WIREDGOV

Statistics across the UK reveal that at any one time around one adult in six is experiencing symptoms of mental illness and one in four will experience mental illness during their lifetime*.

Working to provide crucial support for those with mental health issues, four innovative projects are today sharing over £1,531,000 in funding under the  Big Lottery Fund’s (BIG) Reaching Communities programme which aims to help those most in need and build stronger communities.

Sanjay Dighe Big Lottery Fund England Chair said: “I am delighted that we are able to support these innovative and worthwhile schemes which will provide crucial care for those coping with mental health issues. These projects are excellent examples of how Lottery funding can make such a difference, bringing hope and new opportunities to help those most vulnerable in our society to improve their well being and lead more active and independent lives.”

Supporting people with severe enduring mental health problems, particularly mood disorders

Manchester-based Mood Swings Network - Recovery Project Phase Two project is today awarded close to £328,000.

The project will offer a rolling programme of courses such as a `fit for fun' group which encourages the use of exercise for anxiety management and a life skills group for people who need to improve independent living skills such as cooking, shopping and budgeting. Run on a weekly basis the scheme will include sessions on assertiveness, self esteem, anger management and understanding psychosis

The scheme aims to help enable people with mental health disorders to become well and stay well, free from the symptoms of emotional distress.

* Department of Health:http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Mentalhealth/index.htm

Welcoming the Big Lottery Fund grant, Mood Swings Network Executive Officer, Linda Wilson said “This award will enable us to build on the work of the past ten years and develop, plan and improve our services over the next five years. The economic climate has contributed to the pressures on individuals and families struggling with mental health difficulties.

“Our Positive Recovery project supports people in practical ways as they learn to overcome the challenges they face. Developing the project with the help of the Big Lottery Fund will result in real positive change for more people in real need."

Parents struggling to cope with looking after their families due to mental health issues are to be given more support following news of nearly half a million pounds of Lottery money going to a Staffordshire charity.

North Staffs Mind receives £496,248 for Parents in Mind, a project to offer parenting advice and mental health support for people dealing with conditions such as depression and anxiety. The project will support parents in Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands to help them cope with the demands of bringing up children.

The scheme, which will be delivered at people’s homes and at local venues, will offer one-to-one support, including counselling, a parenting programme, and social support and group workshops covering issues such as stress and anger management. The project will also run a phone helpline and offer a peer support initiative.

Encouraging parents to take up volunteering and employment opportunities the scheme aims to help raise personal aspirations through improved well-being and self-esteem.

Diane Collingwood, Counselling Services Manager at North Staffs Mind, said: “Supporting parents to recover good mental health means that children's lives are enhanced and their prospects for the future are brighter. As the government has recently stated - there is no health without good mental health. Good mental health is what we hope to achieve for those parents, and their children, using the service once it is up and running.

“We are excited about being able to begin the service using our past experience of similar work, and will be actively seeking the views of parents about what they will find useful, so that the service develops in line with their needs.”

Also awarded today, a vital project to provide a lifeline for people with mental health issues and those facing poverty in Southend-on-Sea today receives over £414,000. Working toward a brighter future for people coping with physical, mental and economic disadvantage Southend Vineyard – Starting Points project will use the funding to open new doors to training, paid and voluntary employment for the long term unemployed and those recovering from substance abuse.

The project will offer assessment sessions to tap into individual skills and provide training and advice, including interview techniques, CV preparation and writing skills. It will also provide the opportunity to gain practical employment experience working as a volunteer, develop community growing schemes providing food for homeless people, setting up a charity shop, and gaining work experience with local organisations.

The scheme aims to help people build self esteem and increase confidence to enable those disadvantaged through long term unemployment to enjoy a more positive lifestyle by re-engaging with the workplace and the wider community.

John Williams, Storehouse Coordinator said: "This is great news for the whole of Southend. The Storehouse serves local people who aredeeply affected by deprivation and social exclusion. The effects of recession have seennumbersof people needing ourweekly foodparcelssoar.The new Starting Points projectmeans 5,000 people in crisiswill receive coachingto help them remove barriers, learn skills, and prepare them for employment and education - giving them improved employment prospects in the short term and a better outlook for the rest of their lives."

Expanding a vital project to support stroke survivors, those with cerebral palsy, brain injury and people with a range of neurological condition, Salford-based, Brain and Spinal Injury Centre Limited - Power-assisted exercise (PAE) for Stroke recovery today receives close to £293,000.

Using specially adapted gym equipment which can support and stabilise those with physical impairment while allowing them to perform various movements, the project will purchase further equipment to provide increased accessibility to the service, and widen the range of exercise options available to help improve movement for people with conditions such as hemiplegia, poor balance and coordination, visual impairment and cognitive issues.

The scheme aims to enable those with physical and mental impairment to increase general fitness, gain confidence and improved mental health.

Wendy Edge, Director said: “We are really delighted at being awarded this Lottery grant. The grant means that hundreds of people recovering from a Stroke will be able to take part in power assisted exercise programmes at our specialist gym in Salford.

“Stroke is the commonest cause of adult neurological disability in the UK, affecting people of all ages. Exercise is really important for everyone, both to improve physical and emotional wellbeing, but also to help prevent illness in the future. The Brain And Spinal Injury Centre is expert at helping rebuild lives following acquired brain injury. Exercise is one of a holistic range of services on offer at the Centre”

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888     
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030                           
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors

      *DepartmentofHealth:http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Mentalhealth/index.htm

• Under Reaching Communities, the Big Lottery Fund awards grants between £10,000 and £500,000 to projects that offer people better life chances, build stronger communities, develop improved rural and urban environments and improve health and well being.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £25 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.