Lifecraft was founded by a small group of mental health users who identified gaps in community care particularly access to information and support. Lifecraft’s main aim was to promote self-help for mental health.

“In January 1993 four of us who had mental health problems felt there was a need for a place for people to come together to support each other in any way we could. For several weeks we met in my basement room, the group got a bit bigger and we managed to get £400 from Cambridge City Council to rent the hall at the Bath House on the corner of Mill Road and Gwydir Street and put up some posters. The first day no one came, except a social worker who put her head around the door to see what we were about, but pretty soon word spread and we had 20 or 30 people just dropping in to have a cup of tea, chat, share music and do a bit of play reading. It was really supportive – I loved it because I didn’t need to pretend I was always OK, I felt at home with everyone, it was like a new kind of family. It just grew from there, really.”

– Bev Sedley, Co-Founder of Lifecraft