Summit is one of Essex’s longest-standing mental health charities, founded in 1976 as Tendring Mental Health Support in Clacton-on-Sea. As advocacy became a profession through the 1980s and 1990s, Summit trained in legislation and human rights and played a key role in helping people leave long-stay hospitals and be heard in decisions about their care. Renamed SUMMIT in 2017, its mission is to advocate for empowerment and support independence. It restores control, confidence and self-belief, helping vulnerable people find their voice, stand up for their rights and shape their own futures through compassionate, face-to-face support and genuine partnership.