Mental Health Collaborative Fund

BLCF in partnership Public Health, Central Bedfordshire Council launched a new pilot funding programme to deepen collaborative ways of working for newly developed partnerships to benefit young people aged 16-25 years experiencing Mental Health issues.

The funding programme was aimed at supporting the following key groups of young people;

· LGBQT+ community

· Young men

· Young people from an ethnic minority background

· Young people who are living in areas of higher deprivation

· Neurodiverse young people

· Looked after children/ care leavers

· Young carers

3 new projects/initiatives have been funded under this pilot programme as follows:

Carers in Bedfordshire- Creative mental health workshops in Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Houghton Regis- Find out more HERE

BRCC (Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity) -Y2A group at Dunstable halls Find out more HERE

PoetsIn – Wellbeing support and theatre pop ups in Sandy, Flitwick and Biggleswade Find out more HERE

These projects are currently active, with typically with no waiting lists. If you are a local group working with young people that might also benefit from these funded projects, please get in touch with the organisations- contact details can be found on the flyers/posters for each of the projects.

Luton Collaboration Fund

A new “Collaboration Fund” for Luton was launched during the winter of 2022, funded by Luton Borough Council and managed by Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation (BLCF). The fund was developed through the early work of the councils’ Luton Fairness Taskforce to enable new partnership work and develop approaches that could support vulnerable people who were disproportionately impacted by Covid 19, experiencing mental health issues and who may be socially isolated.

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5 new partnerships in Luton were awarded funding, each with an identified lead organisation. These were as follows.

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Azalea- Professional mental health support with partner organisations/outreach.

Disability Resource Centre- Community Connect- an integrated support network to support people with a range of disabilities.

Luton Christian Fellowship- Development of a community warm hub

Citizens Advice Luton- Outreach work across Luton with advice surgeries in hub locations

Luton Foodbank– Cost of living related workshops and advice surgeries.

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The 5 partnerships have been delivering an array of events, workshops, outreach, advice surgeries, 121 help and guidance, amongst many more interventions. Sessions include the focus on tackling mental health, supporting with the cost of living in the form of budgeting workshops, help with accessing assistance for housing, employment or benefits or ways in which to aid in the combat food poverty.

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Project Coordinator, Jitty Marwaha, has been working with the partners to help engage with the learning and to support the partnerships in capturing the work being delivered. She says, “through the collaboration fund and with the creation of partnerships and collaborations, it enables us to work together and help people in a way that we are unable to as individuals”.

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So far, with the help of the collaboration fund, the partnerships have supported over 1,800 beneficiaries. The engagement has reached a more diverse client group and capacity of expert knowledge has increased.

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Overall, the collaboration fund is enabling the creation of a better system of support in Luton. Allowing for a more holistic view and understanding of required support and a more in-depth knowledge of other services available in Luton to refer and signpost, to address wellbeing issues that arise.

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Are you a local group that believes collaboration could be mutually beneficial? Feel free to get in touch with us to learn more and explore potential partnership opportunities