8th October 2021
On the run-up to World Mental Health Day this Sunday, Newcastle Hospitals Charity has provided £1.5 million to help people suffering from poor mental health across the North East and Cumbria.
The money came from the NHS Charities Together Community Partnerships Covid-19 Response grant programme on behalf of the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care System (ICS).
Eight community partnership projects will be delivered over the next two years by a range of partners from within the NHS, community organisations and the charity sector.
The projects to receive funding are helping to tackle health inequalities, improve people’s mental health and wellbeing, and offer specialist support to people disproportionally affected by the direct and indirect impacts of Covid-19.
In Cumbria, Barnardo’s will deliver a youth-led mental health and wellbeing programme with a specific focus on self-harm and suicide prevention and the North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group will encourage more conversations about death and bereavement through the delivery of training courses in north Cumbria as part of its ‘Let’s Talk Bereavement’ project.
Welcoming the funding, Teri Bayliss, charity director at Newcastle Hospitals Charity, said: “This will have a huge impact for the North East and North Cumbria, our charity and our project delivery partners.
“The grant supports our key aim to tackle health inequalities and create healthier communities through place-based partnerships that can make a genuine difference to individuals and families across our region.
“The last 18 months have been extremely challenging for everyone and many people across the country have shown their support for the NHS and healthcare community through inspiring fundraising initiatives and donations.
“We’re all familiar with the grace and determination of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who proved an inspiration for many by raising millions for the NHS by walking laps of his garden.
“It is the kindness, generosity of spirit and collective effort of people of all ages and abilities that have made it possible for NHS Charities Together to fund vital health and wellbeing projects in communities across the country. For that, we are extremely grateful.”
Other projects to benefit include:
• A Coping with Cancer North East outreach programme to support people across the region affected by a cancer diagnosis and their families.
• Family Action to provide additional therapeutic support for young carers in County Durham.
• Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind’s ‘Rooted in Nature’ project, which is designed to increase mental health and wellbeing support for people living in the most disadvantaged areas of Middlesbrough.
• North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Child Health and Wellbeing Network is delivering four impactful programmes that will contribute significant positive outcomes for the region’s children and young people, including a Mental Health First Aid ‘Train the Trainer’ project.
• Wearside Women in Need, a frontline therapeutic service in Middlesbrough and Wearside to address health inequalities for women.
• Your Voice Counts, a project to develop a consistent and equitable model of support for people with learning disabilities and autism in the North Tyne and Gateshead Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) area.
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is leading the delivery of the grant programme and is working in partnership with County Durham Community Foundation and Cumbria Community Foundation.