Young people across Greater Manchester will benefit from new mental health support including counselling, mentoring and arts programmes in their communities which is being backed by the government
Four projects have been selected to be part of £3.3 million in 23 local community projects across England.
The Proud Trust’s Peer Support Project in Manchester will receive over £23,000 to support more LGBT young people through life-changing events, including discovering their sexuality/gender and coming out.
42nd Street will be given almost £300,000 to expand its digital services supporting young people aged 11 to 25 years.
It has been piloting a project in Salford and offers therapeutic support to help young people access opportunities to learn, develop new skills, be creative, have fun and demonstrate they are able to recover and achieve their full potential.
Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind will be given £237,599 to provide earlier one-to-one support and counselling to young people with mental health needs.
Visyon will be given £154,000 to expand their services to support children as young as eight to 18. Visyon will intervene earlier to provide firm foundations to improve children’s life chances and reduce the likelihood of needing statutory services or of developing an enduring mental illness as they grow older.
The funding will come from the Health and Wellbeing Fund, part of a programme of government investment in the voluntary sector. The projects will be fully funded through the scheme in their first year and additional joint funding from local commissioners will be agreed for 2 years afterwards.
Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries said:
“We know children and young people today face many pressures at home and in their social and academic lives but giving them easily accessible mental health support at an early age can help them thrive later in life.
“That’s why the government is investing billions every year to transform mental health care, and giving more money to innovative, community-led projects run by people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to supporting young people by providing them with the tools and means they need to manage their own mental health.”
