Lottery support for Caithness mental health 'safety net' project
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A project that seeks to alleviate the mental health crisis in Caithness has been given £10,000 in lottery funding.
The money will support the Listening Ear service which is being established by Wick-based Caithness Voluntary Group and will be open to people of all ages.
It is one of 246 community organisations across Scotland to be given a share of almost £11 million from the National Lottery Community Fund.
CVG's Julie Marker, the project co-ordinator for Listening Ear, said: "The purpose of this project is to plug the gaps in the need for a crisis support response for people struggling with their mental health, facing challenging personal circumstances or needing someone to talk to.
"The service will act as a safety net or cushion of support while the service user talks about whatever they want to. Our remit is to allow people to talk about their circumstances without interruption or prompting them to share more than they wish to."
One aspect of the project will be to refer people to other services when appropriate.
The project is a third sector initiative and follows on from an Aspiring Communities project in 2019 and, more recently, from a mental health survey which attracted some 235 responses.
Key themes emerging include "no out of hours support when facing a crisis", "little support while people are waiting for NHS treatment" and "long distances to services, particularly for under-16s".
Mrs Marker said: "The Listening Ear service provides a safe, effective listening service in the community. It is for anyone who is struggling with managing their mental health, finding it difficult to cope with personal circumstances, or requiring a supportive response in a safe space while they work through challenging situations.
"The service will also connect and signpost to local initiatives that offer additional support. We are also training young people in listening skills and to act as points of contact.
"In addition we are delighted to have received a small sum of money from the pathfinder project Caithness Cares to deliver a pilot project, Custody Link Listeners. We have recruited a volunteer to deliver this service for a trial of six months and we will be recruiting in the next couple of weeks for a project manager and also a project officer. For further information, contact Julie@cvg.org.uk
"We currently offer WhatsApp messaging and callbacks through our Facebook page but our service really is geared for offering face-to-face support – initially in Stepping Stones [Thurso] and The Haven [Wick], followed by pop-up sessions around the county, in remote and rural areas, community spaces, workplaces and leisure facilities. Pop-up sessions will be publicised on social media."
Announcing the funding of £10,922,832 to 246 groups, the National Lottery Community Fund's Scotland chairperson, Kate Still, said: "Charities and community groups across Scotland have played an incredible role in rising to the challenges of Covid-19 – so it's great to see that a wide range of projects across the length and breadth of Scotland are part of this package of grants.
"Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will breathe life back into local communities, allowing essential community projects to adapt and rebuild with local people at their heart."
National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK.
