Adur support hub gets a makeover

[Photo shows Kim Bowen-Wood, our trusts and foundations fundraiser, with Vikki Turpin, manager of the Adur support hub, in one of our newly decorated social activities room in Southwick]

We recently received a large donation of ‘work in kind’ from Southern Housing and HG Construction to transform Corner House, our support hub in Southwick for people experiencing difficulties with their mental health.

The work was carried out by staff from HG Construction at the end of 2025 to renovate and redecorate areas used for one-to-one support appointments and social activities for the charity’s service users.

The Corner House site is a converted old house, dating back to the late 19th century, and is used to deliver front-line mental health services, as well as providing workspace for employees. However, some of the areas needed renovation to create a more welcoming environment for service users and to free up more space for social activities, such as art, creative writing and get togethers, which we run for people we support.

An important community resource

With rising demand for mental health support (one in six people in West Sussex has a mental health condition and 24% of adults self-report anxiety*) and longer waiting lists, our Adur support hub at Corner House delivers important services for the local community. In 2024-25: 

• It supported 346 service users with their mental health

• It held 66 social activities

• It hosted 59 mental health workshops and support groups with a total of 258 attendances.

Southern Housing and HG Construction worked closely with Vikki Turpin, our Adur manager, and Mark Palmer-Wilson, our facilities manager, to scope out the work required and to carry out the renovation with minimal disruption to employees and service users.

An improvement for service users and employees

The team at Southern Housing and HG Construction went above and beyond, renovating and reflooring the art room and one-to-one appointment rooms, as well as the social activities room, hallways and stairs, and downstairs lounge and toilet. 

The renovation has been positively received among employees and service users alike – with one service user commenting: “I love the redecoration in the social activities room and I find the green [colour used] really calming.” 

Vikki Turpin, manager of our  Adur support hub, said: “We want our building to feel welcoming and safe, as we know that it can feel like a big step asking for help.

"We are very grateful to Southern Housing and HG Construction for their ‘work in kind’ donation, which has completely transformed our support hub and people’s experience here. It's been great to give a much-needed refresh to the building that will benefit the local community’s mental health and wellbeing for years to come."

Sophie Lowe, social value lead at Southern Housing, said: “We are delighted to be able to support West Sussex Mind and the amazing work they do at their Southwick location supporting so many people in the local community.

“The Corner House is an important community venue and the renovation work completed by HG Construction has transformed the spaces within the building. It’s been a pleasure to be able to support this project.”

*Statistics from Public Mental Health Needs Assessment 2024, West Sussex County Council and partners