Government Ministers Announce New Fund
Government Ministers Announced
New £15million Fund
To Help Improve Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing
Highland Third Sector Interface are please to share that there is new funding available for third sector organisations in Highland to promote adult mental health and wellbeing.

The new Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has been established with £15million allocated to support mental health and wellbeing in communities across Scotland, with £700K allocated to Highland.

The purpose of the Fund is to support community-based initiatives that promote and develop good adult mental health and wellbeing caused by social isolation and loneliness; to mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population, as well as addressing the mental health inequalities exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Grassroots community groups and organisations that have successful applications will be able to benefit from the funds to deliver activities and programmes to people to re-connect and revitalise communities, building on examples of good practice which have emerged throughout the pandemic. 
In Highland, we have just over £700,000 to support local, grassroot community activity that meets the overarching national ambitions for the funds and the local priority areas. 

We are looking to work closely with Health and Social Care Partnership as well as the Community Planning Partnership.

Local priorities will be drawn from the research, engagement and evidence provided across the region in the last 18 - 24 months but will reflect the broad approach led on by the Scottish Government, who are keen to support activities that contribute to wellbeing and early intervention.

We encourage you to start looking at opportunities now as applications will open shortly and projects are expected to have an immediate start.

In Highland we are aiming for the fund to open the week of November 8, 2021 - this is subject to change.

Mhairi Wylie, Chief Officer, HTSI

"We are very excited both about the opportunity and about the broad and open approach the Government are taking to supporting communities to respond to the needs of people they are closest to. We went into the pandemic with some existing challenges in Highland around isolation, mental wellbeing and inequality and sadly the last eighteen months have only increased these."

"Obviously there are details still to be worked through and more information will be available soon, but we can see huge opportunities in supporting community-led, grassroots initiatives that strengthen wellbeing and challenge barriers to good mental health.
I am looking forward to seeing how this additional support will build on the incredible work the sector is already doing, and it comes at an important time as groups are facing more and more challenges around their own sustainability."
Join Mhairi for a virtual
Fund Information Session:
We will know more about the fund by the end of next week (October 18-19th) or early the following week.

We ask that you please hold any questions until after that time, or save them for the virtual information sessions.
“This funding reflects the importance we place on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those in distress and will help develop a culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities. It is vital now, more than ever as we start to re-open society that we support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. I am very keen that this benefits communities across all of Scotland.
- Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart
Background
A range of charity-support bodies and social enterprises, known as third sector interfaces, will manage the fund in partnership with local integrated health authorities and other partners including Community Planning Partnerships and local authority mental health leads. 
 
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is part of the wider £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund announced in February 2021 to ensure delivery of the commitments set out in the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan in response to the mental health need arising from the pandemic.