Growing Well West Cumbria
2
The Pitch
Problem statement
We are launching a third Cumbrian base for our mental health charity in Egremont, to provide a professional and targeted intervention for adults experiencing a moderate to severe level of illness. 2022 data highlights that the highest prevalence of adults in England reporting a mental health problem is in the Northeast and North Cumbria. We will respond to a spike in local mental ill health that cannot not be met satisfactorily by local statutory services. Further, the county (NHS Fingertips data) has recently reported a concerning hike in adult suicide statistics (highest in Copeland), suggesting that suicide prevention and providing help at a critical moment are an urgent unmet need.
Solution
We have been given a Community Asset Transfer of a disused horticultural nurseries in Egremont town centre, which we are transforming and will reopen in January 2024. We will support 72 beneficiaries per week, attending on one day per week for up to a year, to work towards recovery goals with our trained staff, through the medium of a thriving horticultural business. Individuals will learn the skills and work together under supervision to produce 100 veg boxes per week, to be sold locally. Of a £590k Y1 capital and revenue budget, £3000 requested will contribute to the £70k Y1 shortfall in our revenue income and will support salaries for staff working directly with our beneficiaries.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
Growing Well has a 19 year track record, with a flagship site in Kendal. We are the biggest organic producer in Cumbria. We recently developed and opened a second site at Tebay Services (Jan 2023). Our service is one of a very few community-based services locally that operates at a higher than mild level. Our established referral links with statutory services allow us insight into population needs, and we target our outreach to respond swiftly. Individuals can join Growing Well within a week of referral or self-referral, meaning we can offer help at the point it is needed. We measure our impact using NHS approved frameworks and are governed professionally by a senior clinical psychologist.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Contribution to staff salaries | £3,000 |
Beneficiaries
72 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
We will create 5 local jobs, support 72 mental health beneficiaries at any one time and provide 20 volunteering places. We will transform a disused site that has been redundant in the town centre for over 8 years. We will produce 100 local veg boxes (with a minimum of 8 items each), weekly, over 39 weeks of the year, to sell locally. 50 of these will be sponsored so they can go to low income families. Our mental health beneficiaries' progress will be monitored through an NHS-approved Goals Based Outcomes framework. 100% of beneficiaries will set a mental health goal and at least 70% will achieve it. We will track wellbeing using the Warwick & Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Survey. At least 70% beneficiaries will demonstrate a significant improvement (as assessed by WEMWBS) in their mental wellbeing. 100% beneficiaries will populate a horticultural skills log. Typically, around 60% of our beneficiaries will progress to full or part time work, further education or unsupported volunteering.
Track record
Growing Well has a 19-year track record, Registered Charity status, a clear mental health mission and evidence of our outcomes and impact. We have helped hundreds of people in Cumbria with mental health recovery. We are one of the only services in Cumbria offering a professionally governed, moderate to severe level of mental health support within the community. This cannot be delivered by statutory services and is too specialist to be delivered by lower-level wellbeing providers. One of our funders, the Lloyds Bank Foundation, makes this distinction clearly and will only fund “specialist charities filling the gaps in statutory services for people managing and recovering from mental health problems which have significantly disrupted their everyday lives”. They will not fund “preventative wellbeing activities, counselling and signposting”. Our service is governed and led by mental health professionals.Our programme of supported work is monitored and managed using professional frameworks.