During Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, CVS Falkirk & District is delighted to confirm that 42 local groups and organisations received funding from the second round of the Falkirk Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund!

In this round, Falkirk District received an allocation from the Scottish Government fund, which has been distributed and is managed by CVS Falkirk & District to community-based mental health and wellbeing projects and activities which will benefit people across our local area.

(Image caption: against a green background, various pictures of the CVS Falkirk staff wearing green clothing, with white text reading “#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek”, “WearItGreen”, and “ToHelpMyAnxiety”.)

Background

The Fund aims to develop a culture of promoting and supporting mental wellbeing, and preventing mental ill health, in local communities, and across Scotland, with making sure more people know about how we can all stay well, and help ourselves and others.

The fund priorities were focused on:

tackling issues including suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness, prevention and early intervention
dealing with the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and locally vulnerable groups’ needs
supporting small grassroots community groups and organisations to deliver these activities
providing opportunities for people to connect with each other, build trusted relationships and revive communities
supporting recovery and creativity locally by building on what is already there, what was achieved through the pandemic, and by supporting in creative solutions

Funded projects include Falkirk’s Mental Health Association’s (FDAMH) new free training course, “Managing Menopause”, which shares a range of techniques with people experiencing debilitating symptoms of menopause, and free community wellbeing sessions from Pause and Breathe CIC in Bonnybridge (offering activities from gentle yoga and mindfulness to balance exercises and sound relaxation).

Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC will hold open days, public health events, and mental health workshops (as well as work to enhance the social impact from their foodbank farm and community wellbeing projects), while the C-19 Cafe from the Long Covid Cuppa group offers a safe, relaxed space for people with Long COVID to come together and support each other on their journeys.

(Image caption: food grown by Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC on their foodbank farm, supported in part by the Fund.)

Victoria McRae, CEO of CVS Falkirk & District said:

“Once again, it’s been a joy to oversee the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for the Falkirk District – the creativity and innovation of our local third sector never fails to amaze me, and it’s fair to say that these projects will have a huge impact. It demonstrates that the sector is at the very heart of their community.

“This round has also been an exciting time for us, as we launched our new Grant Funding Portal at the same time. The portal has been designed to make applying for funding through CVS Falkirk easier, more accessible and seamless.

“We’d like to thank everyone who applied to this round – the Fund was considerable oversubscribed, as in the first round. With so many interesting projects nominated, the independent funding panels considered each project very carefully, and we’re very grateful to them all for their diligence and dedication.

“We’re delighted that Scottish Government has recognised the third sector’s unique and invaluable range of knowledge and connections with a third round of the Fund, and even more so that Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson announced this new round during a visit to Pause and Breathe CIC, one of the projects funded by the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.”

(Image caption: Victoria McRae from the shoulders up, wearing a purple top and smiling at the camera.)

Suzanne Grant, of the Long Covid Cuppa group, said:

“We are absolutely delighted and grateful to have received this funding so that we can offer sessions to those suffering with this new illness who feel alone, isolated and have nowhere to turn.”

Susie Hooper, Managing Director of Pause and Breathe, said:

“We were thrilled to be successful in our application to the Falkirk Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. We felt really well supported through the application process by CVS Falkirk. We attended one of their information sessions, which helped us to formulate our application. Their Grant Funding Portal was simple to use and made referring back to our application easy too. This funding enables us to hold free weekly wellbeing sessions throughout the whole year and means we can support people who wouldn’t otherwise attend sessions like this due to financial constraints.”

“Feedback from participants sadly demonstrated that for many, [our sessions] were the only social interaction they were having, and for others it was the first time attending a group setting since COVID. We can’t wait to get our new premises up and running because we want our space to be a true community hub where even more social connections will be made – our aim is to be accessible and for everyone to feel that they belong at Pause and Breathe.”

(Image caption: (l-r) participants in Pause and Breathe’s classes, Phil Blackburn, and Michael Matheson MSP, during his visit to Pause and Breathe.)

Anyone looking for support with finding funding and completing applications (or for further information on the next round of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund as it becomes available) should contact CVS Falkirk by email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk

Funded Projects

The full list of the groups and organisations who made the 42 successful applications to the second round of the Falkirk Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is below: