Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults - year 3: monitoring and reporting summary

Annex B Project Examples – by region.

Aberdeen City:

Touch of Love Outreach: This project provides support for 'New Scots' who have newly relocated to Scotland and are feeling isolated. The project provides informative monthly 'meet and greet' sessions targeted at New and existing Scots, helping them to make new friends as well as signposting to relevant supports and services such as help with seeking employment.

Venture Trust: This therapeutic outdoor project offers a holistic approach to improving mental health and well-being for individuals who have experienced trauma, disadvantage, and social isolation. The journeys can include walking, hiking, canoeing, camping, climbing, and abseiling, and presents mental, physical, and emotional challenges to overcome, creating a sense of achievement and improving confidence, mental health, and wellbeing. On returning from their journey, participants are supported to apply their achievements to their everyday life.

Aberdeenshire:

Home-Start Garioch: This project supports parents to cope with the day to day challenges they face being a parent and to build better relationships with their partners and children. The core work of Home-Start is peer support with a home visiting volunteer who visits once a week to provide practical and/or emotional support.

Stonehaven Go Getters:This project supports the alcohol and other drugs recovery community, in collaboration with their friends and family. It aims to enable empowerment, nurture mental health and alleviate adverse challenges. Its vision is to have the recovery community grow and become visible, by applying positive visual representation, reducing stigma and encouraging understanding.

Argyll & Bute:

The Meeting Place (Dunoon): The Meeting Place is a peer support group for those affected by mental health issues. The project offers a wide range of activities which assist participants in managing their mental wellbeing, gaining confidence and engaging in greater involvement with the wider community. The funding provides administrative support to enable these activities to run efficiently and to free up the volunteer workers for more targeted support for participants.

New Way: The SubGrub project focuses on acquiring, preparing and eating nutritious food on an agreed budget for clients of New Way Charity who are living in isolation and are affected by socio economic disadvantage. Each week participants are supported to shop for a meal on a pre-agreed budget, buy ingredients economically and learn where and how this can best be achieved in the local area. Shopping is transferred to a local kitchen available for hire and participants are thensupported to prepare the meal together as a collective exercise. Finally, participants eat the meal together creating a social occasion to be enjoyed by all.

City of Edinburgh:

Community Renewal Trust: This project provides a rolling 6 week group work course, Beginning to Connect, to support homeless people in Bingham, Magdalene and The Hays with goal setting and moving forward to be in a position to find a home, employment or make other changes in their lives.

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland: This project creates opportunities for people affected by human trafficking to safely discuss their experiences, and to create a city-wide community response to human trafficking which prioritises mental health outcomes and also provides advice for practitioners to increase capacity.

Clackmannanshire and Stirling:

Scottish Families against drugs and alcohol: Project Balance provides holistic wellbeing activities for families affected by a loved one's alcohol or drug use. It builds on the initial success of the last two years and offers a wider range of activities, giving families more opportunity to choose what they would like to participate in.

Community House: The Helping Hands project provides social support and activities for people with learning disabilities and their carers. Weekly sessions provide crafts or social activities and/or an outing followed by a nutritious lunch. It is set in a homely, welcoming venue in Alloa South and East and provides respite for carers.

Teas Company: This project provides a warm and comforting place for senior citizens to meet and socialise in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The project offers fun and laughter, new friends, bingo, quizzes, armchair aerobics and much more.

Safebase: This project assists in immediate medical or mental health crisis and takes the strain off emergency services by reducing the need for an ambulance, A&E or police intervention and provides welfare support to those in need.

Dumfries & Galloway:

Dumfries Men's Shed: The Men's Shed Wellbeing Activities project adelivers a series of activities addressing health, mental health, social isolation, and poverty among members. These include digital connectivity sessions, music sessions, gardening sessions, and Warm Hub Cafe sessions, providing affordable meals and fostering social interactions.

Massive Outpouring of Love (MOOL): The project will provide - summer trips and activities for individuals aged 16 and over who have claimed asylum and are currently residing in a Dumfries hotel. With limited access to travel and activities, the project offers trips to different locations in Dumfries and Galloway and other parts of Scotland. These outings provide opportunities for exploration, nature experiences, social connections with volunteers, and support in English language learning.

Dundee City:

Boomerang: This project is tackling social isolation by providing access to a befriender as well as access to groups and services at Boomerang to meet new people and be involved in their local community. The befriender also helps with shopping and other errands to make life easier for those who struggle to leave their home on their own for various reasons.

Dundee Pride: This project is holding events across Dundee to bring the LGBTQ+ community together. A series of talks showcases issues through the lens of a Queer individual. These are followed by conversations around how the issues can affect personal wellbeing and impact on the sense of community. Areas covered include health, politics, Queer poetry and literature and sport. This then leads to smaller groups coming together to discuss the Queer issues raised on a more personal level.

East Ayrshire:

Ayrshire Deaf Club: This project provides a Friday night club for deaf children of all ages and their families, including hearing siblings. It provides access to social opportunities and football for children for whom this is often problematic. Parents and wider family can also attend to gain advice and help from volunteers who are experienced in deaf care.

The Sky Project: The project offers free parental support classes within their community hub "Our Wee Place". The key aim is to allow parents who are affected by the cost crisis and living in poverty to come together and receive peer support within a safe, dignified space in an area that lacks community support/resource. The project aims to remove barriers to support, providing resources and helping parents to access financial and/or mental health services to help with income maximisation, address poverty, and therefore improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.

East Dunbartonshire:

Addiction Recovery Centre: The project focuses on improving the mental health, anxiety, and self-esteem of attendees by providing lunch time meetings to help them reconnect with others. The Centre offers a light lunch, advice and financial care to those in crisis.

LGBT Youth Scotland East Dunbartonshire. The Community Outreach project aims to enhance the mental and emotional wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25, helping them access specialised youth services by strengthening referral pathways between LGBT Youth Scotland, schools and other young people's services. This strategic alignment guarantees that LGBTQ+ young people are well-informed about the services available to them and can access support promptly.

East Lothian:

Cruse Scotland Bereavement Support: The Early Intervention Support project provides small group and one-to-one support, advice and information for 60 recently bereaved people in East Lothian who are in distress and struggling with their grief.

Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland. The project supports the growth and expansion of five existing weekly Sporting Memories Clubs in East Lothian with new members and new volunteers providing get together meet ups and trips. By using the hook of sport, the projectoffers a mix of reminiscence, social and physical activities to connect older people who share an interest and passion for sport. Extra get together meets are offered and include larger Sporting Memories Club activities and guest speakers as well as trips to a local sporting venue/museum.

East Renfrewshire:

East Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau: There has been an increasein clients presenting with mental health issues. These clients need intense help and support, and an increasing amount of time dedicated to their needs. East Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau has developed a service called 'RESPONSE PROJECT' which provides a specialist advice service for anyone who lives within the East Renfrewshire area whose mental health issues mean they require additional support.

Fairweather Drop In Centre: The Fairweather drop in group is a group of over 50s with many members coming from the minority ethnic community on the outskirts of Glasgow. The group offers social activities, educational trips, and a lunch club one day a week to help address social isolation that may occur in older people.

Eilean Siar (Western Isles)

Advocacy Western Isles: This project prioritises those with mental health issues who are experiencing social isolation and loneliness by engaging with those at most risk due to increased fuel/energy and food costs. Funding has enabled an increase in support worker hours to ensure the large number of clients presenting with mental health issues largely caused by the cost-of-living crisis have support before they reach crisis point.

Clo na Nighean Luadh Group: This singing group improves mental health, memory and mental awareness. The type of singing "waulking songs" creates a sense of group identity and belonging particularly with links to language and culture. This project specifically meets the needs of those facing social isolation and loneliness whilst providing an opportunity for people to connect with each other. Aside from the rural disadvantage, the project also supports individuals with mental illness / dementia and those with a long term health condition, older people and carers.

Falkirk:

Go! Youth Trust: The "Thrive Employability" programme provides young women with support, skills and qualifications to remove the barriers that are holding them back from taking the next step in their development by offering tailor made, significant support to those who are most disengaged and marginalised. Young women who are struggling with social isolation, loneliness and anxiety have the opportunity to gain new confidence and skills and increase their chances of gaining employment, sustaining education or training and building positive relationships.

The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust aka Maggie's: This project supports people in Falkirk who are at risk of suicide or self-harm as a result of a cancer diagnosis. It also supports those who feel overwhelmed by caring responsibilities or bereavement. A cancer diagnosis is emotionally as well as physically debilitating and community mental health resources often involve time-limited support and a long waiting list. Maggie's can provide immediate help for as long as people need it with a model of support that is designed to build realistic hope and reduce a person's desire for hastened death.

Fife:

Options in Life: This project supports adults with learning disabilities who are suffering in isolation without provision. Attendees have access to a weekly service where they take part in a fully supported, fun, educational, fulfilling group activity. Activities cater for all interests and wellbeing needs and are designed to instil confidence and develop skills which further improve lives and opportunities outside the programme.

Lucky Ewe: This project involves outdoor work on a sheep farm to reduce anxiety, develop self-confidence and develop team working. The work involves cleaning animal pens, replenishing water and feeding the sheep and these group activities are beneficial to mental health and wellbeing. The staff also lead and direct vegetable-growing activities and craft activities such as carding wool from the sheep fleeces.

Glasgow City:

BOOM! Community Arts: This project brings people together and tackles isolation through provision of fun and friendly community arts activities which are free and open to all. The projects offers a weekly arts workshop at St Matthew's Centre, as well as community arts projects in partnership with other local organisations.

Equal Futures: This project works with individuals with a learning disability/autism in Glasgow and their families to co-produce person centred plans to address individuals' and families' specific needs, prevent poor outcomes and reduce the reliance on paid support. The projectprovides bespoke circles of support to enable people with a learning disability to live their best lives. Alongside this it offers volunteer befriending and tailored social events to bring individuals and families together

Highland:

Eden Court Highlands: The Out Together Project provides a social space for LGBTI+ older people in the Highlands that aims to address isolation and loneliness. Out Together sessions are held monthly and offers activities such as social dance, drama workshops, film-making and painting/drawing, facilitated by LBGTI+ artists based in the Highlands. The relaxed, inclusive and safe space offers elder members of the LGBTI+ community an opportunityto connect with each other, feel rooted within their community and ultimately feel less alone.

Tykes Young Carers: TYKES supports Young Carers in Sutherland from age 5-25. The project aims to make a positive difference to the lives and wellbeing of young carers and families by offering advice along with emotional and practical support, engaging with the community, statutory agencies and other organisations. It supports young adult carers to transition into adult life, providing respite from their caring role by offering a drop in service in a caring supportive environment, providing activities and a hot meal. In addition attendees are offered support to register for bank accounts, GPs, Dentists etc.

Inverclyde:

Homestart Renfrewshire and Inverclyde: This project delivers intensive wellbeing support to parents in Inverclyde alongside a range of targeted group supports. The project involves wrapping a scaffold of support around the whole family to support mental health and wellbeing. A Wellbeing Support Worker provides additional, focused, one-to-one support to parents, supporting them to identify and implement wellbeing tools that work for them and their family, as well as linking to group activities and networks. The project aims to help at-risk families facing a range of inequalities to improve mental health and wellbeing, build resilience, reduce feelings of isolation and improve family relationships.

Kidron Life Skills Development Project: This project incorporates a Life Ready course, Money Course coaching, Singing for Wellbeing and Growing with Kidron (community gardening). It is complemented by Cuppa at Kidron, a community lunch. The project empowers people with practical life skills, and creates connections between individuals, especially peer support. It promotes mental wellbeing through eating together, being active at each session, opportunities to try new things such as gardening, rock painting, singing and breathing exercises and equips individuals with practical, emotional and spiritual support, enabling people to live loved, purposeful and connected lives in the community.

Midlothian:

Access to Industry: This project provides early intervention to support good mental health and wellbeing through groupwork, supporting people in various stages of their recovery journey to gain new skills, build networks and increase their confidence. It is challenging for new clients to engage with services, especially at the beginning of their recovery journey and the aim is to support individuals to progress towards education and training opportunities.

Growing Families Grow and Blether Project: This project works with staff members from the Midlothian Green Health Prescribing Project to identify individuals who would benefit from these activities and seeks peer support from other successful community garden projects such as Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust community garden. Training on the safe use of power tools is delivered by the Roslin Men's Shed.

Moray:

Mikeysline: This project aimsto improve accessibility to mental health services for individuals who feel they don't know where to turn to for help if they are struggling or experiencing suicidal thoughts. Mikeysline aims to reduce feelings of hopelessness in Moray, to change an individual's choice to turn to suicide and to ultimately decrease suicide statistics.

Networks of Wellbeing: This project engages 60 women across Keith and Strathisla struggling with low mood and anxiety who are interested in building confidence and reducing isolation through co-produced activity sessions. By providing a safe place to meet, the project enables women to learn new skills and develop core wellbeing practices and tools for empowerment while supporting those experiencing loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

North Ayrshire:

Kilwinning Community Sports Club: This project is a weekly Mental Health & Wellbeing Peer Support Group which is facilitated by a Mental Health Professional and a Peer Support Worker. Their role is to support and guide people to play a more active role in the ongoing management of their health and wellbeing, cope with stigma and isolation that can accompany mental health issues, advocate for their rights and make informed decisions about their care and treatment. They also provide a safe and secure place for people to come and talk with others and share their experiences.

Fullarton ConneXions: Funding for a Volunteer Coordinator role enables bespoke support for individuals with mental health difficulties or ACEs, by providing somewhere to belong, build resilience and a safe space to gain new skills and support, enabling members to become less socially isolated. The groups include toddler groups, community cafes with soft play, craft groups, support groups, sports groups, mind & body movement and lots more, enabling the general public and volunteers to get involved. Volunteers range from Mums and Grandparents, adults with learning difficulties, those who are socio-economically deprived, older isolated individuals and those with lived experience of mental illness.

North Lanarkshire:

Scottish Huntington's Association: This project provides a national Huntington Disease specialist who offers 1-1 specialist assessment, coordinates multidisciplinary care teams, provides symptom management advice, help to plan for future care needs and advocacy and emotional support, including promoting good mental health and self-management.

HOPE for Autism: This project aims to positively impact the mental health and wellbeing levels of autistic people aged 16+, with an increase in knowledge and understanding of autism in adults (with a focus on mental health and wellbeing risks, indicators, strategies to support and build resilience) in secondary schools, colleges, other organisations and parents/carers. It also aims to increase confidence and independence levels within autistic adults.

Orkney:

Papay Thursday Club: This project provides inter-generational activities every week on Papay, providing social opportunities for those aged 50 and over, and encouraging contact with younger age groups. The activities offered provide mental stimulation and fun. This also includes visits to Mainland Orkney to visit old friends who have had to move from Papay for health and care reasons.

Westray Development Trust: This project provides wellness sessions which include pool sessions, access to remote dance classes, an established weight management support group and the purchase/loan of SAD lamps for local people who suffer from SAD.

Perth and Kinross:

Perth Minorities Association: This project is a place for people who are looking to make new friends, build networking and spend quality time, especially during the winter. The project includes food and soft drinks, movie evenings and game evenings.

Duke Of Edinburgh's Award Association. This project opened a second site as an activity and residential centre and respite destination at the Cultybraggan WW2 POW camp in Comrie. The site includes overnight accommodation, disabled access toilets and shower facilities with specialist equipment for those with physical and emotional support needs. The new site enables the project to extend their reach and support in the most disadvantaged rural west Perthshire area.

Renfrewshire:

Pachedu: This project supports a variety of activities, with adjustments being made to accommodate new activities for ethnically diverse people in Renfrewshire. The activities include: men's shed fortnightly activities; Pachedu Gardening activities; volunteering and training opportunities; cultural awareness pack; WICE sewing project; virtual and face-to-face mental health and wellbeing awareness sessions; physical activities such as social sports (football, bowling, walking) and multigenerational activities.

Quarriers: This project offers support for 16-65 year olds who have an acquired brain injury (ABI). The Sunshine Club offers those with an ABI a space where they can share their experiences and socialise with people who understand what they have been through. Quarriers also provide brain injury awareness training and support. The project believes their measures go a long way to improving mental health and wellbeing and to maintaining good mental health.

Scottish Borders:

Borders Disability Sport: This project aims to enhance the mental health and well-being of adults with disabilities and their parents/guardians in the Scottish Borders. The project will provide access to physical activity, reduce social isolation and alleviate financial strain during times of elevated living costs. The initiative will offer 120 fully funded Exercise Referral Memberships, providing year-long, unlimited access to Live Borders gyms, swimming pools, and fitness classes for eligible individuals.

Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council: The project Let's Move! aims to expand the variety of physical activity offerings at Leitholm village hall to include Pilates, soft ball tennis, walking football, bean bag rounders, carpet bowls, and table tennis for those with more energy. The project enables residents to attend, meet other like-minded people, make friends and socialise at reasonable cost.

Shetland Isles:

Mossbank Public Hall: This project provides a warm safe place for those experiencing social isolation and loneliness and offers warm drinks, food and company, allowing opportunities to connect. The project also offers boccia sessions and other game events for interaction.

South End Menopause Group: This project provides a safe space for women experiencing menopause to come together to support each other and access therapeutic services. It is a space where everyone feels comfortable discussing symptoms without judgement in a way that that is uplifting, fun and light hearted. The project offers the opportunity to be eye opening, supportive, knowledgeable and build confidence.

South Ayrshire:

Riverside Community Trust: This project provides attendees with an informal space in the heart of the community where they can congregate to reduce isolation and provide financial assistance and opportunities to tackle poverty. The aims are to improve wellbeing and tackle isolation. Attendees have access to shelter, food, digital access and social activities such as bingo and quizzes. There is also access to relevant services who provide help with cost of living, and employment and education opportunities.

Adventure Centre for Education: This project engages individuals requiring mental health and wellbeing support by utilising nature as a medium for interaction. The hub provides a therapeutic and revitalising experience based on the mental health concepts that blue and green environments help to create. Through tailored outdoor engagements, the project aspires to contribute positively to the mental health of individuals.

South Lanarkshire:

Rutherglen Community Carers: This project is a men's group for those with dementia. It provides an opportunity to meet and socialise with others with a similar diagnosis. Through participation, the project removes stigma surrounding the condition in a non-threatening and supportive environment. The social aspect helps reduce social isolation by encouraging service users and their carers to maintain relationships both in and out with the home. Activities include musical memories, sharing stories and peer support.

Moira Anderson Foundation: This project delivers a program of self-management modules for adults affected by Childhood Sexual Abuse and who experience long term physical and mental health needs. This program works within a group setting and helps to improve the health and wellbeing of those participating through a self-management model.

West Dunbartonshire:

Awestruck Academy: This project provides a programme of activity to address isolation and cost of living challenges for those living in the central Clydebank area. It delivers an open-access 40-week music programme to reduce loneliness and isolation and build confidence in those experiencing disadvantage. This includes art and music activity together with the opportunity for people to come along to socialise.

Flourishing Faifley: This project builds on previously funded pilot activity, increasing men's group activities in the Faifley area of Clydebank - including walking and growing activities. This grassroots organisation is a key local provider and has established and supported a new men's group within the Flourishing Faifley community. This group, which is open to all men, is a proven mechanism for tackling social isolation, loneliness and mental health issues.

West Lothian:

Canine Concern Scotland Trust: This project offers friendly pet therapy by visiting people in nursing homes, day centres, hospitals, and hospices by bringing comfort, reducing loneliness and making life better.

West Lothian Diabetes Scotland Group: This project offers weekly activities including two Personal Best exercise sessions, Easyline seated exercises, walking groups and a nutrition club with a dietician. There are small group activities exclusively for people living with diabetes which encourages people to participate who otherwise might not have the confidence.