Cash comes from the Covid-19 Support Fund
Community-based mental health care and support will be transformed and vital services expanded thanks to a donation of nearly £7m to Rethink Mental Illness and Mind.
The funding extends to Mind’s partner, the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), in Scotland.
The money has been raised by the Covid-19 Support Fund, established by the insurance and long-term savings industry.
Research from Rethink Mental Illness revealed 79% of people living with mental illness said their health had deteriorated due to the pandemic.
A survey by Mind of 16,000 people showed that over half of adults and two thirds of young people said their mental health got worse during the pandemic, with many developing problems for the first time.
A fifth of adults who tried to access support were unable to do so. Findings by the Covid-19 Support Fund also showed that, since March 2020, mental health support is amongst the most common types of charity services that people have accessed.
Mark Winstanley, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “Our ambition is to improve the standard of care people receive by tailoring the offer of support in each area, taking into account every aspect of people’s lives which impacts their mental health.”
Rethink Mental Illness will build on a blueprint they’ve created to transform community mental health care by establishing four local alliances benefitting more than 3.5 million people.
The alliances will bring together people using services, health and care providers and a broad range of other organisations to create communities that care about mental health.
Mind’s research has identified three key audiences where mental health support is urgently needed: children and young people, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, and people experiencing poverty. The funds donated by the Covid-19 Support Fund will help the charity to reach those most in need by expanding existing national services such as its Infoline, information resources, and their online peer support platform,
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, added: “As a result of the pandemic, we’ve seen more people coming to Mind for support – whether that’s through our website, Infoline, or the services run by our network of local Minds.
“This generous donation will help us expand our most relied upon national services, like our Infoline, our online peer support platform and our trusted information resources, as well as deliver new services locally.
“By expanding to meet rising demand, and providing a long-term response to the pandemic, we can make sure Mind is there for as many people who need us as possible.”
