This year's Henry Duncan Grant programme will support organisations who work on mental health, with BAME communities or small charities who focus on isolation
A new £1m fund for community-based mental health and wellbeing support has been announced.
The Corra Foundation has announced the focus of this year's Henry Duncan Grant programme.
The fund will have three strands this year: supporting charities with an annual income up to £500,000 and a core focus on supporting people of any age who experience mental ill health; for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic led charities with annual income up to £500,000, delivering projects that support people of any age who experience mental ill health; and for small charities and voluntary groups with an annual income up to £50,000, supporting communities experiencing disadvantage to improve mental health and wellbeing by reducing isolation and loneliness.
A Corra spokesperson said: “It is estimated that around one in three people in Scotland experience mental ill health in any year. The health, economic and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are likely to increase people’s need for mental health support. The impacts aren’t spread equally across the population, with adults living in areas of poverty approximately twice as likely to have common mental health problems.
“Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities have been among those most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This is likely to affect people’s mental health, for example through fear and anxiety, experience of illness or loss of loved ones.
“Corra also acknowledges the impact that racial injustice has on mental health and well-being. Research has shown that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are disadvantaged when accessing mental health and wellbeing services, including the quality of care they receive. This is due to racism, structural and institutional inequalities, fear, stigma and discrimination.
“For these reasons, Henry Duncan Grants 2021 includes a strand focused on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. These are project grants, rather than core, reflecting the fact that much of the work done to support mental health among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities is delivered by organisations that do not have mental health as their primary focus. Corra believes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is fundamental to its 10-year strategy. As a result, the team are working proactively to reach, and be accessible to diverse communities.”
