Improving Mental Health in the Community

As referenced in our report 'A Deepening Divide' published February 2024, residents of Kensington and Chelsea are affected by a number of mental health challenges:

• 1 in 4 residents reported feeling high levels of anxiety
• 1 in 12 has a GP diagnosis of depression
• More than 1 in 6 young people in K+C have a mental health issue with the most common reasons for GP visits being depression and developmental speech needs
• There was a 28% increase in mental health referrals between 2022 and 2023, but waiting times for mental health services are among the worst in London

Through this fund we are supporting 12 projects which provide tailored support to 2,000 people per year.  Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to raise £300,000 for the first year of the programme and are committed to (and confident of) raising the funds for the following two years.

We followed a participatory grantmaking model whereby a panel of 10 local residents with lived experience of local mental health services (both voluntary and statutory), received training around grant decision making.  They then set the detailed criteria and decided which projects to support based on their assessment of the applications. 

Here are the funded projects:

• St Cuthbert's Centre

Alongside a free 3-course restaurant quality lunch, St Cuthbert’s Centre offer free wraparound support including specific Mental Health services, facilitating access to vital treatment that may otherwise be inaccessible through cost, waiting lists and inequalities (£25,000 per year)

• Equal People mencap

Through community-focused activities and volunteering opportunities, Equal People mencap will bring people with learning disabilities, autism, complex support needs and mental health conditions and their families and carers together to create connections, build coping mechanisms and resilience (£24,763 per year)

• Mo1 Youths 

The Mind Strong project will support men aged 18–65 in K+C who are experiencing emotional distress, poor mental health, cultural stigma, and deep social isolation. Activities: weekly men’s boxing & wellbeing, monthly “Mind Strong Open Circle” and 1:1 support, advocacy and crisis help (£30,000 per year)

• Age UK K+C         

This project delivers a year-round programme of weekly group activities designed to support mental wellbeing through movement, routine, and social connection. Activities: chair-based exercise classes, accessible dance and boxing sessions, low-impact cardiovascular activities and guided walking groups in local parks (£28,371 per year)

• The Listening Place      

The Listening Place project will support people in K+C by meeting with NHS teams, RBKC, police and local charities to ensure that when someone feels suicidal they are immediately directed towards their service.  They will then contact each resident within 24 hours and offer a first appointment within a week (25,000 per year)

• Minds Utd Sports Club CIC    

This is a peer-led community organisation, providing inclusive sport, education & wellbeing activities adults living with mental health challenges & disabilities.  The project offers: a volunteer development programme, partnership work, mental health and Team of Life workshops and learning opportunities in English, maths, art and digital skills (£28,050 per year)

• Action Disability Kensington + Chelsea    

ADKC offer the only service offering counselling for local disabled residents, some of the most isolated/socially excluded people within our local community. Their programme of clinical counselling sessions is delivered by qualified therapists with extensive skills/experience in providing counselling for disabled people (£25,000)

• Meanwhile Gardens Community Association     

MGCA manage and maintain a four-acre public garden by the canal in North Kensington.  Activities funded: supported intergenerational gardening and food-growing sessions, creative nature-based workshops such as painting, crafts, photography and sensory garden activities (£25,000 per year)

• Woman's Trust    

This project will offer seven blocks of therapeutic support groups per year for women in Kensington and Chelsea who have been affected by domestic abuse.  These support groups allow women to come together to listen to other women’s experiences and share their own, building a community together to feel less alone and isolated (£24,265 per year)

• Dad's House        

Dad's House support single parents, their children and families who are struggling to cope with the challenges of single parenthood.  At the end of a six week programme the clients will have learned how to equip themselves with the tools and resources they need to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives (£20,000)

• One Community

This is a user led grassroots network born at the heart of the CNWL NHS Foundation Trust. Offering safe and welcoming spaces with partners that promote and maintain recovery in mental health. Activities: art and music, gardening, creative writing and peer led forums on health and societal issues such as domestic abuse and addiction (£23,000 per year)

• Pepper Pot Centre

Rooted in Caribbean, African and BME cultural heritage the Pepperpot Centre is open to all, aiming to address the challenges of ageing—loneliness, social isolation and the risk of dementia. Activities funded: weekly peer-led wellbeing sessions, counselling and group therapy, reminiscence and storytelling, bingo and dominoes, arts sessions and organised trips and outings (£21,500 per year)