TSI Western Isles are delighted to report that the Scottish Government Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, administered by TSI Western Isles, has awarded a total of £110,561.44 to the following 14 projects, supporting mental health and wellbeing across Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra:
| Organisation | Project Name | Type of Activity | Description of project | Amount awarded |
| Advocacy Western Isles | Mental Health Advocacy | One to one | Funding for mental health advocacy workers across the Western Isles, allowing for face-to-face meetings with service users | £9,993.00 |
| Balallan and District Recreation Association | Moving out of lockdown | Group activity | Gentle and accessible movement classes to tackle social isolation and loneliness in remote communities | £2,000.00 |
| Urras Coimhearsnachd Bhradhagair agus Arnoil | Proiseacy Saorsa (Liberty Project) | Befriending | Funding a worker to accompany isolated individuals to local sites of interest, coffee/lunch, community events etc in the remote Bragar and Arnol area. | £4,428.44 |
| Cobhair Bharraigh | Eisteachd, Cluninnstinn agus Cuideachadh | Therapeutic | Open day care for those with Mental Health conditions in a trusted centre. | £10,000.00 |
| Crossroads Lewis Care Attendant Scheme | Crossroads Community Mental Health Support | One to one | Funding carers to spend time with those with severe mental health conditions either taking them out or in their own home on a referral basis. | £10,000.00 |
| CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland | Western Isles Bereavement Support | Counselling | Grief counselling telephone service offering annonymity | £4,200.00 |
| Western Isles Foyer | Drop-in support service | Counselling | Supporting staff, training and equipment costs for a lifeline service for vulnerable young people | £10,000.00 |
| Rionnagan Og | Baby and toddler group | Peer support | Supporting mothers living in social isolation in an area of high vulnerability. | £3,700.00 |
| The Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland | Sporting Memories Western Isles | Group activity | Aiming to reduce social isolation for older people with reminiscence based social activities. | £7,750.00 |
| Stress Monkey Solutions | One Hundred Years Project | Group activity | A series of workshops to promote good mental health and wellbeing and build capacity for finding solutions. | £8,490.00 |
| The Shed Project | The Well | Mentoring | A part time support worker to be engaged with a drop-in centre for users with substance misuse and associated ill mental health | £10,000.00 |
| Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative | Counselling service | Counselling | Funding for a skilled counsellor to come to the islands to offer support sessions for individuals coping with cancer diagnosis, treatment, bereavement and loss across the islands. | £10,000.00 |
| Taigh Chearsabhagh | Arts Therapy Service | Therapeutic | The project will fund a second practitioner for an existing art therapy service in the isles of Uist and Barra | £10,000.00 |
| Western Isles Association for Mental Health | Growing Together | One to one | Funding a support worker 16 hours a week to increase capacity to deal with increased demand for support with recovery from addiction and associated mental health conditions since the pandemic. | £10,000.00 |
The Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund aims to support adult community-based initiatives to help address the impact of distress and mental ill health caused by social isolation and loneliness, as well as addressing the mental health inequalities exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund aims to take a preventative approach and allow communities to develop their own solutions, including developing stronger partnerships. This was the first year of this fund, it is hoped that there will be a Year 2 and Year 3 however the Scottish Government cannot confirm that yet.
TSI Western Isles will post details of Year 2 funding and application criteria as soon as it is available to us.