Mental Health & Wellbeing Community Grant

The London Borough of Newham, through the third round of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Community Grant are working with eleven local Voluntary Community Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations to deliver engagement with communities on mental health and wellbeing recovery.

This third and final round of funding (awarded in July 2023) focuses on projects which address loneliness and social isolation, bereavement, reducing the mental health impacts of financial insecurity, strengthening men’s mental health and trauma informed support.

The eleven successful recipients of the grant fund are:

Adults

Bonny Downs Community Association

BDCA has received funding to continue delivering popular free sports that launched after the pandemic in order to help neighbours get active and connected again. Thanks to LBN Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, BDCA will continue providing a calming gentle yoga class every Monday from 7.30 - 8.30pm in The Well Community Centre (E6 6DQ) for adults of genders and fitness levels.

As well as two activities ideal for Over 65s – friendly indoor bowls tournaments at The Well on Wednesdays from 10.45am – 12.45pm then relaxing online Tai Chi class from 10.15am on Wednesdays too. All these sports group are completely free and there’s no need to pre-book. Come along to make new friends, improve your fitness and lift your spirits! More info at www.bonnydowns.org/whats-on.

Eastside Community Heritage

Eastside Community Heritage is a leading community heritage organisation, working to uncover the hidden histories of East London by persuading ordinary people that their stories are worth telling.

The grant funding will deliver a project working with carers from the South East Asian community as well as Chinese and Vietnamese communities and will provide a safe space for people to explore and share their personal carer stories and how these have shaped or impacted on their sense of self. The sessions will enable carers to come together and connect to help prevent loneliness and social isolation, as well as increasing wellbeing through enabling participants to explore and share their caring narratives and self- identity, enabling their voice to be heard. They will have a chance to learn new skills, develop their own personal narrative sound card and co-design a community podcast, enhancing self-esteem and empowerment, as well as being able to recognise, value and have acknowledged their skills and contributions. www.hidden-histories.org/.

The Renewal Programme

The Renewal Programme will be delivering a weekly men’s mental health & wellbeing project that will be hosted weekly for 2-hours. This will consist of gardening and cooking groups where men aged 18+ from all Newham communities can share skills, food and conversation. These groups will enable social connection, increasing the participant’s sense of value and belonging in the community and reducing feelings of isolation that often lead to a decline in mental and emotional wellbeing.

As part of the programme, they will hold two mental wellbeing and resilience workshops and an end of project trip, both to be decided in collaboration with participants. The group will be facilitated by a support worker and volunteers. They will also conduct telephone outreach for those who are unable to prefer not to leave their homes.

Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre

Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre (RDLAC) is home to many intercultural and inter-generational groups. They promote diversity by bringing together people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Through the grant funding, RDLAC will work with adults and older isolated people to deliver a series of weekly sessions. These will include; Tai chi - offering a physical wellbeing activity that also aims to give attendees tools and a practice to maintain overall wellbeing; a Women’s Wellbeing Art Group – a safe and encouraging space for women to explore their trauma through art, storytelling, and imagery; and a Men’s Mental Health Support Group – for men to share their mental and emotional health struggles in a safe peer lead group. www.rdlac.org/.

Survivors Together

Survivors Together supports the development and protection of good mental and emotional health of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) sexual violence including recent rape. They provide specialist open-ended trauma informed support which is easily accessible to women at critical moments, through therapeutic social group meetings in-person and online, and bespoke one-to-one support. They facilitate and encourage healing journeys enabling women to move from victim to surviving and then thriving.

Survivors Together will use the grant funding toward the costs of their therapeutic social group meetings in Plaistow and one-to-one support, as well as for days out for female survivors of sexual violence in Newham. https://survivorstogether.co.uk/.

Children and Young People

Ambition Aspire Achieve

Ambition Aspire Achieve (AAA) is a Newham based, grassroots charity that exists to improve the lives of local children/young people, by providing inclusive support.

Building on the success of past activities at Abbey Hub, “Our Minds and Us” will deliver much needed weekly after-school and school holiday wellbeing groups for disadvantaged young people (ages 11-16) residing in areas surrounding the hub. The immediate catchment area suffers from disproportionally high levels of deprivation/child poverty, with significant numbers experiencing multiple issues and challenges.

The project will provide vital interventions to support young people experiencing rising need caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, worsened by the cost-of-living crisis, helping to address social isolation and improve their mental health and wellbeing. www.theaaazone.com/.

Faith in Schools

Faith in Schools Newham is launching a weekly lunch club in two local schools to support pupils' mental health and wellbeing.  Its school visiting team will provide a lightly structured, safe space for pupils to eat, chat and socialise with each other. Lunch clubs are a simple, effective way to address social isolation and exclusion. The lunch spaces also enable the charity’s senior supporters to engage with the younger generation and hope that community ties will be strengthened as schools and churches work together in partnership. www.faithinschools.co.uk.

Fight for Peace

Man Talk is delivered by two experienced youth practitioners who bring together young men to discuss important personal, societal and wellbeing topics. Fight for Peace provides food and refreshments in the sessions, with all sessions championing the importance of open communication, acceptance, and having the confidence to seek out support. Discussion topics have included parenting, self-awareness, finance, masculinity, femininity, how the use of language can shape our perspective, social media, adversity, resilience, and “what it means to be a man”.

Young people leave Man Talk sessions with greater understanding of the topics discussed, and feel equipped in their approach to social, emotional, and behavioural challenges. www.fightforpeace.net.

YUCAN

Yucan CIC supports young carers based in Newham. Their primary focus is to provide support and assistance to young carers and young people burdened with ongoing responsibilities.

Through the grant funding, YUCAN will deliver a residential trip for 12 child carers aged from 7 – 11 years old in Newham. The project will focus on providing these young carers with a much-needed break from their caring responsibilities and an opportunity to connect with nature outside of their usual environment. The residential trip will offer a safe and nurturing space where they can engage in recreational activities, team-building exercises, workshops promoting well-being, and guided nature walks. These activities aim to alleviate young carers feelings of loneliness and isolation, foster resilience, and enhance their overall mental well-being.

Sustainability model for after the trip includes ongoing support through the mentoring programme Yucan Mentor, as well as a Peer Support Network for young carers. www.yucan.org.uk/.

Trauma Informed Support

East London Dance

East London Dance has eight years’ experience delivering trauma-informed youth programmes. Their flagship On The Move preventative mental health and dance programme is a free, open-access intervention that builds resilience, dance skills and friendships in a supportive environment.

The grant funding will build on these trauma-informed approaches across their youth programmes, equipping staff to support beneficiaries, foster a supportive work environment and share learnings for increased and sustained impact. www.eastlondondance.org/.

NEWway

NEWday is a day centre that supports people rough sleeping in Newham. They have been working amongst this community for 10 years and have a wealth of experience.

NEWway have already introduced Trauma Informed practices into their service offer and will use the grant funding to develop a Trauma Informed early intervention and screening procedure for new attendees to the day centre. They plan to develop a training programme, focus groups, and provide clinical supervision to staff. www.newwayproject.org/newday-services.