Cash boost of £500,000 is shared with groups to boost mental health and well-being

Engage Renfrewshire has dished out more than £500,000 to communities in a bid to boost post-pandemic mental health.The huge donation is part of the umbrella agency’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing fund.Charities, social enterprises and community groups of all sizes have received funding ranging from £780 to £39,000 for local activity that supports positive, adult mental health post-pandemic. Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here. Activities range from walking groups in Howwood to multimedia art classes in Paisley, and from mental health workshops specifically for BAME communities to exercise equipment for transplant patients.The fund is also creating jobs with several charities requesting money for dedicated posts that will support all kinds of programmes.The fund, created by the Scottish Government, was designed to support non-clinical mental health activity that would respond to the emerging issues seen post-pandemic, namely an increased sense of loneliness and isolation and a need for early intervention before people reach a crisis point.Engage Renfrewshire’s dedicated fund officer Alice McBride is excited to see programmes get underway.She explained: “We received applications totalling over £1.2 million, so there were some hard decisions made by our panel.“However, we believe the successful programmes and charities will have a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of Renfrewshire residents.“Mental health is something that affects everyone and