Restoring your health should be a supportive process, without the additional worry of costs. That’s why Resonance has secured £60,000 for The Devon Clinic CIC, a refreshing social enterprise helping those battling complex health issues to have access to a selection of natural treatments. This investment from Resonance’s Health and Wellbeing Challenge Fund (South West) (HWCFSW) will help people to get well and stay well.  

70-75% of people with a diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all (MHFA England). This is where The Devon Clinic steps in, offering much needed drug-free alternative treatments, delivered by professionals. Resonance’s investment will cover refurbishment costs to help freshen up the practice and increase capacity by bringing on more practitioners for the Clinic.

Hypnotherapist Chris Fleet is at the forefront of the social enterprise and has been delivering top quality services for over a decade. On the Clinic’s journey to receiving investment from Resonance, he says, “As a social enterprise, we were at a crossroads and for a variety of reasons we couldn't really grow. It was whilst on a School for Social Entrepreneurs training course that we heard about social investment. We received some funding which allowed us access to a business consultant whose aim was to come in and look at our business, create a plan and help to put our business into good shape, so we would be ready for ready to receive investment. The process was relatively easy.

“Resonance was great, and our main contact, Tom, was very approachable and kept in regular contact with us during the process. The investment from Resonance has helped us to offer a greater value to the community and will have a big impact on the Clinic.”

Chris continued: “The money will enable us renovate our tired building and it will also release our manager, enabling him to focus on recruiting new practitioners. This step is vital for growth as previously he has been too busy seeing clients to have enough time to overview and develop the company.”

Chris believes an increasing number of life-affecting conditions such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders can be helped with the complementary services that the Clinic offers, and crucially, without using drugs. The social enterprise prides itself on its affordable treatments that make them accessible for all. And it gets better: the status as a Community Interest Company also means that profits find their way back into the community. And that means certain treatments and support packages can be offered at reduced rates to locals.

“As a health clinic, our income comes from renting space to practitioners. As a Community Interest Company profits generated go directly to benefitting those in our community. Our Single Parent Stress Management Programme is one example of how we utilise these monies,” Chris explains.

Tom Crook, Investment Manager commented: “Chris and the team’s main focus is helping people, which has been absolutely apparent throughout the investment process. I’m excited that the hard work that has gone into growing The Devon Clinic puts them in a really strong position to capture the impact being delivered from complementary therapy. This will help them to tell their story and highlight the benefits complementary therapies could offer other stakeholders such as the NHS.”   

The community emphasis of the Clinic means that the practitioners work in a supportive environment with like-minded professionals. More than just self-employed specialists sharing a workspace, this group of highly trained and friendly experts work closely as a team. Combining their skills helps the practitioners to find the root cause of what ails a patient, which the Clinic believes is the key to unlocking overall health improvement.

And with more practitioners in demand, the opportunity has never been greater for the Clinic to make a lasting impact in the South West. It’s time to create a healthier community.

The Health & Wellbeing Challenge Fund is an impact investment fund created with investment from the Growth Fund and South West Academic Health Science Network (SWAHSN). The Growth Fund is managed by Access - The Foundation for Social Investment and is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Big Society Capital. The Fund aims to make social impact investment more accessible and relevant to smaller social enterprises looking to expand their operations and impact in the South West linked to the broad theme of Health & Wellbeing.