Round Two awards in Dumfries and Galloway
This second year of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund was launched in 2022. (Awards listed alphabetically)
All Roads Lead to Whithorn – Warm Machars Space – £16,780
With the funds, a series of classes and social groups will be created in a warm, welcoming and supportive space with a weekly drop in, and 30 special sessions with musicians, artists, fitness instructors who can cater to special needs. These include elderly, disabled, carers, those with long-term health needs, and those who have difficulty socialising.
Better Lives Partnership – Bridge to Creative Programme – £22,852 (part-funded)
Focussing on ‘art for enjoyment’ sessions for young people incorporating some Professional Artist Practitioners. This will expand delivery to ensure all the soft skills the young people attain through creative practice continues but also to align creative practice with the work on the Bridge to Employment Programme with young people with autism and additional barriers in Dumfries and Galloway, accredited through an ASDAN Expressive Arts Short Course.
Bipolar Scotland – Self-management training – £5060
Bipolar Scotland’s Self-Management Training to introduce participants to tools, tips and techniques they can use to better manage their condition and to minimise Bipolar ‘highs and lows’. Training will be designed and delivered by those with lived experience, ensuring it is relevant and accurate. By the end of the course, individuals will feel better informed of their condition and will be confident in their ability to manage their Bipolar, which in turn can reduce hospital admissions, relapses and the need for crisis care.
Castle Douglas Development Forum – Men’s Shed Refit – £2368
A new project for the 20 members of the Men’s Shed who will design and refurbish their own new Men’s Shed. This will be the first major project where members can work together as a team. Once the new workshop is established, and new equipment installed, the members will be able to be more ambitious with a greater variety of materials, including working with metal. The Men’s Shed will be in a position to double the membership and undertake larger scale projects to benefit the town.
Creation Mill CIC – Social Stitches – £18,500
To continue and expand a weekly In Stitches group to include areas surrounding Langholm such as Canonbie, Eskdalemuir and Ecclefechen. Alongside the new groups, the intention is to run introduction sessions to different textiles techniques such as weaving, felting and sewing. The sessions will be offered on a social prescribing basis, with a trained mental health counsellor in attendance to provide an extra level of support for anyone with a more severe and / or enduring mental health condition who may be referred.
Crossmichael Community Council – Community resilience support – £2840
Offering bi-weekly (minimum) get togethers, hosted by volunteers and utilising village halls and other local venues, offering food in the form of a lunch or soup and sweet, company and a warm environment. Our volunteers are cross generational and we see the value of these interactions being positive for all involved. The events will offer discussions, give advice and be able to signpost residents to more information. They will also have speakers/field experts to deliver sessions, advice and expertise on topics such as Energy schemes, how best to manage their homes for heat efficiencies over the winter, Healthy eating and meal planning. The Youth Club are also keen to get involved and can help cook, clean and talk to community members.
Dumfries and Galloway College – Mental Health 1st Aid Roadshow – £15,100
The project will include 12 First Aid for Mental Health courses delivered in locations across Dumfries and Galloway. Those volunteering and working with particular at risk groups can do a First Aid for Mental Health Course to enable them to become a Mental Health First Aid ambassador for their group or organisation.
Dumfries and Galloway LGBT Plus – Out for a cuppa – £2655
The project will allow those in rural locations the opportunity to socialise with likeminded groups in a safe accepting environment. It will deliver this with the creation of safe venues, be it a trusted café or a pre booked environment, helping to engage people, not just within the LGBT community but the wider community.
Dumfries and Galloway ME and Fibromyalgia Network – Being Together – £2700
The conditions of members mean that many are both physically and socially isolated. The meet ups provide safe spaces for members to socialise without the fear of judgement or pressure to do more than they can manage.This funding will support members who have been struggling to be able to afford to return to face-to-face meet ups and networking events.
Dumfries Get Together – Get together online – £2991.92
Accessible peer-to-peer digital literacy project that will improve the use of computers, internet and social media by women, particularly those over 50 who lack confidence and IT skills. This accessible programme will build on the success of other Peer to Peer learning approaches in Dumfries Get Together where women come together to share skills and learn new ones. This successful approach promotes wellbeing and social connectedness for both the informal teachers and learners.
Glenkens and Community Arts Trust – Together in The Glenkens – £28,812
A year-long programme of activities, open to all but aimed especially at under-represented groups that community engagement this year has identified. Indicative project programme: Men’s Pie Club, Community Art Classes, All-ability Exercise, Gym and Swim, LBTQI+ Tai Chi and Classic Dance.
Inspired Community Enterprise Trust Ltd – Fostering Resilience in young people (YP) with additional support needs (ASN) using a settings-based approach – £25,582.54
The Trust will develop the asset based, award-winning vocational programmes coproduced by its young people 16 plus and partner organisations similarly dedicated to improving and mental wellbeing. The Trust also delivers civic outcomes enabling the young people to engage with the wider community, moving from passive receipt of services to enjoying a life of contribution in socially valued roles. This funding will focus on civic development, enabling resilience.
Isle Futures – Community Resilience Integrated Support Programme – £12,500
The aim of the programme is to provide, in one location and free of charge, a range of services that will help residents to deal with the current severe economic and political challenges and maintain their health and wellbeing. The programme will consist of two complementary components: a benefit/finance drop-in session and a series of activities focussed on physical and mental wellbeing.
Kate’s Kitchen – Body and mind serenity – £21,778.57
This funding will expand the Growing in the Community and Craft Friday projects to allow more people to benefit from reduced isolation, improved health and wellbeing, and increase skills thereby becoming more “job ready” with improved confidence and self-esteem.
Kirkmahoe Community Council – Soup and pud group – £750
To provide a hot meal for residents of Kirkmahoe on a regular basis. Soup and pudding will be available free to all either sitting in at the Village Hall (providing a warm environment for people to meet up and chat) or as a takeaway service for people who prefer it.
LGBT Youth Scotland – Support for LGBTI young people aged 16-25 in D&G – £20,000
Support to deliver four youth groups and one-to-one support to a growing number of LGBTI 16-25-year-olds across Dumfries and Galloway, with overall aims to build their confidence, resilience and skills, reduce isolation by creating safe, supportive group environments, and improve social inclusion by helping them to build stronger connections with the wider community. Groups are led by young people, with support from a Youth Work Manager for the area, two Youth and Community Development Officers and a Youth Worker.
Mossburn Community Farm – The Older Person Project – £22,576
Specifically aimed at people over the age of 50 years with emphasis on the most vulnerable people within this age group. This vulnerability may be due to a physical disability, emotional and or financial difficulties, social isolation/loneliness, or a mental illness. The project would include a group attending at Mossburn Community Farm for weekly sessions and nature activities.
Mossburn Community Farm – Alzheimer’s Project – £2804
The Alzheimer’s Project is specifically aimed at individuals living with dementia. The main aim of the project is to bring these individuals together at Mossburn Community Farm and to offer them a safe environment to socialise, share experiences, engage in fun activities, benefit from additional support and advice from professionals and most of all benefit from the therapeutic interactions with the animals. Sessions will also be attended by statutory and third sector agencies to provide advice, support and signposting.
Old School Thornhill – Well Being Volunteer Co-ordinator – £25,748
A Community Resilience Volunteer Co-ordinator will lead a Thornhill Food Initiative, increasing its capacity, the number of volunteers and access to statutory services. They will extend the offer by distribution of material and content and sensitively signposting those who use the food initiative to the existing help they could get. This will include the introduction to mental health services including the Public Health Improvement Team at the NHS and other service providers/departments, and the third sector.
OutPost Arts – Developing Creative Wellbeing D&G – £50,000
A community-based 12-month hybrid creative wellbeing programme of artist-led creative activities, with a variety of access points/pathways for participants.
Paragon Ensemble Ltd – Get In (the) Groove – £15,000
‘Get In (the) Groove’ builds on the success of Paragon’s Sounds Well Good programme that has reached across the region bringing together people with additional support needs in both Stranraer and Dumfries to create and perform music together. The new development will enable participants to perform in their local communities with an increase in the number of workshops, performances, and expanded number of venues.
Sanquhar Enterprise Company – Upper Nithsdale Walking Group – £2941
Weekly spring and summer walks lasting a maximum of one hour with 20 organised walks across the summer months. As well as walks in Upper Nithsdale, there will also be trips away using Community Transport. All walks will be led by a trained walk leader, risk assessed and graded to suit all walks and abilities.
SHAP (Safe, Healthy and Active Partnership) – Tai Chi – £2192
An instructor will offer four Tai Chi courses of eight sessions per course. Each course will have space for 10-12 participants. There will be one course established in each locality (Annan, Lockerbie, Moffat and Langholm).
South West Scotland RnR – HGV training – £24,000
Providing unemployed veterans in Dumfries and Galloway with tailored training and support to complete their Class 1 and/or Class 2 HGV licences; enabling them to secure employment and increasing their mental health and wellbeing as a result. The intention is to support 24 veterans through 2023.
Sports Driving Unlimited – Pony driving sessions for people with additional needs – £2992
This project will provide at least 44 individual pony driving lessons for people with additional needs of all ages. As well as learning pony driving skills, participants will have opportunities to carry out all practical aspects of pony care, including grooming, leading, harnessing, feeding and stable craft and enjoy ‘hands on’ interaction with the ponies. The coaching, provided by professional equestrian coaches, assisted by volunteers, is individually designed to meet specific personal needs, with appropriate targets, and the impact is measured by their ongoing development as determined by their coach.
Stranraer Water Sports Association – Let’s Get Wet – £18,144.43
Expanding a programme of activities to meet the demand of the community. This will introduce Canadian Canoes to a weekly paddle club and young instructor development programme.
The Rhins Mens Shed – Integration – £3000
This funding will enable the purchase of materials to ensure that volunteers can continue to create and in turn come together and help reduce loneliness and isolation.
The Whithorn Trust – Women’s Shed Project – £18,600
Empowering women of all ages by equipping them with the skills to carry out basic woodworking and maintenance tasks which are frequently the preserve of men. The intention is to create female-only classes in woodworking, tool use, repair and construction, in a safe, non-discriminatory and supportive environment where women and girls will feel able to increase their skills, make mistakes and learn from them, and feel confident in tool use (power tools and hand tools), making basic repairs and structures.
Threave Rovers FC – Get your head on it – £3000
Increasing signage around the ground and facilities, signposting people to relevant support agencies, such as mental health charities. Workshops will also be delivered to club members and the wider community on key mental health topics including identifying signs/symptoms, accessing support and coping strategies. This will be themed around football to engage as many participants as possible.
Upper Nithsdale Arts and Crafts Community Initiative (A’ the Airts) – Adult Wellbeing – £22,500
Weekly wellbeing workshops in a range of activities such as drama, pottery and craft-based events. The sessions will assist in developing skills, but more importantly assist in bringing people together who may be living alone or are isolated due to bereavement, alleviating rural isolation.There will be three sessions per week delivered over fifty weeks. Young people, sixteen and over, will be encouraged to assist in planning and running the events to break down barriers and promote community understanding and cohesion.
User and carer involvement – Sexual health and relationship workshops Next level – £3000
Delivering four day-long sexual health and relationship workshops for women with both diagnosed and undiagnosed learning disabilities. Delivered in partnership, these workshops would look at topics above and beyond that which they may have received education on in school or from a sexual health worker enabling beneficiaries to manage their own wellbeing.
Wigtown Bay Coastal Rowing Club – Isle 2nd skiff, and Growing Space Combo launch – £9909
Bringing together three community groups for the first time at the Isle of Whithorn – the coastal rowing club, sub aqua club, and community garden group. The groups will share learning, problem solve, encourage leadership, and learn new practical skills whilst constructing a St Ayles skiff.
Wigtownshire Women and Cancer – Expanding the Reach of Wigtownshire Women and Cancer – £17,350
Expanding the capacity of a freelance volunteer co-ordinator from one day per week to two days per week to expand services and reach, with a particular focus on Newton Stewart, Cree Valley and the Machars. This additional capacity will allow more volunteers affected by cancer (particularly from DG8 postcode areas) to be recruited to key roles to help sustain and expand the work, including: committee members; wellbeing, self-management and peer support volunteers; outreach, promo and web volunteers; fundraising volunteers; and lived experience volunteers to help support service design and decision making.