SMART

Who we are

The SMART Gertrude Street service was originally designed around recovery and helping people move towards more independent living. It provided employment, training, social and volunteering opportunities for people with diagnosed, severe and complex mental health needs. Projects such as Art, Cafe and Floristry focused on developing employability skills, with progression into paid work at SMART or in the wider community.

The SMART Gertrude Street service was originally designed around recovery and helping people move towards more independent living.

We moved to 15 Gertrude Street in 1993 and since then our services have been developed in partnership with the people we serve including our members, funders, commissioners and the local community. Sadly, this site was closed in 2025.

In 2026 we have been re-designing SMART service delivery model so that our service better suits the needs of the community and better supports SMART’s other services including Community Champions and Community Living Well.

SMART works closely with the providers of statutory services, Adult Social Care, Public Health and the NHS to develop a more holistic approach to support people with mental health needs. As a registered charity we are always fundraising so that we can constantly improve the opportunities we offer.

Purposeful activity, including work and training, remains at the heart of what we do.

Our culture and values

The people at SMART are a democratic bunch so we all sat down together some time ago and decided what our ‘core values’ would be. These are the things we believe in, that underpin everything we do. In the end we decided to base them on the Institute For Compassion and Wisdom‚

16 Guidelines for a Happy Life...

We try to think with…

Humility

Patience

Contentment

Design

We try to relate to others with…

Respect

Forgiveness

Gratitude

Loyalty

We try to act with…

Kindness

Honesty

Generosity

Right Speech

We try to find meaning with…

Aspiration

Principles

Service

Courage