"This isn’t about me. The credit belongs to the people we help, and to those who supports our work."
Jayne Anne O'Flynn is the founder and trustee of the O'Flynn Foundation, a grassroots charity established in May 2022 with one goal: to improve access to mental health and wellbeing support for those who need it most.
Born from her own lived experience of watching a loved one suffer in silence, Jayne Anne made a promise to herself years ago that one day, she would do something to make a difference. The O'Flynn Foundation is the realisation of that promise.
The O'Flynn Foundation provides immediate, free access to professional therapy and wellbeing support for people who have nowhere else to turn. With NHS wait times long and many people not qualifying for statutory services, the foundation steps in with a model rooted in speed, dignity, and empathy.
"We work with Fortis Therapy and Lincs Inspire, funding therapy and recovery programmes for people with severe mental health challenges, strokes, Parkinson's, MS, and other degenerative conditions. For many, we are the last option, we are their beacon of light. We respond with speed so therapy and support can begin quickly.
Referrals usually come via GPs or directly from partner organisations like Fortis Therapy and Lincs Inspire. Once assessed, an application is submitted to the foundation. The process is swift, the support immediate, and the impact often life-changing.
The foundation supports a broad spectrum of people across North and East Lincolnshire, from children and teens impacted by post-COVID trauma to adults with degenerative conditions or serious mental health struggles.
Jayne Anne recalls last year supporting two young women on the brink of suicide:
"Their therapy was funded within days. That intervention saved their lives. You can’t put a price on that."
Another example is their continued support for a woman with a severely curved spine, starting with a 12-week programme of support at Lincs Inspire and now providing monthly massage therapy to improve her comfort and quality of life. Jayne Anne describes their connection with a smile: "We were laughing so hard in one photo I actually liked how I looked, which is most unusual. It was pure joy."
Most of the funding comes from grassroots events: an annual golf day at Laceby Manor, an International Women’s Day lunch at Healing Manor, and donations from local businesses and supporters. We are organising a ‘Sky Dive’ in November to raise funding and awareness of our work.
"We need more support to do more. We’re not a quantity-led foundation; we're about quality. We fund what matters and extend help where it counts."
From the life-changing journey of a child struggling after COVID isolation, to the rehabilitation of a woman after intense physiotherapy, the foundation is quietly transforming lives.
"Reading the therapy reports from Fortis fills me with pride. These are stories of survival and self-worth being restored." Jayne Anne meets many of the people the foundation supports at Lincs Inspire hearing their stories and seeing how our supports has transformed their lives.
Jayne Anne continues to support a young woman with life-altering physical challenges. Through ongoing funding for professional treatments, Jayne says:
"This isn’t charity. This is dignity. She deserves to feel good, and be conscious of her self-work."
Jayne is currently looking for:
"If we had just one more corporate partner, we could double the number of people we help."
In 2025, Jayne hopes to:
"Without self-worth, we are lost. That’s what this is about: giving people the support they need to remember their worth."
🌐 www.oflynnfoundation.org
📧 Contact the team to donate, sponsor, or express interest in becoming a trustee or patron.