CMHWB Impact report
North Ayrshire Council · 9 May 2024
Back to Integration Joint Board — 9 May 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND YEAR 1 REPORT & INTERIM DATA YEAR 2 November 2023
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2 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Contents Page 3. Introduction 4. Applications 5. Background & Approach – Fund Management 6. Active, Connected, Included 8. Year 1 – Project Focus 9. Independent Evaluation – Key Highlights 10. Year 1 Locality Spread & Project Types 11. Emerging from the Pandemic 12. Training, Networking & Collaboration --------------------- 13. Project Outcomes & Examples 13. Provision of essential household items 14. Debt management, income maximisation and housing advice 14. Free & engaging activities promoting wellbeing 16. Green Health 17. Men’s Shed --------------------- 17. Taking care of our Volunteers 18. Specialist Support 19. Community Food --------------------- 19. Cost of Living Crisis 20. Suicide Prevention 21. Considerations for Year 3 and beyond 22. A few words from project
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3 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Introduction The Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults was established in October 2021 and to date has distributed around £36 million to community initiatives supporting mental health and wellbeing across Scotland. A third year of funding (£15 million) was announced in April 2023. The ongoing funding reflects the importance placed on community support as part of the Scottish Government’s overall mental health infrastructure. The fund will continue to be distributed by Third Sector Interfaces (TSI) in communities across Scotland. The Fund has a strong focus on prevention and early intervention and aims to support grass roots community groups in tackling mental health inequalities and addressing the priority issues of social isolation and loneliness, suicide prevention, and tackling poverty and inequality. There will be a continued emphasis in Year 3 on responding to the cost-of-living crisis and on those facing socio-economic disadvantage. The fund aims to take a preventative approach and allow communities to develop their own solutions, including developing stronger partnerships. Funds were distributed by Arran Community & Voluntary Service (Arran CVS), as a partner in the Third Sector Interface North Ayrshire with the Ayrshire Community Trust. Arran CVS took the lead in administering the Fund and securing input from the Integration Authority and wider partners throughout. And as the grant holders lead on reporting to national monitoring processes as well as to local evaluation. In Year 1, 61 North Ayrshire projects collectively received funding to the value £813,345, which benefitted significantly from inclusion of £353,134 in support from North Ayrshire Council (NAC). This was made possible by additional Covid recovery funding, to back high- quality bids which particularly focussed on the local priorities of social isolation, mental wellbeing, and financial inclusion. £52,999 was received and disbursed in collaboration and a parallel process with the Children, Families & Young People CMH&WB Fund. This enabled an estimated 33,000 North Ayrshire residents to benefit from activities that improved their mental health and wellbeing.
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4 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND In Year 2, due to budget constraints, the level of contribution from NAC was understandably impacted. The Green Health Partnership included provision of a contribution amounting to £46,125 in Year 2, for projects specifically focussed on ‘green health’ related activity. This resulted in a total of £516,107 being distributed to 55 projects across North Ayrshire. Early monitoring demonstrates that so far, an additional 5,000 North Ayrshire residents have already benefitted from the Year 2 projects. David Meechan Senior Project Officer, Green Health Partnership The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is a fantastic initiative that supports local community groups and organisations at the heart of their communities. Helping them have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the population. North Ayrshire Green Health Partnership committed funding to Year 2 of the grant fund as it aligns closely to our vision and aims. Improving the health and wellbeing of the population in North Ayrshire through participation and exploration of North Ayrshires fantastic greenspaces and green health activities. We recognise the ability this fund has in achieving this as well as reducing health inequalities that exist in North Ayrshire and improving biodiversity of those local greenspaces.
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5 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND The Fund was significantly over-subscribed in both year 1 and 2. Due to the NAC contribution amount in Year 1, 67% of the application value received was paid out, versus 50% in Year 2. Year 2 saw a drop in the total value of applications, which may be due, in part, to the reduction in the maximum grant award, from £50,000 in Year 1, to £20,000 in Year 2. Most of the Year 1 funded projects (74%) focussed on both prevention and early intervention. Project Focus – Year 1 Background and Approach – fund management A Steering Group was formed and led by the Third Sector Interface North Ayrshire. This included a range of representatives from the Health & Social Care Partnership, the NHS, North Ayrshire Council, Third Sector Groups, and people with lived experience of mental health challenges. They came together to provide governance and oversight throughout the process, including agreement and alignment of the local and national priorities to the fund criteria, defining the application, and designing the scrutiny and scoring process. Many of the members became involved in the scoring panels and ultimately determined whether the projects would be funded. The entire process was developed to be both transparent and fair. Calibration sessions were held with each scoring panel and with the wider steering group to ensure consistency of approach and to discuss the projects where scoring was particularly close. The Year 1 application process was launched across all North Ayrshire localities in October 2021 with a series of online and in-person information sessions for each. One-to-one support from development officers was made available to groups and organisations who required further guidance or support. The Fund has acted as a mechanism to galvanise communities across North Ayrshire, bringing together people from a wide variety of projects and organisations, with the collective ambition of improving the lives of people in our communities. Sharing learning, resources, and skills, and working collaboratively to improve the reach and outcomes being delivered.
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6 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Additional Focus – Inclusion Year 1 TSI North Ayrshire highlighted its commitment to inclusion as part of the roll out of The Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund from Year 1. Through collaboration with the North Ayrshire Learning Disabilities team and The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD), a series of online workshops were held to introduce their Active, Connected, Included resource, which is designed to help people with learning disabilities become more included in their communities. Although geared towards people with learning disabilities, the principles can be applied to anyone disadvantaged and feeling excluded. The work done in North Ayrshire in this area was picked up by the Scottish Government after the interim monitoring for Year 1 was submitted and several questions focussing on inclusion, were added to the monitoring returns thereafter for all projects across Scotland. 40% of the Year 1 funded projects in North Ayrshire indicated that they found the Active, Connected, Included resources to be either Useful or Extremely Useful in helping them plan their approach and reconsider how they try to ensure their projects are as accessible as possible. This is in line with the attendance levels at the sessions, so further work is still required to continue to raise the profile of this resource and inclusion more widely. Dominic Jarrett Learning Disabilities Development Manager, North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Working within Learning Disability services in North Ayrshire, I have been particularly grateful for the opportunity my involvement has created to contribute to weaving the concerns of that population, and of inclusion and accessibility in general, throughout the activity linked to the fund. The opportunity it created for promoting the Active, Connected, Included resources developed by the Scottish Commission for Learning Disabilities (SCLD) was one which has had real impact, and which has been highlighted by SCLD themselves as an exemplar of good practice. I very much hope to see the fund go from strength to strength, enabled by the Scottish Government's visionary leadership in this regard.
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7 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND In the final Year 1 monitoring, each project was asked to highlight and provide examples of how they are working to improve inclusion across at least three of the target groups indicated below. The results below indicate the total number of times each area was highlighted. You can see from the chart that people with a long-term health condition or disability have the largest area of with one in five projects supporting this area. “Due to having limited mobility, we have found that people are often lonely and only have access to a small number of people generally immediate family members. Our rides enable them to be visible within our community, to connect with people and build new and lasting friendships.” “Having a fully accessible venue and offering supportive transport, removes common barriers to participation.” “We contacted organisations such as Trindlemoss, Cornerstone and the NAC NHS Integrated Community Learning Disability Team, who were already supporting adults with learning disabilities, liaising with managers to organise the time and date of sessions which could then be shared with communities.”
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8 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Independent Evaluation An independent evaluation report for Year 1*, conducted by Blake Stevenson on behalf of the Scottish Government, highlighted that 96% of respondents rated their experience of the application process as Good or Very Good, 86% rated the advice & support offered as Good or Very Good and 100% rated communication with the TSI as Good or Very Good. 82% of respondents also stated that they felt they were able to influence the focus on local community organisations to a large extent, with 68% stating they felt they were able to influence the local nature of the funding to a large extent. “The TSI-led local partnership model has delivered the Fund creatively and collaboratively to suit local circumstances and need. It has worked well with local partners and increased the capacity of grassroots organisations to deliver services within local communities.” Evaluation of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for Adults, Scottish Government. *https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-communities-mental-health-wellbeing-fund-adults/
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9 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Year 1 Locality Spread & Project Types In Year 1 almost 45% of the projects funded were completely new projects, with 43% of projects running for between 6 to 12 months and 45% running for more than 12 months. 50% of the projects funded in Year 2 were for continuations of year 1 funded projects. The impact of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund has reached right into the heart of communities in North Ayrshire with over 33,000 people directly benefitting from Year 1 funded projects to date, with a good spread of projects offering services across all localities, except for Arran which reflects the size of the population. A broad variety of projects were funded in Year 1, as illustrated here.
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10 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Central to every single project funded, is the powerful impact of human connection, developing meaningful friendships, and providing people with a sense of acceptance, belonging, and understanding. Year 1 Priorities The Fund prioritises a range of ‘at risk’ groups. A high percentage of the North Ayrshire Projects are focussed on people with a long-term health condition or disability (43%), older people (37%) and people facing socio-economic or severe and multiple disadvantage (57%). People from minority ethnic backgrounds, and LGBTI communities were under-represented, and this is an area of ongoing and targeted focus for Year 3. Priority groups benefitting from Year 1 projects
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11 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Emerging from the Pandemic The impact of the Pandemic cannot be under-estimated, and the far-reaching consequences are still being felt today. In Year 1, there was a requirement to only fund new projects, and many organisations experienced challenges engaging with, and gaining the trust of community members. It took patience, persistence, and for many, a change in the language being used around mental health when promoting their services, to coax people back into group situations and to help them to feel safe again. Ayrshire Film Club We only take a small number of passengers on our wheelchair transporter, everyone we meet and everyone who volunteers, benefit from connections made with those who are less able than themselves. All gain more understanding, empathy and above all, friends. Some people are reluctant to try something new, so it sometimes takes a degree of persuasion to get people to join on the trishaws and transporter. But once they are on, they love it and want to come back time and time again. Cycling Without Age “We have found that many of our visitors and volunteers are very keen to talk about things that are troubling them and have been bottling up through the pandemic.” “When it comes to mental health, we so over-complicate the solution. So often people just need to make one meaningful connection or friendship which can turn their life around.”
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12 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Training, Networking & Partnership Working Since the launch of the Fund, a wide variety of networking and training events were organised to encourage peer support, shared learning opportunities and to create an environment to encourage partnership working. Also introducing other organisations and statutory services to what is on offer in our communities to support people improve their mental health and wellbeing. Many of the projects funded have subsequently come together in partnership to jointly deliver services, or where appropriate, refer on to other Third Sector or Statutory services, to enhance the overall support being offering within their communities. 77% of the groups funded in Year 1 have reported they are now working in partnership with at least one other organisation. 46% of the groups funded in Year 1 attended at least one training session offered, with many attending all. In addition, across the two years of the fund so far, four networking sessions were arranged and very well attended, with around 40 organisations at each. “Arran CVS has continued to offer direction in relation to possible partnership opportunities which proved invaluable and helped us create an excellent working relationship with Bridgend Community Centre, where we have now established a 2nd outreach hub for residents of the Garnock Valley.” “Super big thanks to Arran CVS for facilitating so much networking, some of which has led to ongoing partnerships and / or ally acquisition.” 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% CMH&WB Fund Year 1 Training Attendance Shared Learning Adult Support Suicide Prevention Measuring Social & protection Impact
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13 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Project outcomes & examples Whilst the numbers are impressive, it’s the stories of the many people benefitting that really tell us about the true impact of the projects. People who attended the projects funded in Year 1 have reported significant improvements in their mental health and general wellbeing. Participants have reported increased confidence and self-esteem, improved energy levels and a greater sense of purpose, through developing new skills and more frequent opportunities for social interaction and peer support. Provision of essential household items Other projects are providing families with much needed essential household items, furniture, and clothing, that eases the burden for low-income families, many of whom say that they feel overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety about not being able to provide a suitable home that meets the basic needs of their families. This in turn leads to poor mental health and anxiety. “I have learned so much about myself, learned some new skills and learned how to laugh again and have fun.” “I have stepped out my comfort zone many times, this has been great for my confidence as has the support from everyone at the café.” “My children shouldn’t suffer because of the things that affect me, sometimes the guilt is overwhelming, sometimes I feel that I’m not good enough for them, but just knowing that someone is there and that I don’t need to keep asking for help, really helps.” “Families are sleeping in their own beds, clothes are being washed, food is staying fresher for longer, several secondary schools have had their nurture rooms furnished, over a thousand families have had their homes furnished including over 100 refugees.” “Hundreds of families have had their houses turned into homes because we have furnished their properties. Children jump for joy because they now have bedrooms, thirty-year-old men are over the moon that they now have a furnished home to invite family to.”
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14 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Debt management, income maximisation & housing advice A client was referred to one of the funded projects by their Community Link Worker for help with their Income and Expenditure, plus income maximisation. Their adviser noted that the client has enduring mental health difficulties and helped them to apply for a council tax reduction based on the severity of their mental health impairment. This application was successful, and the client received a rebate of over £3000, which was backdated by several years. Additionally, this meant that the client had no ongoing council tax liability. With the client’s permission, their adviser also contacted their social worker to request self-directed support budget to assist the client with care costs. The client disclosed that they had issues with how they were spending their money. As this presented a significant risk, the adviser discussed this with their social worker and together they encouraged the client to access support from relevant organisations. The client has now engaged in preliminary healthcare support for the troubling issue and their social worker has ongoing involvement. Free & engaging activities promoting wellbeing Providing access to free and engaging activities for people during the cost-of-living crisis is also vital. Many people simply would not be able to afford to go out or take part in activities if there was a cost associated with them. Many of the projects try to include free food where feasible, even a cup of tea and a cake, or soup and a sandwich, can make all the difference to someone facing financial hardship. “My MH issues are a big part of my life. I attempted suicide 7 years ago; I have high anxiety depression and have experienced a lot of trauma. I now have WRAP – A Wellness Recovery Action Plan and I am in continuous therapy. But I have mainly good days now. I volunteer here, it helps my MH – I want to contribute back into society.” “It gets me out of the house. I feel I am learning and using new skills and new talents. I find it really calming. I love interacting with other people.” “The group is the best part of my week. I have made friends who understand how I feel, look out for me, and show they care.”
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15 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Attending activities where people can express themselves creatively, whether that be through writing a song or poem, making artwork, or learning to cook, has given attendees and volunteers a real sense of achievement and pride. “I am really chuffed with myself making this! Doing these crafts is very therapeutic, I feel a sense of calm and purpose, it’s really enrichening.” These past few months I have been working on the loveliest project. Poetry. But not as I’ve ever worked with it before . . . I’ve been working in Trindlemoss Day Opportunities in Irvine with adults with learning disabilities — and it has been the most wonderful process of exploration and creation, all inspired by the theme of “How We See Ourselves.” Artist Lynn McNally (pictured) has also worked onsite, facilitating art workshops, and the gorgeous results of these will be combined with newly created short films to complete this expansive (and excellent) project. Next, an exhibition of poetry, art, and film, showing the project in all its splendour, will open in September in the Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine. I am so happy to have played a role in this incredible project. I have learned so much and met some awesome, inspiring folk. I’m heart happy. Through creation, we really can express “how we see ourselves”. Simon Lamb
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16 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Green Health The health benefits, both physical and mental, of being outdoors and immersed in nature are well documented. Several of the funded projects have focused on bringing people together to enjoy nature and encourage people to spend more time outdoors. People attending these sessions, especially when they engage on a regular basis, report an increase in their happiness, confidence, and self-esteem. They are more willing to try new things, their communication and connection with others improves, and they get out independently on a more regularly basis to benefit from being outdoors. They develop an increased awareness of nature and learn to use it, alongside mindfulness, as a self-regulation strategy, enabling them to feel a greater sense of calm and peace. “I loved lying in the hammocks – something I have never done before.” “Nature has been very good for my mental health.” “When life deals you lemons, say, “Sod it” and sign up for a family day at Forest School. The summer holiday juggle has officially kicked in and my head is swirling with trying to juggle childcare and keep everyone smiling, including myself. I conceded defeat yesterday and cleared the diary for today and gave myself permission to have 1:1 time with little big man. We had a ball! We made bread on the campfire, played on the rope swing, and made a den together. Money can’t buy these memories and most importantly, I was a happy mum today and not work mummy, telling everyone to keep the noise down when I’m on a call. Thank you to the most amazing team at Woodland Wakeup for allowing us to sign up last minute and for giving us an incredible day to remember.” Linda, parent (attending open day)
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17 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Men’s Sheds The Men’s Sheds throughout North Ayrshire provide a hub for local men to come together for companionship and conversation, whilst undertaking tasks that utilise existing skills, or help them to develop new skills, and provide an excellent community service at the same time. Most of the Men’s Sheds build planters and other furniture and ornaments that are either donated or sold within the community to help fund their projects. Some also offer bicycle refurbishment, that sees them repairing and recycling donated bicycles that, once in good working order again, are donated back to members of the community in need, including many of the New Scots who have moved into the area. Scott’s story, from Dalry Men’s Shed, is a perfect example of the positive impact the shed can have on lives of people in the community. Click link below to watch a short video of his story. Taking care of our Volunteers Recognising the value and importance of the role that volunteers play in supporting the delivery of projects in the third sector is very important. Many volunteers don’t recognise their own worth and the true value of their impact. Helping them to understand the importance of self-care and talking about their own experiences is important, especially when they are often working closely with people who are experiencing very poor mental health, or suffering with grief, which can be traumatic for them. Funding projects specifically focussed on self-care for volunteers, has enabled them to develop their own peer support network and come together more as a team to support each other, ultimately benefitting the people who access their services. Video Link: Scott’s Story North Ayrshire
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18 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Specialised support provision Year 1 funded several projects that focussed on specialised areas of need, such as people suffering with very poor mental health due to, for example, gambling addiction, bereavement, domestic violence, or families affected by imprisonment. Although more targeted in their reach, these projects provide vital support to high-risk target groups, where suicidal thoughts are known to be more prevalent. “Domestic abuse is on the increase, and I have learned that the entire family and extended family are affected. By supporting the female on her own recovery from abuse and increasing her self-efficacy, it can stop the cycle and really self-empower everyone affected.” The impact of providing specialised peer support and raising awareness, providing a safe space for people to express themselves in a group with others who understand what they are going thorough, cannot be under-estimated. “It was very scary taking that first step through the door, but I was made so welcome and felt safe from the start. Anyone dealing with mental health must feel safe in the environment they are in and from day one that’s what Sliding Doors offered me. I met people from every walk of life who heard me without being judgmental or thinking I was “off my head” which had been said to me often.” “No one can understand the beauty of being understood and appreciated in their life and that is what Sliding Doors has given me. Sliding Doors has been my lifeline.” “I buried my thoughts, feelings and emotions during the daytime and would then sit at night in hopelessness. The support I received from your volunteer counsellor Sally in 2022 literally saved my life.”
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19 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Community Food Many of the Community Garden projects, Community Centres and Hubs, have teamed up with local food larders or food banks to make their produce available to the community. They have also been providing practical support on how to cook nutritious food on a budget, by creating and demonstrating recipes, as well as providing many of the ingredients. Cost of Living Crisis Food insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis is a growing concern. Projects that provide access to free or low-cost nutritious food, other essential household items or advice on debt management and income maximisation strategies, have been a lifeline to many, through the Projects funded in Year 1. The focus on projects that have a direct impact on the cost-of-living crisis, where free food, food growing or advice on managing debt and other issues relating to the cost of living, has remained constant between Year 1 & Year 2 at 19% of the total projects. Free activities, which indirectly benefit people during the cost-of-living crisis, have increased from 53% of the projects in Year1, to 60% of the projects in Year 2. “The Soup Club has been a massive help, I’m out all day on a Monday otherwise I’d be in my jammies all day!” “I also help at the family club, I don’t need to, but I opt to stay, and I really enjoy it. I make sure everyone gets some soup or toast or a scone.”
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20 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Additional Focus Year 2 - Suicide Prevention One of the priorities of the Fund is suicide prevention, again a challenging medium to measure. During the Year 2 CMH&WB Launch event table discussions, the need for more resources and input around Suicide Prevention tools and techniques was identified. In addition to the training offered, the Third Sector asked for a resource to be developed to support them in this vital work. A short-life working group was formed, which involved members from 11 local groups and organisations, as well as North Ayrshire Council’s Choose Life Manager and a Senior Manager from Public Health. 100% of the people involved fed back that they were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the content and format of the toolkit and how their input was represented. 100% also confirmed they are extremely likely or likely to volunteer for other similar working groups in the future. Sarah Watts Choose Life Manager - North Ayrshire 13. The toolkit is not complicated, yet I believe it will save lives. Excellent resource & great group to be part of. Thank you for making this happen & showing there is help out there. Equality of opportunity to give input. The diversity of experiences and thoughts was invaluable in the group. I would like to stay active in this work moving forward. The collaborative work and energy which was involved in producing the Community Suicide Prevention Toolkit was a really positive experience and illustrates that the process and journey are as important as the final outcome. Ownership of the process and respectful collaboration have meant the document produced is informative and meaningful and hopefully will prove to be supportive to local groups, but it has also illustrated the power of a community-based approach to this work. It is hoped that this can be built on and developed going forward.
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21 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND Considerations for Year 3 and beyond As we move into Year 3 it will be important to continue to build on what has gone before. To nurture and develop the existing relationships and cross sector partnerships that have evolved, encouraging greater collaboration and the creation of new opportunities to benefit the communities of North Ayrshire that are most in need. The belief that we are all created equal is flawed, our lives are dependent on many circumstances, but it’s important to help people recognise that everyone has their own unique strengths and something to contribute. With some extra help to get through life’s challenges, people can have a more equal chance of success in life and outcomes can be improved earlier and with reduced need for medical intervention. This fund is an enabler in creating these positive outcomes, but consideration must be given to how the legacy of the Fund is sustained for the future, to ensure this valuable work can continue. 34% of Year 1 projects were funded to continue through Year 2, with 31% able to incorporate the project with existing funding, however 15% stated the project had to end when the funding ended. Providing love, care, guidance, and mentoring are vital aspects missing from the lives of many people and it needs to be valued and recognised as such. “By continuing to invest in these organisations and the support and activities they offer, we will be investing in prevention of ill health, community resilience and a sense of wellbeing for individuals, which undoubtedly will improve lives and consequences for so many across North Ayrshire.” Vicki Yuill CEO - Arran Community & Voluntary Service
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22 COMMUNITIES MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING FUND A few words from our projects “The future is looking good as we have more funding for the group to continue as it is within the community.” “The first year has been really challenging with setting everything up for the first time as a CIC. We look forward to collaborating more in the second year and building our trust with the communities we serve.” “The allotments are building a community hub. The funding for year 2 will see an outdoor kitchen. This will be an added asset for the community.” “Our new facilities will be permanently available to our local community and our continuing partnership with Harbourside Men's Shed has been strengthened.” “We as a club have been in existence for 20 years and this is one of our best and most important and interesting projects and our successful projects that brings the social side of table tennis outwith the competitiveness of the sport.” “Our services in Ayrshire & Arran face an uncertain future for funding reasons. Multi-year, sustainable funding is required to allow us to secure the service.” “Your funding enabled them to have greater opportunity to try new things and learn.” “Referring individuals to our project activities can improve patient outcomes by positively impacting mental health and well-being. The project offers a cost-effective intervention that complements primary care, reduces healthcare costs, and fosters a collaborative approach to care.” “The grant allowed the project to run indefinitely, and it will continue to grow and become part of the local community.” “Arran CVS introduced us to Mairi at Bridgend Community Centre last year at the Child Poverty event, which ultimately started the conversation that made the partnership and project possible.” “Great to work with such a fantastic Organisation.” “The difference this money is making in adding meaning and connection and hope to people lives have been significant and has made a difference to people’s mental health and wellbeing. It is a joy to be involved and see plans coming to fruition.” “Arran CVS advises us of various leads for future possible projects and also sends invites to events and meetings which we attend if possible.”