Glasgow Community Mental Health and Wellbeing fund awards another £1.8 million to 200 projects in the second year.
We are delighted to have awarded a second round of grants, with our partners totalling £1.8m, to 200 organisations in Glasgow that work to improve mental wellbeing.
This year’s fund followed a similar process to the first round; community groups and voluntary organisations across Glasgow could apply for up to £10,000 in vital support through the local implementation of the Scottish Government’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. The fund recognises the importance of communities in improving the wellbeing of Glasgow’s citizens.
Highlights of Latest Funding
- 200 organisations awarded grants totalling £1,798,347
- At least 28,000 people are expected to benefit as a result.
- Building connections within the community and emotional resilience, strength and mindfulness; were two of the biggest wellbeing drivers behind applications this year.
- Access to learning opportunities was another wellbeing driver strongly reflected in applications.
Ian Bruce, GCVS Chief Executive, commented:
“Hundreds of inspiring voluntary organisations in the city have again responded to the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund with impressive proposals to support Glasgow’s citizens. In such a challenging economic climate, we are delighted to have supported so many worthwhile initiatives; some for the second year and others we have heard from for the first time. In the wake of the pandemic and the rising cost of living, these projects will focus on improving the lives of people from all walks of life.”
Mental Wellbeing Minister, Maree Todd said:
“It is great to see the range of projects being supported in Glasgow through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. This will help ensure that people can access a range of different types of help to match their needs within their community.
“It is vital now, more than ever, that we tackle the mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic and, more recently, the cost crisis. This fund reflects the importance of local communities and third sector groups in developing resilience and supporting people to think about and to look after their mental health and wellbeing at an early stage.”
Hear from just a few of the projects supported
We are delighted to welcome The Queens Park FC Foundation to the fund this year. They are developing a new project designed to use football as a therapeutic tool to support improvements in the mental and emotional wellbeing of 72 men in the south of Glasgow. The foundation identified a real need in the city to help men recover from alcohol and substance abuse, with most attributing their addiction to poor emotional and mental wellbeing. Over 60% of those men had considered suicide at least once in the previous six months.
The project uses football as an analogy to convey key messages around improving confidence, self-esteem, resilience and developing coaching strategies with the ‘season’ of support delivered over 11 weeks.
Queens Park FC Foundation told us:
“We are delighted to receive the Wellbeing Fund Grant. Poor mental health in men is a real issue and we will use this important funding to promote positive mental well-being using the power of football to engage and deliver important lifestyle messages and strategies”
Returning to the fund for a second year are The Hidden Gardens Trust, which for 20 years has offered urban greenspace for the local community to escape to, learn from, create, celebrate, make friendships and connect to nature in.
The funding will allow them to continue the Hidden Gardens Health & Wellbeing Programme to Govanhill/Pollokshields residents, many of whom come from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The programme offers a women’s group where participants can learn about healthy eating on a budget and prepare and share food from around the world. A qualified counsellor will facilitate the men’s group and help participants connect and learn new skills through activities they’ll help co-create.
The programme also offers weekly gentle outdoor movement classes throughout the year, primarily for older people, with more than 200 participating regularly.
Demonstrating how a small amount of funding can make a huge difference, we are excited to welcome Rainbow Volley to receive funding this year in partnership with LEAP Sports. They are a group of LGBTIQ+ people who come together to play Volleyball. The group is a welcoming space for the isolated and those finding it difficult to make connections, including asylum seekers and those on low incomes struggling with mental health. The new funding will allow the group to bring in a coach to help them develop their skills and improve the confidence of those whose cultural and structural barriers have made them believe that sport isn’t for them.
With a grant of only £695, it stands as a great example of how small, grass-roots projects can have a massive impact on the health and wellbeing of their community.
LEAP Sports Scotland told us:
“Without the Wellbeing Fund, we would not be able to continue the Rainbow Volley project or give it the best hope of surviving and growing into a regular feature of Glasgow’s LGBTQI+ Sports community. The Wellbeing fund enables us to provide two weekly sessions to a community with a higher incidence of social isolation and mental health challenges. Our project brings together people of all backgrounds and nationalities and truly reflects the diversity of Glasgow.”
A third year of funding for the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has been announced by the Scottish Government. GCVS will share further updates as we receive them over the coming months as to how and when this funding opens in Glasgow. Subscribe to our bulletin to help stay informed.
See the full list of successful projects to receive a Wellbeing Fund Grant here for 2022-23
The fund in Glasgow has been coordinated by Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector with help from partners including:
Glasgow City HSCP, Glasgow City Council, Volunteer Glasgow, Glasgow Social Enterprise Network, North West Voluntary Sector Network, Voluntary Sector North East Glasgow, Voluntary Sector Voice, West of Scotland Regional Equality Council, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Scottish Refugee Council, Glasgow Life, Mental Health Network Greater Glasgow, Glasgow Kelvin College, LEAP Sports.
Read other news from the GCVS team here, including more on the Glasgow Wellbeing Fund here.
