Who are we?
Staffordshire Netw
ork for Mental Health is a charity supporting people with experience of mental illness and people at risk of mental ill health. As well as advocating better mental health and wellbeing and engaging the community to promote mental health awareness; we deliver essential community services.
Community impact
We provide one to one support to at least 775 people per year. In a recent evaluation: 76% suffered from depression, 96% suffered anxiety and 44% had further more complex disabilities such as Bipolar Disorder, eating disorders, chronic fatigue and chronic pain disorder. We help being one to one through our key service; Toolbox, through our group symptom management programme; The Reach Out Project and respond to current needs such as the financial crises, which is affecting 72% of our service users.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Many people and families are facing a financial crisis now more than ever. With inflated fuel prices, energy and food costs, the impact on our communities is stress, anxiety, worry, lack of sleep, feelings of isolation and loneliness and financial abuse. Over 100,000 people in the UK attempt suicide every year due to debt (Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, 2018). It's not an easy topic to discuss, but it's one we need to discuss.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The Warmth for Wellness project aims to address the short term needs of local people in Staffordshire by providing a warm space with some hot soup and rolls this winter. To help them in the longer term, we are partnering with local energy saving organisations who can support us in providing a bespoke Toolbox session for attendees, offering a listening ear, mental health and wellbeing support and practical options for tackling their energy issues.
Each person will receive an individual plan that we will help them work through to improve their current situation and help them live a healthier and happier life such as access to support with fuel payments, winter fuel discounts and social fund schemes. Energy efficiency interventions are considered the simplest ways of tackling fuel poverty in the long term. Giving people somewhere to go, hot food and drink and a listening ear will help ease the burden this winter. We are currently supporting staff and volunteers to complete the City and Guilds Level 3 qualification in energy advice to make sure we are equipped to offer our clients the best advice.