How we got here
The Mindapples journey started out back in March 2008 with an idle question that I put to my friends Dougald and Anna. I was frustrated at how pathologising the mental health debate seemed to be, particularly in the workplace, and also fearful of the potential damage it can do to people’s self-esteem and civil liberties. After some seemingly unrelated chats with my friend Paul about the original 5-a-day campaign, I found myself saying: “We need the mental health equivalent of 5-a-day.”
And the idea just stuck. So here we are. Now, since I’m secretly a historian by nature, I’m going to use this page to keep track of the development of the project so that once we’re all rich and famous, you can see how we got here.
Andy Gibson, Head Gardener
March 2008:
The idea emerged from conversations about campaigning, using the web to tackle social issues, and preventative mental health.
April 2008:
Registered mindapples.org and stayingsane.org, but preferred the former. Idea submitted to Social Innovation Camp. Doesn’t win. 
4 results for ‘mindapples’ in Google
May 2008:
I pitched it at the first RSA Networks Exchange and met lots of supportive people offering to help, including Ian Gilmour. 
My friend Tessy suggested I set up a Surveymonkey survey to start things rolling.
The first Mindapples.org site was born, using WordPress and Surveymonkey.
June 2008:
A few people start talking about us and we rack up our first 100 responses. I have some nice conversations with folks at the Young Foundation, Mental Health Foundation and Mind.
July 2008:
The first round of media interest, including the Nag, i-Genius and some very random radio coverage.
We do our first Mindapples survey within a company, at the Mental Health Foundation.
250 responses – woo-hoo! – and Tessy does an amazing job analysing and categorising them all.
August 2008:
Tessy and Very Happy Phil get us a few happiness gurus to take the test. I get very stressed out with it all the fame and take a month off.
September 2008:
The lovely Liz Miller writes nice things about us, and some more happiness gurus come through.
Tessy and I start planning for The Future. A bit more sense of organisation, and Organisation, by now.
October 2008:
Featured in the RSA Journal and picked up by various people from that, including Psychologies Magazine
4000 results for ‘mindapples’ in Google. AND we hit 500 responses – way-hay!
November 2008:
Official partnership agreed with Psychologies
Start looking for funding and planning for becoming a proper company
Heleana and Jo join the team, and we start doing more PR outreach work and targetting celebs
We get badges. (This is very important.)
December 2008:
Vandy Massey and Engauge pilot some Mindapples surveys and workshops in a few companies
Launch the Mindapples blogmeme – share your five, and invite five other bloggers to do the same
We attend the Stand to Reason ‘Celebrating Recovery’ conference and get positive endorsements from the Department of Health mental health lead, the Tory Party Shadow Minister for mental health, and Alastair Campbell!
750 responses – yippee!
January 2009:
Tessy starts collecting the blogmeme results and publishing them on the blog; there are a lot.
850 responses (bit slow over Christmas).
350,000 results for Mindapples in Google!
February 2009:
The wonderful Lauren Currie joins the team and we start making interesting things to explain the concept – presentations, videos, images etc.
Tom Ten Thij builds us a prototype site in Ruby on Rails, we start working on a proper design.
Marcia Brophy at the Young Foundation loves the idea and we start talking about how to work more with them.
March 2009:
A short lull to focus on ‘paying the rent’ is followed by a serious drive to hit 1000 responses by Twittering the entire universe.
Tessy and I work out how to explain the project to grownups and start booking meetings with potential funders.
7,000 results for ‘mindapples’ in Google now – how strange.
April 2009:
Can’t remember what we did this month.
May 2009:
Or this month…
June 2009:
Sophie Howarth from the School of Life likes the idea and we start plotting how to sell Mindapples products in their shop and do interesting things together.
We run a Mindapples survey for Young Foundation staff and give them some interesting talking points about mentally healthy working.
Our spies at the Hay Festival put the word around and collect more famous fives, including Stephen Fry and Jo Brand.
I get a bit tired and stressed out and take some time off to sleep.
1000 responses to the Mindapples survey! *dons party hat*
July 2009:
Still asleep…
August 2009:
Channel 4 interview me as a “mental health expert”(!) for their study in isolation, Alone in the Wild.
More sleeping, and some reading too…
September 2009:
Channel 4′s 4IP fund turn us down for funding , but they are very nice about it.
Eddy Pinkney of the Student Mental Wealth Project gets in touch about working with us on a student unions campaign.
I meet Tanis Taylor to talk about her book projects (including Change the World for a Fiver) and she joins the Advisory Board.
October 2009:
Neil joins us as Head of Research and does a full analysis of the first 1000 results.
Kate joins us on the campaign side and starts working with Eddy on a student unions campaign for early 2010.
I chat to Alnoor Ladha about how to turn Mindapples into a wider campaign, and with Luke Nicholson about sustainable business models.
The web team (Tom, Ana, Sangeet and me) push on with the site and hold our first Mindapples hack day at the School of Everything offices.
November 2009:
I go to South America (yay!) but the team press on without me, making progress on the site and brand development. Kate, Ana, Sangeet and I tie ourselves up in knots with too many design ideas, and we get a bit stuck for a while.
December 2009:
I come back from South America bursting with ideas and plans for making Mindapples BIG, and start writing new pitch documents.
Hege joins the campaign team and we start plotting how to do a Mindapples art exhibiton and campaign coalition.
The Observer publish a day-in-the-life piece about me and Mindapples gets a nice mention and some more attention.
My friend Sam gets in touch about writing an academic paper about the survey results.
I have a really good meeting with South London and Maudesley NHS Trust, who really get the idea and want to help us.
January 2010:
Cassie joins us to help with designing our consultancy services and finding partners and funders.
Hege and I start pitching to people and asking for cash for research, pilots and the core site.
My friend Ravi at the Cabinet Office starts helping us out with stakeholder mapping and navigating the policy world.
I have a really good conversation with Kumar at South London and Maudesley Charitable Trust
February 2010:
We have our first Mindapples Away Day and everyone pitches in with some great presentations and ideas for the future. We work out a business model and get very excited.
We hold our first two Mindapples events, hosting the Green Sunday at the Arcola Theatre, and the Big Feast at the Hub Kings Cross. Nef come to the Green Sunday and we start talking about how we can collaborate.
Sian Croxton of DLA Piper gives us some free help getting our IP situation sorted out.
Jenny and Marilena join the team to work on our festivals campaign, events and marketing activities.
March 2010:
David joins the team as a fundraiser, and we start business planning and applying for funding in earnest.
Diane Herbert, Head of HR, joins the advisory board to help us develop our corporate offer to HR departments.
Sophie Howarth joins the advisory board too and starts helping us with business planning, and developing a Mindapples book.
We start discussions with Unboxed about developing the next version of the Mindapples website.
David introduces us to Marjorie Thompson, who starts making introductions to us and generally being very supportive.
We apply for funding to the UnLtd/Nominet Trust Better Web Awards, and also the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
