The forum, which is led by mental health service users, has a successful track record of developing real jobs with real pay for unemployed local people. Now with the donation of the candle-making equipment, and some training and support from MHID, they are setting up a candle making project.

Users will develop the skills and techniques to make candles and then sell them to the local community and to local religious groups.

The project builds on the success of the micro-credit loan system set up and managed by the forum which over the last two years has provided loans to enable users and carers to set up their own small business such as vegetable selling and incense stick making. The success of the scheme has been based on the trust between the forum members and the regular repayments made on the loans.