There are fears a mental health centre could be lost forever after it was turned into a food waste centre during the pandemic. 

Campaigners have urged Harrow Council to give reassurances that The Bridge, in Christchurch Avenue, will be protected.

The Bridge offers support services to those who are struggling with their mental health, often helping those who might not have anywhere else to turn. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the centre was used as a food waste distribution site – according to the ‘Save The Bridge’ campaign group, there are fears this will be expanded and made permanent and the mental health services lost for good. 

The group, which is made up of volunteers, service users and their families, said many Harrow residents rely on the services offered by The Bridge. 

While it is supported of the food waste service, it suggested it be moved to a “more suitable premises” so that The Bridge can resume its role as a mental health day centre. 

There have also been calls for the council to support a fully-fledged service for those suffering with long-term mental health problems, rather than short-term interventions. 

Lisa, a long-term service-user of The Bridge, said: “My friends and I have badgered the council for reassurance that our service will return, only to be told that we can only access the severely diluted service for three to six months at a time. 

“For someone with a long-term mental illness, this feels like being dropped off a cliff edge, leading me to need the NHS crisis service.” 

Patricia, whose son has had a mental illness for over 25 years, said: “The Bridge has been a respite for me as a carer, especially joining the choir, which is more than just a choir, who regularly used a lot of the available space there. We carers also need this building for our mental health.” 

Harrow Council intervened in 2016 to save The Bridge from “almost certain closure” and campaigners have asked it to channel that spirit once more. 

A Harrow Council spokesperson said: “During the pandemic the council worked with our local voluntary and community sector partners to set up HelpHarrow. It was through this partnership that we were able to set up a food delivery service to those households who had to shield, as well as other families that were struggling to access food. London Community Kitchen, who were based at the Bridge at the time the pandemic started were our principal partner supporting the food sourcing and delivery and as all the in person services from the Bridge had been suspended and moved to a virtual offer in the first wave of the Covid pandemic, the operation grew to utilise more of the centre.

“As lockdowns eased and the Council looked to return to face to face services the decision was taken to move to a dual use of the Bridge, where London Community Kitchen maintain use of an area of the site necessary to continue the food operation, which now includes cookery courses and the running of the café now that it has been able to reopen, and ReThink Mental Health Services use another part of the site  to offer services to residents who have mental health conditions. The Mental Health Service offer at the Bridge is reopening for in-person support and developing so that there is an offer across the borough and there is no intention to close the centre. The Council is working with London Community Kitchen and Rethink to make the Bridge a thriving community asset, and are actively looking at ways the two services can complement one another.”