The Fircroft Centre provides a welcoming and supportive environment for 60 people in the community with a wide range of serious mental health problems referred to us by health and social agencies. It has an excellent reputation for providing mental health services, and its services continue to be much sought after. Fircroft aims are: • to prevent deterioration of mental health, thus avoiding in-patient care, in line with continued emphasis on community care. • to acknowledge individual strengths and needs, and develop potential. • to provide a range of social and leisure activities within a therapeutic environment to help, support and maintain people within the community. • to enable service users to participate fully in the planning, running and evaluation of the Fircroft Centre. • to provide opportunities to learn and develop skills.