Mind given grant to help new mums and unemployed men look after their mental health

People's Health Trust has awarded Mind with £436,000 to fund nine new projects at local Minds across England and Wales

Mind is delighted to announce that People’s Health Trust has awarded the charity £436,000 to launch nine new projects helping unemployed men and new mums to look after their mental wellbeing during challenging periods in their lives.

Local Minds in York, Tower Hamlets and Newham in London, Merthyr and the Valleys in Wales, Darlington, and City and Hackney in London, will receive a grant to provide support to unemployed men. A study from 2009 estimated that the percentage of people with psychological problems increases from 16% among the employed to 34% among the unemployed. The projects will provide structured, practical activities, such as gardening projects or DIY handiwork projects, which support wellbeing and community engagement and help unemployed men to improve their skills.

Local Minds in Ulverston, Coventry, Peterborough and Fenland and the West Midlands will also be provided with grants to support new mums. Currently, 15% of women will experience a perinatal mental illness in the first trimester of their pregnancy, and 10% of new mothers will experience post natal depression in the UK. The new projects will provide on-going support to mums throughout pregnancy and the first year after birth, weekly drop-in peer support groups, and weekly home visits by trained befrienders who provide practical and emotional help as well as friendship and encouragement. The schemes will help women to build new social connections and reduce isolation - a significant risk factor in post natal depression.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
"We are absolutely delighted to have received these grants from the People’s Health Trust using money raised by society lotteries through The Health Lottery. It will help us to provide tailored support based on individual needs for two of the groups that we know are most likely to develop a mental health problem.

With NHS trusts looking to make efficiency savings of £20 billion over the next four years, Mind knows that this will have a huge impact on the support services that those affected by mental health problems can access. That’s why funding for pilot projects like these is so valuable and will help us to ensure that we can be there for more people at the earliest possible stage.

As part of the charity’s resilience programme, Mind has identified a number of groups, including unemployed men and new mums, who are at particular risk of poor mental health, and will be developing its services to help them stay well. Mind believes that with targeted support people can build resilience and coping skills which will reduce their likelihood of developing mental health problems."

Find out more information about the projects and other services by contacting the Local Mind.