Support Us
We are a lifeline for mental health in Harlow, and a community-conscious charity offering a safe space for those facing mental ill health, suicidal thoughts, and emotional crisis.
Being a community space, we value the connections and relationships we have with others in the Harlow area and welcome all enquiries about sponsorship to help us keep building hope and connectivity in our town.
More funding will enable us to:
-
increase the hours we are open in our community space to make it more inclusive, bigger and better, meaning that we can welcome even more people to our space
-
future-proof our work and continue to offer our services long into the future, with our 20-year lease on the building
-
enable us to expand and help so many more people in the community.
Our founder and CEO Angela Hannibal says of setting up the Butterfly Effect: “I started the Facebook page with quotes etc. that I used to send my mum, who suffered from mental illness after a psychotic break. “It then turned into a physical space after losing her to suicide in June 2020. By using lived experience and working through life changing events and coming together to support each other in an informal peer support way the Harlow Butterfly Effect Wellbeing began.” We set up as a CIC (Community Interest Company) and in October 2024 became a registered CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation). We provide daily peer-led support groups, crisis care, and wellbeing sessions - all based on lived experience. Our team includes dedicated staff, trained volunteers, and a passionate board of trustees with expertise in charity, healthcare, finance, and HR. Together, we support more than 100 regular service users weekly, and we’ve helped more than 180 local people through suicidal thoughts since our new centre opened in December 2023. We offer ongoing training, wellbeing support for volunteers, and signposting to additional services when needed. We work closely with primary care teams including GPs and social prescribers, as well as hospitals, crisis teams, the Mind charity, and other community organisations to ensure no one falls through the cracks. There is currently no other service in Harlow offering what we do.
Our Founder, Angie
