A FUND launched last year to tackle the social isolation, loneliness, and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic has been awarded a further £15 million.
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults was launched in October last year by the Scottish Government and has helped nearly 2,000 community projects to deliver activities and programmes in its first year.
It has supported a range of projects including sport, outdoor initiatives, arts and crafts, and nature, and covered groups such as older people, those with long-term health conditions or disabilities, people living in rural areas, and the LGBT community.
The new investment will allow the fund to continue for another year.
Speaking ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, mental wellbeing minister Kevin Stewart said: “The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is loneliness, and we know the pandemic has brought this issue into much greater focus.
"The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has supported many projects that help to make people feel less isolated.
“The fund was set up to build and develop capacity within community organisations and grassroots groups so they can support people’s mental health and wellbeing. I am pleased that so many projects benefitted in the first year.
“This investment reflects the importance we place on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those facing mental health challenges - ensuring that people can access a range of different types of support to match their needs."
Cowal Elderly Befrienders in Dunoon is one organisation which has received funding. It works with men aged 65 and over to reduce social isolation in a group known to be hard to reach and provides befriending services designed to improve the quality of life and reduce isolation and loneliness which in turn aids the prevention of suicide.
The service also helps keep older people independent and active.
Robin Miller, Project Coordinator said: "The numbers of older people we support has steadily increased and we now support over 200 each week. Many of the men we support are keen to remain as independent as possible and do not initially reach out for help - it can take weeks or months of sympathetic support to build up confidence, trust, and an acceptance of outside help.
“The funding we have recently received will allow us to sustain and develop our work. Over the coming year, our Men on Board project will help us to focus more closely on older men, provide much-needed support for them and provide insights into what isolated older men need, want, and why this group is often viewed as 'hard to reach'.”
