Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund: year 1 - monitoring and reporting summary - easy read

Introduction

What will this summary tell me?

This summary explains what the Scottish Government has found out about Year 1 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (the Fund).

What is the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund?

The Fund aims to help tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic.

The Fund supports people to look after each other within local communities and across Scotland, with help from community organisations and groups. The aim is to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals.

The Fund is aimed at tackling issues like suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness.

The Fund also tackles mental health inequalities made worse by the pandemic including target groups such as:

• Women (particularly young women, and women and young women affected by gender based violence)
• People with a long term health condition or disability;
• People who are or have been on the highest risk (previously shielding) list
• People from a Minority Ethnic background
• Refugees and those with no access to benefits
• People who are seriously disadvantaged
• People with diagnosed mental illness
• People affected by psychological trauma (including bad childhood experiences)
• People who have experienced bereavement or loss
• People disadvantaged by geographical location (particularly remote and rural areas)
• Older people (aged 50 and above)
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities.

How much money is in the Fund?

To meet the need for local mental health and wellbeing projects, the total funding made available in 2021-22 is £21 million.

How is the Fund being delivered?

The Fund is being delivered through local partnership groups, working together to make sure community based organisations get the support they need.