Big Lottery Fund: Suicide prevention at forefront of Big funding for Bridgend

Wednesday, 7 May 2008 12:00 AM

A MILLION POUNDS in good cause funding arrives in Bridgend today from the BIG Lottery Fund in a move that a leading consultant psychiatrist says will go a long way to help "reduce the number of tragic self inflicted deaths" in the community.

Dr Tegwyn Williams, Director of Mental Health Services for Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust, expressed his sentiments as the organisation welcomed news of its £999,000 award from the Big Lottery Fund's (BIG) Mental Health Matters (MHM) programme, which aims to promote the rehabilitation and independence of people with serious mental health problems in Wales and support those at greatest risk of suicide.

The cash injection from BIG will allow the Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust to run the "Lets Talk" - "Siaradwn Ni" project, which aims to reduce stigma and improve public awareness regarding mental health issues across the Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot borough areas. This will be achieved through providing a knowledgeable and trained framework of support and suicide prevention, encouraging earlier recognition and response. The project will work with a consortium of voluntary and statutory sector services, including the local Children and Young Peoples Partnerships, to create a structure of referral, support and interagency collaboration.

Two ASIST/STORM (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training/Skills based Training On Risk Management) trainers/coordinators will be employed in order to develop a broader and improved base of individuals in the community who are better at identifying mental health issues and needs within family and other members of their community. This will help identify a situation before it deteriorates and enable people to encourage an individual to seek appropriate support. Services will also develop a number of recurring support groups that provide adequate support for those close family and friends adversely affected by a successful suicide.

There will also be improved coordination at Accident & Emergency departments to ensure patients who present having attempted suicide are signposted into appropriate services. This will minimise episodes of suicide and self harm by ensuring that vulnerable groups have been able to develop resilience and appropriate coping strategies.

Stressing the importance of the project, Dr Tegwyn Williams, Director of Mental Health Services for Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust, said: "I am absolutely delighted to receive this money on behalf of the communities of Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot. We hope that this funding will help to reduce the number of tragic self inflicted deaths within our community and I look forward to working with our partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors to make our 'Siaradwn Ni' (Let's talk) Big Lottery Fund scheme a reality."

Highlighting the importance of the programme Big Lottery Fund Wales Committee Member and Chair of the Mental Health Matters Committee, Barbara Wilding, said: "One in four of us is likely to experience mental health problems at some point during our lives so it is important to recognise the issue. People with mental health problems are some of the most disadvantaged people in society and often experience multiple deprivation. Many are isolated and have low self-esteem and low aspirations. Their condition is made worse by the stigma, lack of understanding and discrimination they face daily."

She added: "This project will have a significant impact on the lives of people who suffer with mental health problems in Wales and our funding will make an important strategic contribution to developing mental health services across the country, by helping people with mental health problems and supporting projects that try to overcome the barriers that they face."

For further information about the Big Lottery Fund and how your group can apply for funding, log onto the Big Lottery Fund website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk and use the 'Wales' specific search facility. Alternatively, you can telephone the Big Lottery Fund office on 01686 611 700.

To find out more about interview, photo and filming opportunities, see information below and contact Oswyn Hughes at the Big Lottery Fund press office by e- mail or on the numbers below.

Big Lottery Fund Press Office - Oswyn Hughes: 02920 678 207
Out of hours contact: 07760171431
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030 Textphone: 845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Notes to Editors:
. In Wales, the Big Lottery Fund is rolling out close to £1 million a week in Lottery good cause money, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across Wales most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
. The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to Good Causes. As a result, over £20 billion has now been raised and more than 250,000 grants given out across the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

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