Since 2003, Mental Fight Club has used the arts to support mental health. The Dragon Cafe is their flagship project, providing free, welcoming spaces where people can take part in creative and wellbeing activities, connect with others and access social support.
The collaboration, made possible through the BIG Growth Innovation Programme, gave the charity credible evidence of its impact, strengthened its funding reports and applications and contributed to securing further funding.
Building a stronger case for impact and funding
To sustain and develop Mental Fight Club, the charity needed a reliable way to understand attendees’ experiences of The Dragon Cafe and demonstrate the difference its activities were making. The approach needed to support the charity’s Theory of Change and provide credible evidence for funders including Southwark Council and NHS Southwark Integrated Care Board.
As a small charity, Mental Fight Club did not have the in-house research capacity to design and deliver this type of evaluation independently. The method also needed to be accessible and appropriate for a participant group that could include people experiencing mental ill-health.
Designing a research-led evaluation
Mental Fight Club was matched with academics from London South Bank University’s School of Applied Sciences. The collaboration ran from September 2024 to March 2025 and delivered 90 hours of academic consultancy.
The work was led by Dr Ope Atanda and Dr Georgina Bartlett, with Professor Kerry Wood and Dr Dan Frings. The academic team worked with Mental Fight Club to design and deliver an evidence-based evaluation framework.
The work included:
- A review of relevant literature
- An ethics application to support research involving a potentially vulnerable participant group
- A semi-structured focus group with attendees of The Dragon Cafe
- Thematic analysis of the feedback
- A full evaluation report and practical feedback toolkit for Mental Fight Club
The focus group took place in a relaxed, informal setting without Mental Fight Club staff present, helping participants speak freely. Before the session, Dr Atanda attended The Dragon Cafe several times, took part in creative activities and built familiarity with attendees.
Turning feedback into evidence and action
The collaboration gave Mental Fight Club a repeatable way to gather feedback, understand attendees’ experiences and turn those findings into credible evidence. Instead of relying on occasional or informal comments, the charity now has a structured process that can inform service improvements, annual impact reporting and future funding applications.
- A six-month feedback cycle for members of The Dragon Cafe, combining focus groups, a feedback box and short community review meetings
- An annual impact-assessment process informed by the feedback cycle
- A ready-to-use bank of questions covering social connection, safety and inclusion, activities and service improvements
- An independently developed evidence base that can support reporting and funding applications
Mental Fight Club has already put the framework into practice, using the evidence in reports to Southwark Council and NHS Southwark Integrated Care Board and including participant quotations in new funding applications. This means the charity can demonstrate its impact using independently developed research rather than relying solely on anecdotal feedback.
Strengthening funding and sustaining essential roles
Mental Fight Club reported that the evaluation strengthened its case for funding and contributed to a further £36,000 being secured in 2025/26. This represented around 14% of the charity’s budget and helped sustain two part-time roles at The Dragon Cafe with responsibility for safeguarding participants.
“Mental Fight Club felt very supported by the BIG Growth Innovation Programme, especially the academic research that was undertaken with the focus group and thematic analysis of the data.”
Grace Smith, Mental Fight Club
“Working with Mental Fight Club was a genuinely rewarding piece of applied research. Spending time at The Dragon Cafe before the focus group meant participants trusted us enough to speak openly, and it was clear how much this work matters to the people who use the service. It is a great example of research having a direct, practical impact on a small charity’s ability to sustain what it does.”
Dr Ope Atanda, on behalf of the academic team
“Mental Fight Club is exactly the kind of organisation the BIG Growth Innovation Programme existed to support: a small charity doing vital work in the community, without the resources to commission academic research on its own. It has been great to see London South Bank University’s expertise translate so directly into something Mental Fight Club can use with funders.”
London South Bank University BIG Growth Innovation Programme team
Looking ahead
Mental Fight Club is continuing to work through the report’s recommendations and explore ways to make feedback easier for both attendees and staff. This includes considering digital options, such as QR codes, alongside accessible opportunities for people to share feedback in person.
By embedding the framework into its regular activities, Mental Fight Club can continue building its evidence base, identify opportunities to improve The Dragon Cafe and strengthen future reporting and funding applications. The charity would also welcome the opportunity to work with London South Bank University again.
About the BIG Growth Innovation Programme
The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from London South Bank University, providing tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate, improve productivity and explore opportunities for growth.
The programme is funded by the Mayor of London and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which supports local economic growth and investment in communities across the UK.
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