West Lothian bids invited as £15m mental health fund set to relaunch
A £15m programme described as a 'life saving' by West Lothian's Third Sector is set to open the purse strings for its latest round.
The fund, first launched at the height of the Covid pandemic, has so far delivered £2m to local volunteers who promote better mental health within communities.
Up to 150 grass roots organisations have been supported to help those most in need.
And, each year, West Lothian's share of the national pot- around £470,000- could have been spent three times over given the number of applications. Difficult decisions have to be taken.
For West Lothian this year, a further £470,000 will be made available. Applications to the Fund will open in September and around 80% of organisations will be considered for two years of funding to support their projects.
It is expected that the Scottish Government will make a similar level of funding available for 2026/27.
Alan McCloskey, the CEO of Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian (VSGWL) said: 'This funding saves lives.'
The head of the local Third Sector umbrella organisation added: 'Over the past four years, £2m from the Scottish Government`s Communities Mental Health and Well-being Fund has been provided to 150 small, grass roots grass roots organisations to support their initiatives.
'We know that the money helps organisations to support vulnerable adults across West Lothian from the impacts of social isolation, loneliness, poverty, and inequality. It is fantastic that we will be able to help projects with much needed additional funding over the coming two years as well.'
The fund has been heavily oversubscribed every year, with applications seeking around £1.3million annually.
Funding helps organisations with costs such as staffing, equipment, venue hire, training and volunteer expenses.
Projects have tackled social isolation, loneliness, mental health inequalities, and supported those most affected by the pandemic.
This includes projects supporting a range of at-risk groups, including women, particularly those experiencing gender based violence; people with a long-term health condition or disability and those from a minority ethnic background.
Volunteers who work with people affected by psychological trauma have also benefited from the fund since 2021, along with those who have experienced bereavement or with neurological conditions or learning disabilities.
West Calder and Harburn's Community Development Trust is one of the organisations which has benefited.
Good Connections supports people in the West Calder and Polbeth areas to access activities, services and opportunities that improve their lives.
It uses a Social Prescription model whereby a Well-being Link Worker offers 1-2-1 sessions to help identify what a client wants to get out of the service, what is available locally and then supports them to access those opportunities.
The project also provides activity groups where they are lacking in the area such as walking, yoga and arts & crafts for well-being.
Matt Pearce, the manager of West Calder and Harburn Community Development Trust, said: 'Good Connections has received funding from the Communities Mental Health Fund for three years now and it has enabled us to support so many people during hard times in their lives. The impact has been huge.'
'The project is run by West Calder & Harburn CDT and Polbeth Community Hub offering support across the communities including from our local Community Woods and Garden. It has helped hundreds of people find activities and groups to get involved in to improve their mental health and supported them to access additional services as well.'
Adele Prendergast, the manager of Polbeth's Community Hub said : '86% of people who accessed our project over the last two years have seen a meaningful improvement in their mental well-being and 100% of our regular group attendees said that the activities had had a positive effect on their mental health.
'They also all said they would recommend others join our groups. This is the impact funding like this has'.
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