As charity champion Challenge House pledged its ongoing support for numerous community causes in the region, it announced its latest corporate partnership, this time with Willen Hospice.
The Bletchley-based business hub, part of the Landmark commercial property portfolio, is home to multiple regional and international companies and charities.
Business Centre Manager, Kaye Townsend, said: “At Challenge House we’ve also opened our doors to offer vital support and much-needed meeting spaces for community groups providing crucial services within the area – it’s a privilege to be able to help make a difference.”
Challenge House provides a base for the weekly meetings of The Man Cave and sister group The Lodge, free mental health support groups for men and women respectively.
Community leaders from The Lodge said its women’s group wouldn’t be able to operate without Challenge House’s help providing spaces for their weekly Wednesday evening meetings and monthly wellbeing events. A sentiment echoed by The Man Cave, which meets at Challenge House every Thursday.
The charity collaboration with Willen Hospice has seen the business hub housing a donation station for clothing and accessories to help raise money for the charity, alongside awareness about various fundraising events. The donation drop off point has proved phenomenally popular with resident businesses and visitors providing multiple donations, which are sold to raise funds via the charity’s 12 shops, eBay and Vinted accounts.
Keira Caso, Corporate Business Development Executive at the charity, said: “Willen Hospice supports the growing number of people in our community coping with the devastating impact of a life-limiting illness. We give our patients and their loved ones the highest quality, personalised care – completely free of charge. With compassion and experience, our expert teams help patients who have complex symptoms or needs to make every day the best it can be.
“Our Willen at Home team offer the only specialist palliative and end-of-life care in Milton Keynes that’s available to patients in their own home. Collaborating with hospitals, GPs and district nurses, we help patients with complex symptoms or needs to live well until they die, for however long that may be.
“Everything that Challenge House is doing for us is so important; it really helps make a difference. Having their support as a corporate partner is vital for us to be able to continue to offer our services, our specialist palliative care for the local community within the hospice and at home and we couldn’t do it without the support of local corporate companies like Challenge House.”
The significant investment which led to the refurbishment and transformation of Challenge House has help make it the ideal setting for the meetings hosted by The Man Cave and The Lodge.
Catherine Murphy, a community leader for The Lodge, explained the difference it makes to members to have access to a modern, welcoming and comfortable environment.
She said: “We’re there to offer a safe space for women to come, talk, be listened to and heard without any judgement. We give them a space where they can feel safe to offload. A mixture of people from a multitude of different backgrounds attend our meetings, all with different needs. Some may attend because they feel they have had a bad day, others could be dealing with addiction, behavioural diagnoses or struggling to deal with self-harm or suicide.”
At every meeting, like its ‘big brother’ group The Man Cave, members sit in a circle, allowing them to speak or to sit silently and listen. The circle is followed by the opportunity to have ‘connecting time’ in smaller groups to support each other.
Wellness activities and events also hosted at Challenge House for group members include yoga, creative painting, sound bath sessions or breath work classes, which are free or discounted.
Catherine added: “The monthly events aim to help members with their mental health and wellbeing with 90% of these being held at Challenge House. It offers great transport links and free parking, but most of all the building, the atmosphere and environment are very welcoming, and everyone’s so friendly. Challenge House is our biggest donor by gifting us the space; we wouldn’t be able to run on a weekly basis if it wasn’t for them.”
The Man Cave has been meeting at Challenge House for a year with one of its leaders highlighting how it offers ‘a quiet and private space’ that is accessible and welcoming.
Nick Freeman said: “I first attended the Man Cave in May 2023, as a member looking for support, and with how much it helped me from day one, I wanted to get involved as much as I could to help other men with their struggle. Without the support of Challenge House and similar businesses, The Man Cave would not have the space or facilities to host meetings and support the men of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.
“The meetings have made, and continue to make, a big, positive impact on members’ lives. It’s a safe space for them to find support for whatever they may be facing in a judgment-free environment. And, above everything else, they find a community of likeminded men who want to show up for themselves, take accountability, learn and share tools that help with their day to day struggles.”
Find out more about Challenge House on Landmark’s website.
