A new purpose-built activity centre for adults living with serious mental illness and complex needs is set to open in Headington next month, with Response planning to launch the space during Mental Health Awareness Week.
The new hub will open at Scrutton Close, part of Response’s Headington campus in Oxford, and is intended to help residents build confidence, strengthen daily living skills and move towards more independent living after leaving intensive support services. Scrutton Close already offers supported housing for adults with severe mental illness, with 15 one-bedroom apartments centred around a communal garden and staff support available through the day and overnight.
Mental Health Awareness Week this year runs from 11 to 17 May 2026 and is organised by the Mental Health Foundation. The charity says the 2026 theme is “Action”, focusing on practical steps people and organisations can take to support better mental health.
What the new centre will offer
Response says the new activity centre will provide dedicated space for workshops and group sessions designed to support residents’ mental, emotional and social development.
Planned activities include:
- art, music and craft sessions
- cooking classes
- budgeting support
- independent living training
- gardening
- exercise
- social gatherings
The charity says the aim is to help residents regain stability, rebuild confidence and move forward in recovery after discharge from more intensive services.
Why Scrutton Close matters
Scrutton Close is one of Response’s supported housing services for adults with serious mental illness. The charity describes it as a “safe and supportive environment” for people taking their first steps towards independent living after intensive services, with recovery planning, medication management and daily living support built into the service. Response says residents are supported to develop skills for everyday life while still having access to staff support when needed.
The service is also designed around communal living and connection. Response says all 15 self-contained apartments face the shared garden, with communal areas used to support cooking, social activity and confidence-building.
Funded through grants and donations
The activity centre has been developed following a £20,000 grant award, with further support from the G W Bartington Will Trust and a second major donor, according to Response.
In a statement, Emma Murphy, Response’s Associate Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, said the new centre would strengthen both recovery support and long-term wellbeing for residents at Scrutton Close.
She said the space would also help address a practical issue, with many activities currently taking place in shared areas that are not always well suited to group sessions.
A long-established Oxfordshire charity
Response says it has been supporting people with mental health and housing needs for more than 60 years, working across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. The charity provides support for adults and young people and says housing is central to its approach to mental health recovery.
The charity’s website says Scrutton Close residents, carers and families have also reported high satisfaction with the service, with 95% of surveyed residents rating it highly and 100% saying they would recommend it.
Why this matters locally
The opening adds another layer of mental health support in Oxford at a time when the issue remains high on the public agenda. The Mental Health Foundation says around one in five adults in the UK experiences a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, and that poor mental health remains one of the biggest drivers of workplace absence.
For Oxfordshire, the new centre is significant not only because it expands activities on site, but because it adds dedicated recovery space for a group of residents who are often at a particularly vulnerable point in their move back into community living.
At a glance
| Detail | Information |
| Project | New activity centre at Scrutton Close |
| Location | Headington, Oxford |
| Opening | During Mental Health Awareness Week, 11–17 May 2026 |
| Run by | Response |
| Scrutton Close capacity | 15 one-bedroom apartments |
| Main purpose | Support residents with serious mental illness and complex needs as they move towards independent living |
For more information about Response and its services, visit the charity’s website.
