Community Action Fund

West Essex has funding from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England) and NHS England to fund community projects that reach out to people at risk of suicide. We are in Wave 4 of this funding which has already started in other parts of Essex.

The Aim of the Wave Four Programme:

• Build resilience to Mental Health problems in local communities
• Promote positive mental health in local communities
• To reduce the stigma of self-harm and suicide.
• To increase the community-based support for those at risk of suicide, including in high risk groups.
• To reduce the incidence of self-harm and repeated self-harm.
• To reduce the impact of self-harm and suicide.

Who we want to help:

1. Projects that support men, especially middle-aged men, and young men where there is an emerging risk of self harm and suicide.

2. Projects supporting men in high risk groups:

• In the care of Mental Health Services, including
• With a history of self-harm.
• In contact with the Criminal Justice system
• Working in specific occupations – construction and farming.
• Vulnerable groups – People of colour, LGBTQ+, Veterans, Homeless and rough sleepers, survivors of domestic/sexual abuse

If your organisation has an idea that will get out and connect with men, you can apply for up to £3000 to get your project moving.

Applications for 2023 funding have closed and have been allocated.

Guidance Notes

Application Form

Please complete and return to:

Lois Sparkes
Mind in West Essex
10-11 Corner House
Bush Fair
Harlow
Essex CM18 6NZ

[email protected] 

The following organisations have been awarded funding for 2023. We can’t wait to hear about their progress!

Youth Unity CIC – ‘Men Tell All’ – Limes Farm, Epping Forest

6 weeks of podcasting, the overall project will span over 12 weeks to plan and design. Our aim for this project is to create an atmosphere for predominantly men of all ages and backgrounds to feel comfortable communicating their challenges, experiences, and emotions. We also aim to offer men of ages a platform to communicate their thoughts and experiences on a broad spectrum of topics relating to relationships, mental health, and personal growth in a safe environment. The legacy of the podcast can continue after the project with the right coaching the young people we train can continue to build and grow the network of men that need to talk. All the podcasts will be available on major channels such as iTunes, Spotify, etc with an international reach, which again will help not only connect people of West Essex but wider, a chance to unite men from all ages and backgrounds. 

Check out more here: https://youthunity.org/men-tell-all/

Listen to all the podcasts here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3tzCLuD59WtToafdelA54d

The Loss Project – ‘Box It Out’ – Loughton

‘Box It Out’ is a men’s mental health programme that uses boxing as a foundational tool to support mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. It’s widely considered that boxing is 80% mindset and 20% physicality. This project will use boxing as a way to acknowledge, explore and
process difficult feelings. The project includes 10 sessions of boxing and wellbeing activities, alongside our skilled and experienced coaches for up to 20 participants each. We will create the conditions for a supportive peer support network so that participants feel they can connect and be open with each other. As a boxing gym we have majority male facilitators to come alongside those who sign up as positive role models. The project will support participants to:
– Learn basic boxing skills and techniques to improve their physical mental health and wellbeing,
– Build a supportive peer network,

– Learn other wellbeing tools such as breathing, meditation and use other creative activities to
support them to have conversations about their mental health.
The Loss Project is passionate about supporting people with the universal experience of loss. It will affect us all at some point in our lives, and yet we are so ill-equipped to deal with it. We support communities with grief and loss in all its forms, whether loss of loved ones, mental health, community, connection, jobs, relationships etc. We use creative practice, movement, and nature as tools to help people to acknowledge, explore and process their experiences and support wellbeing.

BOX IT OUT:
FREE 10 Weeks boxing, wellbeing and mindfulness sessions

STARTS Tuesday 12th September 7:15pm at Dennis and Dyer Boxing Academy, Loughton IG10 2BA

If you are interested in taking up this fantastic offer complete the registration form here:

https://forms.gle/VtZggjCwVL5Krf979

No previous experience or equipment needed, no pressure, just register and turn up!

https://www.thelossproject.com/

Youth Unity CIC – ‘Men Tell All’ – Ninefields, Waltham Abbey

6 weeks of podcasting, the overall project will span over 12 weeks to plan and design. Our aim for this project is to create an atmosphere for predominantly men of all ages and backgrounds to feel comfortable communicating their challenges, experiences, and emotions. We also aim to offer men of ages a platform to communicate their thoughts and experiences on a broad spectrum of topics relating to relationships, mental health, and personal growth in a safe environment. The legacy of the podcast can continue after the project with the right coaching the young people we train can continue to build and grow the network of men that need to talk. All the podcasts will be available on major channels such as iTunes, Spotify, etc with an international reach, which again will help not only connect people of West Essex but wider, a chance to unite men from all ages and backgrounds. A landing page will be created specifically for this project on our youth unity website.

https://youthunity.org/

Listen to all the podcasts here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3tzCLuD59WtToafdelA54d

Metropolitan Police Service East Area – ‘Horizon of Hope’ – Chigwell

Providing five immersive events that are informative, social and that encourage participation, taking place at a non-corporate venue in Chigwell. This would be specifically directed at male police officers and staff between the ages of 18-60 years. We will invite guest/expert speakers along with bespoke charity interactions/presentations. During these sessions we provide a neutral setting for socialising and outdoor-based activities (BBQ, scavenger hunts, nature walks, non-competitive sports) during which we seek to maximise the opportunities to talk and listen to each other supported by trained wellbeing facilitators. There is an increased risk of suicide amongst male police officers coupled with the fact that this demographic is less likely to reach out and speak to anyone about their mental health. A response we hear all too often when someone is asked if they can talk to anyone at home, partner etc. is that they don’t want to ‘worry’ them with what happens at work. Horizon of Hope enables our service to do all we can to ensure that our most ‘at risk’ colleagues have maximum opportunities to interact with wellbeing experts, charities and trained colleagues whilst engaging in activities that promote and boost good mental health.

Carers First – ‘Male Carers Wellbeing Activities’ – West Essex

Male carers within West Essex will be able to access specific activities aimed at enabling them to develop peer support networks with other male carers in their locality, improve their resilience and feel more connected to their community. They will learn more about support services available and strategies for self-care to ensure their mental wellbeing can be sustained and improved. The project will benefit both the individual carers , those they look after as the male carers
are more likely to be able to continue in their caring role safely and effectively and the wider health/care system in West Essex as carer breakdown is a major cause of admission to acute NHS and residential care settings.

https://www.carersfirst.org.uk/essex/welcome/#welcome

10 Rounds Boxing and Fitness – Saffron Walden

Delivering weekly fitness and wellbeing sessions with an accredited coach for 6 months. We believe the work we do in boxing and fitness can help to have a positive impact on mental health. It is our goal to make this financially accessible to men across West Essex who may otherwise not access the help to create peer support networks that improve social inclusion for a demographic of people who may not reach out and talk about their mental health. One of the key mental health benefits of boxing is stress relief and we will ask attendees to note how they are feeling pre and post session using a monitoring scale endorsed by ‘Talk Club’ in the North of England. We believe that by engaging in these activities will reduce self harm behaviours and prevent suicides amongst men.

https://www.10roundsboxing.com/

Youth Unity Men Tell All Podcasts Impact

The Loss Project Mens Boxing Group MIND West Essex Report

Carers First Essex Community Impact