Published on: 3rd October 2018
Over £300,000 of community funding has been allocated to a variety of organisations and groups that help people with mental health problems and dementia stay well in their community.
The beneficiaries will become part of Lincolnshire’s innovative Managed Care Network, a collection of community groups that offer support through various activities to help people recovering from mental ill health, or living with dementia.
Funding comes from the Mental Health Promotion Fund, which was established by Lincolnshire County Council and is managed by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
In total, 30 projects have benefitted from a share of the funding this year and will be offering a wide range of activities and groups that people with mental health problems or dementia can get involved in. Activities range from local social and friendship groups, sporting and other outdoor physical activities, through to creative therapy and support for carers.
One of the projects benefitting for the first time this year is Inspired Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), a community interest company based in Fosdyke, near Boston, in Lincolnshire that offers everyone the opportunity to experience how horses can enhance their wellbeing. The Mental Health Promotion Fund will allow them to use Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) to focus on addressing the main struggles of people with autistic spectrum conditions, namely social understanding, communication and repetitive routines or behaviours.
Mike Burrow, Director of Inspired Equine Assisted Learning said:
This funding is particularly important to us as it will allow us to promote and fund our activities for service users who may not be able to pay for sessions themselves and who may be unaware of the benefits our horses can bring.
Equine Assisted Learning can benefit a wide range of adults and children looking for a new way to improve confidence and self-awareness, including people with behavioural challenges, mental health problems and learning disabilities. This project will help us publicise and stimulate a wider interest in a combination of education, therapy and fun that we can offer as an effective alternative to traditional forms of counselling or psychotherapy.
The network will also be supporting Tonic Health, a charity community hub for health and wellbeing, situated close to Spalding town centre. The funding will help the charity to support five new projects including Mental Health Advocacy Service, Carer’s Support Group, Safe Places Sunday Lunch, Reminiscence TV & Film Club and a weekly meeting group for people on the autism spectrum to engage with the community on all aspects of the condition.
Michael Morris, Chair of Tonic Health said:
Our research shows potential gaps in support available in certain areas and thanks to this funding we can provide projects which fulfil the unmet needs. It also provides us with a years’ worth of funding to try out new ideas and concepts and see if they are successful. We are very fortunate to have the Managed Care Network in our area.
Jane Marshall, Director of Strategy at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust added:
We are delighted to have had a fantastic response to the eighth wave of funding. We received more than 54 expressions of interest from a wide range of groups committed to supporting people with mental health problems or dementia.
There are always more applications than funding available, so every year we have difficult decisions to make to ensure the money available is used as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We have a strong desire and vision to grow and expand the network, to offer as wide a range of activities covering as many geographical areas as possible. It’s great that we’ve been able to introduce yet more new exciting projects this year for the benefit of our communities.
Details about all of the activities and groups are available on the Trust’s website www.lpft.nhs.uk/MCN or by following the hashtag #LincsMHnetwork on Twitter and Facebook.