Which Yorkshire mental health projects will benefit from £3.3m funding boost?

As part of the Government’s commitment to transforming mental health care through the NHS Long Term Plan – backed by an extra £2.3bn a year – Mental Health Minister, Nadine

Dorries and Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill today will announce an investment of a further £3.3m in 23 projects across England.

The projects have an emphasis on improving access to support outside of NHS services, including for groups such as LGBT young people or those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

This includes five projects in Yorkshire to allow more children and young people aged 25 and under to access local services to support their mental health, with early intervention for those at risk of mental health problems.

Mrs Dorries said: “We know children and young people face pressures at home and in their social and academic lives but giving them easily accessible mental health support at an early age can help them thrive later in life.

“That’s why the government is investing billions every year to transform mental health care and giving more money to innovative, community led projects run by people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to supporting young people by providing them with the tools and means they need to manage their own mental health.”

The five Yorkshire projects to receive a slice of the funding are Family Action – Bradford will receive £167,000 to develop a training course for parents and professionals to help them understand the impact of trauma and how to effectively support children, strengthening parent-child relationships; Northpoint Wellbeing will be given £116,000 to develop support services for children transitioning from primary to secondary school in West Yorkshire; Sharing Voices will be given almost £100,000 to expand services for young people aged eight to 25 on a range of issues that affect mental health, such as bullying, self-harm and abuse in Bradford; York Mind will be given £50,000 to expand their current Arts Award to people aged between 13 to 16, allowing young people to increase their creative skills, confidence, sense of identity and reduce isolation; Young Lives Consortium will be given £43,600 to provide specialist support to disabled LGBT and BAME young people in West Yorkshire.

Minister for Public Health Jo Churchill added: “It’s only right that children and young people are able to access mental health support, not only through the NHS, but in the heart of their communities, schools and homes where they spend the majority of their time.

“The voluntary sector has a hugely important role to play in delivering these kinds of services and our Health and Wellbeing Fund is leading the way in ensuring government plays a role in cultivating the most effective, innovative and successful forms of community support – backed by an extra £2.3bn a year to improve NHS mental health services too.”

The money will come from the Health and Wellbeing Fund, part of a programme of government investment in the voluntary sector.

Projects will be fully funded through the scheme in their first year and additional joint funding from local commissioners will be agreed for two years afterwards.