulties

• Reduce isolation and promote wellbeing through community, purpose, and mutual support

• Enable members to shape, run, and sustain the Clubhouse together

 

Our Aims and Objectives

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1. Relieve the needs of people experiencing mental health difficulties in Gateshead

2. Promote recovery, resilience, and social inclusion

3. Offer meaningful opportunities for connection, skill-sharing, and participation

4. Ensure members have a genuine voice in decisions that affect the Clubhouse

5. Maintain a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all

 

Our Core Values and Principles

 

Peer Leadership: 

 

Gateshead Clubhouse is led by people with lived experience. Members are central to decision-making, daily operations, and governance.

 

6.2 Voluntary Participation

 

Participation is always a choice. Members decide:

 

• If they attend

• How they engage

• What they contribute

 

There is no pressure, obligation, or expectation to take part.

 

6.3 Respect, Dignity and Compassion

 

Every person is treated with respect, kindness, and understanding, recognising that everyone’s mental health journey is different.

 

 

6.4 Community and Belonging

 

We foster a sense of shared ownership, pride, and mutual responsibility for the Clubhouse and each other.

7. Commitment to Co-Production

 

Gateshead Clubhouse is committed to co-production at all levels.

This means:

 

• Decisions are made with members, not for them

• Lived experience is valued as expertise

• Power is shared transparently between members, member reps, and trustees

8. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

 

Gateshead Clubhouse is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and to challenging discrimination, harassment and victimisation in everything we do.

 

We will:

 

• Ensure services are inclusive, accessible, and responsive

• Make reasonable adjustments wherever possible

• Treat everyone fairly, regardless of protected or additional characteristics

 

This commitment is underpinned by our Equality and Diversity Policy, which applies to all members, volunteers, trustees and representatives.

9. Safeguarding and Wellbeing Commitment

 

The safety and wellbeing of members is fundamental to everything we do.

Gateshead Clubhouse commits to:

 

• Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment

• Maintaining clear boundaries within peer support

• Acting promptly where there are concerns about harm to self or others

• Escalating concerns appropriately in line with safeguarding procedures

 

Safeguarding responsibilities and processes are embedded across all policies and practices and reflected within the Code of Conduct.

10. Membership

 

Membership is:

 

• Free of charge

• Open to adults living in the Borough of Gateshead

• Available to people whose primary issue is one of mental health

 

Members are encouraged — but never required — to:

 

• Take part in activities

• Support the running of the Clubhouse

• Contribute ideas and feedback

 

11. Rights and Responsibilities

 

Members Have the Right To:

 

• Be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness

• Access a safe and supportive peer environment

• Have their voice heard in decisions

• Have their personal information treated confidentially

 

Members Have a Responsibility To:

 

• Treat others with respect

• Follow the Code of Conduct

• Help maintain a safe and welcoming environment

12. Confidentiality and Data Protection

 

Trust and confidentiality are essential to a peer-led mental health space.

Gateshead Clubhouse commits to:

 

• Respecting members’ privacy

• Handling personal and sensitive data lawfully and securely

• Being clear about the limits of confidentiality where safeguarding or legal duties apply

 

All personal data is managed in accordance with the Data Protection Policy.

13. Behaviour, Boundaries and Conduct

 

All members, volunteers and visitors are expected to behave in a way that:

• Promotes safety and wellbeing

• Respects others’ dignity and boundaries

• Upholds the values of the Clubhouse

 

Unacceptable behaviour, including discrimination, harassment, violence, or breaches of confidentiality, will be addressed in line with the Code of Conduct, including its disciplinary and appeals process.

14. Conflict Resolution and Raising Concerns

 

Gateshead Clubhouse encourages open, respectful communication.

We commit to:

 

• Addressing disagreements fairly and proportionately

• Ensuring concerns can be raised safely and without fear of reprisal

• Supporting members to resolve issues wherever possible

 

Concerns can be raised with a Member Representative or Trustee and will be handled sensitively and confidentially.

15. Governance and Accountability

 

Gateshead Clubhouse is a registered charity governed by a Board of Trustees.

Governance arrangements ensure:

 

• Legal and financial accountability

• Transparency in decision-making

• Member involvement in shaping the organisation

 

Day-to-day activity is supported by Member Representatives, reflecting the Clubhouse’s peer-led ethos.

16. Review and Continuous Improvement

 

This Charter is a living document.

 

It will be:

 

• Reviewed at least annually

• Updated with member involvement

• Amended where necessary to reflect learning, feedback, or changes in practice