Julian welcomes new government funding for York mental health charity
August 23, 2019
Julian has been informed by the Health Secretary that local mental health charity York Mind will be awarded £50,000 in the first year of a three year funding package, to support its work with children and young people.
This new funding will be used to expand York Mind’s current Arts Award programme to a wider age group. This project has run successfully since 2013, consisting of 16 weeks of arts-based group sessions designed to allow young people to increase their confidence and skills, and reduce isolation.
This York project is one of 23 nationwide benefiting from a £3.3 million funding pot under the Department of Health’s Health and Wellbeing Fund. Collectively, they aim to offer mental health support for young people in non-clinical, community settings, and focus on early intervention.
On hearing the news, Julian Sturdy said: “York Mind have been doing excellent work in our community for several years, and it’s hugely encouraging that this is now to be assisted by new funding from the Department of Health.
This new cash injection for our city is a welcome down-payment on wider government plans to put significant new resources into the health service to meet growing demand, as was this week’s earmarking of £25 million to improve hospices and palliative care. Ministers are putting an immediate funding boost of £1.8 billion into the NHS, and working to deliver the planned £20 billion a year overall budget increase.
I have focused on securing improvements to local youth mental health services for several years, most recently raising the issue of waiting times for routine autism assessments in the city during a parliamentary debate in July.
I warmly welcome this new funding for York Mind, and will continue to work in this area for the benefit of local residents.”
