Rosie’s Social Enterprises delivers support to about 50 people every week through our workshops, stocking the shop front on Holburn Street with unique gifts.

As we approach Christmas over the next month, we are going to share some experiences of people we support and why Rosie’s means so much to their lives. The people we support describe the service as a lifeline, a place where they feel valued and empowered.

Rosie’s Social Enterprise has been part of the community for more than 25 years. It has not only upskilled the people it supports and made a cultural contribution but raised visibility and challenged stereotypes to celebrate diverse voices of people within Aberdeen.

The gifts for sale at Rosie’s this Christmas are the result of the four workshops we offer: picture framing, graphics, crafts and upcycling. These workshops upskill the people we support for the workforce while allowing them to take away a sense of achievement and accomplishment through the items they create.

The people we support come to us through a mental health diagnosis, learning disabilities or/and acquired brain injury, often referred to us by their GP, support workers, a family member or a self-referral.

The social connections in the safe and inclusive workshops at Rosie’s gives the people we support a creative outlet, creating products for the gift shop, but also a sense of purpose and identity. At Rosie’s there are opportunities to build friendships in a likeminded group and boost wellbeing, while fostering confidence and independence.

As the Service Manager of Rosie’s, the news of Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) looking for £14.2 million in savings has myself, the people we support and their families nervous.

We have also learnt that ACHSCP want to prioritise social care help for intensive support or crisis interventions as a response to acute funding pressures.

Services like Rosie’s are vital, offering a cost-effective, preventative approach in supporting people to maintain their mental health, avoid social isolation and exclusion and stay connected to their communities.

The preventative approaches at a social enterprise like Rosie’s ease the pressure on health and social care services.

We would encourage our local partners to invest more in services like Rosie’s as both preventative and crisis intervention services are vital in the broader social care system.