Along with other Third Sector Interface’s throughout Scotland, Voluntary Action Shetland distributed a 5th year of the Scottish Government Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults to support community activity until March 2027.
Shetland’s initial allocation for year 5 totalled £71,522.98 and there was additional funding provided totalling £14,310.60 after the First Minister’s announcement on 29th December 25. £1,577.28 was returned to VAS from previous year awardees, hence the total for VAS to allocate for year 5 of the funding was £87,410.86.
The overarching aim of the Fund is to:
Support community based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population (aged 16 or over), with a particular focus on prevention and early intervention.
Specifically, it aims to:
- Tackle mental health inequalities through supporting a range of ‘at risk’ groups
- Address priority issues of social isolation and loneliness, suicide prevention and poverty and inequality with a particular emphasis on responding to the cost-of-living crisis and support to those facing socio-economic disadvantage.
- Support small ‘grass roots’ community groups and organisations to deliver such activities.
- Provide opportunities for people to connect with each other, build trusted relationships and revitalise communities.
The Fund directly contributes to Outcome 4 of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy published in June 2023:
“Better equipped communities to support people’s mental health and wellbeing and provide opportunities to connect with others”
It also clearly supports the three key areas of focus in the Strategy:
- Promote positive mental health and wellbeing for the whole population, improving understanding and tackling stigma, inequality and discrimination;
- Prevent mental health issues occurring or escalating and tackle underlying causes, adversities and inequalities wherever possible; and
- Provide mental health and wellbeing support and care, ensuring people and communities can access the right information, skills, services and opportunities in the right place at the right time, using a person-centred approach.
18 Community Groups/Organisations Received Funding to Support Initiatives
No | Name of Organisation | Activity | Amount Awarded |
1 | Shetland Bereavement Support Services | Running costs to support Lerwick ‘Life After Loss’ Group Support to support those affected by grief and loss | £5000 |
2 | Shetland Community Connections | Running costs to support Friday morning drop in community café for individuals to connect with others – cuppa connections | £5000 |
3 | Ability Shetland | Funding to support a parent support programme for those with children with additional support needs | £5000 |
4 | Scalloway Youth and Community Centre | Running costs of an Adult social club in the Scalloway community to connect, socialise with others whilst undertaking a range of activities | £5000 |
5 | Relationships Scotland Shetland | Funding to support RSS practitioners Continuing Professional Development (CPD) uphold professional standards | £5000 |
6 | Lerwick Amateur Swimming Club (LASC) | Funding to support coaching connections: Supporting Volunteer Wellbeing programme for coaches in their club | £3800 |
7 | Trondra Hall | Funding to support Trondra Community Wellbeing Activity Programme – a range of social activities for the community to engage in | £5000 |
8 | Mind Your Head | Running costs to deliver Wellbeing 1000 mental wellbeing support for parents with a child aged 0- 2.5years | £5000 |
9 | OPEN | Running costs to provide a twice weekly drop-in space in existing community venues e.g. Mareel; attracting Shetland’s most vulnerable and hard to reach young people 16 to 25 years. | £5000 |
10 | Swan Scotland | Running costs to provide monthly autistic-led Peer-Support Groups and Wellbeing Walks, to bring together autistic women and non-binary people for peer-support and wellbeing activities. | £4465 |
11 | Shetland Women’s Aid | Running costs to provide Trauma Therapy Service – Sessional Support for service users | £5000 |
12 | Bigton Collective | Running costs of Hymhus Parent Hub for parents and carers of neurodivergent and / or disabled children a weekly support group plus additional workshops and expansion of an outreach programme. | £5000 |
13 | Bressay Development Ltd | Running costs to support a supportive social group setting where folk can regularly meet, where those new to Bressay can build relationships and those who have become isolated can re-establish connections with others in the community. | £4995.86 |
14 | Shetland Care Attendant Scheme | Running costs to provide Caring Breaks – respite support at home to families in need of a well deserved break from their caring role. | £5000 |
15 | Menopause Support Shetland | Running costs to provide a weekly space for women experiencing the menopause to come together to support each and access therapeutic services | £5000 |
16 | Shetland Link Up | Cover costs to continue to secure tenancy of a larger space in addition to existing small, homely drop-in to provide a versatile activity space where they can offer clients a wider range of activities and greater opportunities for connection with their community. | £5000 |
17 | Sporting Memories | Running costs to continue to deliver reminiscence, social and inclusive physical activities that improve the mental and physical well-being of isolated older people in Brae (50+) and develop new group in Lerwick | £4150 |
18 | Shetland Pride | Running costs towards annual Parade and to develop Shetland Pride’s LGBTQ+ Spaces project will aim to provide monthly spaces where the LGBTQ+ community and allies can come together to chat, show support and build up community relationships. | £5000 |
