A fund launched by the Scottish government last year to tackle
the social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities
made worse by the pandemic, has been awarded a further £15
million.
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults was
launched in October last year, and has helped nearly 2,000
community projects to deliver activities and programmes in its
first year.
It has supported a wide range of projects including sport,
outdoor initiatives, arts and crafts and nature, and covering
groups such as older people, those with a long term health
conditions or disabilities, people living in rural areas and the
LGBT community.
The new investment will allow the fund to continue for another
year.
Speaking ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, Mental Wellbeing
Minister said:
“The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is
loneliness, and we know the pandemic has brought this issue into
much greater focus. The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing
Fund has supported many projects that help to make people feel
less isolated.
“The fund was set up to build and develop capacity within
community organisations and grass roots groups so they can
support people’s mental health and wellbeing. I am pleased that
so many projects benefitted in the first year.
“This investment reflects the importance we place on promoting
good mental health and early intervention for those facing mental
health challenges - ensuring that people can access a range
of different types of support to match their needs. It will help
us to continue to support a range of valuable community mental
health and wellbeing projects across Scotland.”
Cowal Elderly Befrienders in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, is one
organisation which has received funding. The organisation works
with men aged 65 and over to reduce social isolation in a group
known to be hard to reach. It provides befriending services
designed to improve the quality of life, reduce isolation and
loneliness which in turn aids the prevention of suicide. The
service also helps keep older people independent and active in
their communities.
Robin Miller, Project Coordinator said:
"The numbers of older people we support has steadily increased
and we now support over 200 each week. Many of the men we support
are keen to remain as independent as possible and do not
initially reach out for help - it can take weeks or months of
sympathetic support to build up confidence, trust and an
acceptance of outside help. Our work also allows older people to
make a positive contribution to the work - in the small groups we
work with. Our older men often support each other, thereby
increasing their sense of self-worth and allowing them to
actively further our aims.
“The funding we have recently received will allowed us to sustain
and develop our work. Over the coming year, our Men on Board
project will help us to focus more closely on older men, provide
much needed support for them and provide insights into what
isolated older men need, want and why this group is often viewed
as 'hard to reach'.”
Background:
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is part of the
wider £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund announced in
February 2021 to ensure delivery of the commitments set out in
the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan in response to the
mental health need arising from the pandemic.
A range of charity-support bodies and social enterprises, known
as third sector interfaces, are managing the fund in partnership
with local integrated health authorities and other partners
including Community Planning Partnerships and local authority
mental health leads.
