More than £100,000 has been awarded to community and voluntary schemes in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin supporting young adults with mental health issues. This is the first round of grants made by The Community Foundation on behalf of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) as part of the transformation of community mental health care taking place across the county.

The following community and voluntary groups have received grants for projects aimed at supporting 16-to-25-year-olds:

Shropshire

• The Sea Change Trust - To fund a project that will offer specialist, group and individual, time limited trauma informed psychotherapy to young adults (18-25) with severe mental illness (SMI).
• Designs in Mind CIC - For the development and delivery of training pathways specifically for young adults with diagnosed mental health challenges, to increase their mental health through the development of employable, transferrable skills which will lead to an increased self-belief, wellbeing and confidence.
• Shropshire Youth Support Trust – For delivery of the ‘Thrive Together’ project over Central, North and South Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, which offers intervention sessions designed to empower and actualise potential in service users with SMI.
• Tennis Shropshire – To deliver tennis sessions for people living with SMI, as a vehicle to improve health and wellbeing, social isolation and obesity, throughout the local community – you can find out more about this in a separate article in this edition of Collaborate.

Telford & Wrekin

• The Reanella Trust - To support physically disabled young adults with bipolar disorder to improve their mental health, foster self-acceptance, boost self-esteem, enhance self-expression, and effectively manage emotions.
• Small Woods Association - For a 12-week course of green wood craft sessions, using the five ways to wellbeing to support participants through a journey on developing their own skills, working as a team to then sharing a gift with the community.

Steve Adams, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be working with MPFT to target and help young adults across the county with a severe mental health illness that substantially interferes with, or limits one of life’s major activities. The community groups awarded in this round have some fantastic projects to deliver and we are excited to hear about their impact.”

Maryan Davies, Community Mental Health Transformation Lead at MPFT said: “We’re delighted to be working together with our local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to target and help young adults to access support from mental health services; this will ensure that we work in a more joined up, focussed and holistic way to help support the young adults of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to maximise their life opportunities.”

Round two of the Community Mental Health Fund, which will provide grants for adult services and focus on digital enablement, is now live for applications. You can apply online at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community Mental Health Fund for Adults - The Community Foundation for Shropshire

Applications will close on 14 June.