Manchester mental health charities to increase provision thanks to £210k Lottery cash

Manchester mental health charities Jewish Action for Mental Health and Neshomo have been awarded £210,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund to offer “holistic provision” to those whose mental health has been affected by the pandemic.

The award is spread over three years and the project is a joint initiative with Keren, which supports young women in the Orthodox community.

JAMH trustee Jonny Wineberg said the grant would lead to a reduction in the “waiting lists of people who are so desperately in need of life-changing therapy and counselling and longer-term befriending and mentoring.

“It will also enable us to employ a youth worker to undertake more preventative work, reducing the need for more complex interventions.”

Over the past 20 months, JAMH has responded to 500 calls to its helpline and has created a register of some three dozen qualified therapists and counsellors. Half its clients are aged 25 and under.

Neshomo chair David Marshall said: “Our continued partnership enables those in mental distress in our community to get the help they need quickly and on an enduring basis. We are so grateful to the Community Fund for this support, which will help sustain and grow our work over the next three years.”

However, the charities say that more funding will be needed from the community to satisfy the demand for support.

Thanks to the Lottery money, they hope to reach more than 1,000 people across Manchester, Salford, Bury, Trafford and Stockport over the next three years.

The project also includes opportunities for volunteers to take on befriending, mentoring and support roles with ongoing training and supervision.