Handcrafted Christmas creations supporting recovery at Norwich mental health hospital

Jason Palmer, an Occupational Therapist Technical Instructor, holds a wooden snowman sculptor outside The Mount workshop. Reindeers made from horseshoes are beside him.

Jason Palmer, an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor at The Mount

While you might associate Santa's workshop with the North Pole, you need look no further than Northside House in Thorpe St Andrew.

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for service users at The Mount - a wood-and-steel workshop and horticultural space nestled among the trees outside the secure mental health unit run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

One service user, a welder-fabricator by trade who attends almost every day, said showing others how to use the equipment - including staff - feels "like having an apprentice".

He added: "I take it as a job, but there's no pressure here; you can do as much as you like. It's nice to be appreciated."

Service users spend hours in the workshop creating a range of unique gift and homeware items from repurposed horseshoes and reclaimed wood. Items include festive reindeers, lanterns, sleighs, wooden snowmen, birdhouses, garden ornaments and furniture.

OTTI Neelima Kesavadas stands with a service user either side. They are dressed in welding gear in the workshop.

OTTI Neelima Kesavadas (middle) with two service users in their welding gear at The Mount.

Many of these items are displayed on site or made for staff members, giving service users the chance to showcase their skills.

Occupational Therapy Technical Instructors (OTTIs) Jason Palmer and Karl Hannant have worked at The Mount for several years. They use the workshop as a space for service users to gain, maintain or enhance practical skills whilst also increasing their confidence and developing therapeutic relationships.

Jason said: "Some people arrive at The Mount unsure of their abilities but watching them rediscover confidence through practical work is incredible. We've seen people totally transform.

"The workshop gives people a sense of normality and a chance to feel grounded. Some come for a game of pool and a coffee, while others spend a full day working on projects."

Ornaments created by service users at The Mount are lined up. There are Christmas fairy lights around them.

The service users' skills are being displayed at many NSFT sites.

The Mount occasionally produces bespoke pieces for use across the NSFT sites or for staff. Any proceeds from these internal commissions are reinvested directly into materials for the workshop, and service users who support outdoor projects or teach peers new skills are thanked with gift vouchers.

The site is fully equipped with specialist tools including a forge, anvil, manual metal arc welder, pillar drill and grinders.

Karl added: "The best part of this job is watching people realise what they're capable of. The workshop gives people purpose, structure and a chance to use their hands to create something real."

Anthony Deery, Chief Nurse at NSFT, said: "The Mount is a brilliant example of how meaningful occupation can support service users' recovery and overall experience in our care.

"Importantly, it's the confidence, routine and connection our service users gain at The Mount that really makes a positive difference."