Tag: Change Mental Health

Gillespie Macandrew donates £53,000 to Change Mental Health and Richmond’s Hope

Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has donated a record £53,000 to its charity partners, Change Mental Health and Richmond’s Hope, as part of the firm’s long-standing commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.

The partnerships, announced in March, reflect the firm’s dedication to supporting charities nominated by staff through fundraising initiatives, volunteering, and financial contributions.

Richmond’s Hope provides children and young people aged 4-18 years old with the support, tools and space to process their grief after losing someone close to them.

Change Mental Health is a national mental health charity delivering non-clinical, person-centred support to people affected by mental illness in communities across Scotland.

Over the past nine years, Gillespie Macandrew has donated more than £350,000 to Scottish charities demonstrating the firm’s dedication to aligning with sustainable development goals that help strengthen communities and drive positive social change.

Amy McDowell, Partner and Head of Gillespie Macandrew’s ESG Committee said: “We are delighted to mark the first year of our partnership with Change Mental Health and Richmond’s Hope with a record donation.

“At Gillespie Macandrew, we believe it’s our responsibility to support organisations making a real difference in our communities. These charities provide vital services to people facing some of life’s most challenging circumstances, and we are proud to play a part in their work.

“Our charity partnerships are central to our award-winning ESG activities, which includes a strategic commitment to donate a percentage of pre-tax profits each year.

“The charities were chosen by our colleagues through a democratic process, ensuring the causes we support truly resonate with our team and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals we strive to advance.”

Alison Cairns, Chief Executive at Richmond’s Hope added: “We are excited to be working with Gillespie Macandrew as a charity partner for 2025-2027. This funding will help us reach more bereaved children and families and have a meaningful impact on their futures.

“Thank you to everyone at Gillespie Macandrew for the funding and the partnership over the next two years.

“We are also delighted to recognise the wider support shown through volunteering, the generous furniture donation towards our new Edinburgh base, and facilitating the online training session with the Gillespie Macandrew team which has strengthened our partnership and benefited the children and families we support.”

Jonny Cobbold, Director of Development at Change Mental Health said: “This first period of our partnership with Gillespie Macandrew, alongside Richmond’s Hope, has been incredibly fruitful in enabling us to change attitudes and tackle stigma around mental illness.

“Their keen interest in our work has been demonstrated through their participation in our new mental health training offer. We were also delighted to welcome colleagues from their team to our inaugural People First Summit in Edinburgh.

“This pre-tax profit donation is vital in ensuring we can support more people across Scotland and do more to raise awareness across Scottish communities.

“We cannot wait to see what’s in store for the remainder of the partnership over the next year or so, ensuring we can continue to fight for a future where no one faces mental illness alone.”

Gillespie Macandrew has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advising clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, renewable energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.

With a strong emphasis on ESG and charity involvement, the firm actively supports its local communities through financial contributions, fundraising, and volunteer work.

Stay of execution for third sector projects as EIJB forced to think again

EDINBURGH Integration Joint Board has reined back on plans to slash services delivered on their behalf by third sector organisations across the city. The EIJB is trying to tackle a massive funding deficit but bowed to pressure to rethink their plans at a meeting yesterday.

Change Mental Health is relieved that the Stafford Centre and services delivered in Edinburgh by the organisation are effectively safeguarded, for the time being, following yesterday’s decision by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB). However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure better collaboration leading to better outcomes.

Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, said: “While this is good news for the people who use our services, we remain clear that the proposed cuts were in themselves not needed. They represented a tiny part of the EIJB’s budget while having a significant, detrimental effect upon Edinburgh’s population.

“The process they put in place was fundamentally flawed in its approach, causing unnecessary distress to both organisations and service users. It has been disheartening for the third sector to have to continually make the argument that cutting early intervention and prevention services will only ever result in greater costs in the end.

“The fact remains that there are still significant cuts taking place to mental health services in the city and our sympathy and solidarity goes out to those charities affected. We are very disappointed and concerned that many of these cuts have been passed that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and LGBT+ people.

“We called for the EIJB’s proposals to be paused to allow for a full, evidence-led and co-produced redesign of services. That appears to be what will now happen and we are grateful for that.

“We will now be a part of a crucial recommissioning exercise that can enable services to be more integrated and cost-effective through a better collaborative approach.

“However, trust needs to be rebuilt. There needs to be full transparency and a genuine dedication to working with the third sector by the EIJB, as well as a commitment to the principles of community-based early intervention and preventative approaches. We’re here to work closely with them, along with our partners, to ensure that we can truly meet the needs of our communities.”

Speaking after the meeting, Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), said: “We are in a mental health crisis, and community and preventative mental health support is an essential part of how we tackle it.

“We welcome the IJB’s decision not to go ahead with the original proposals which would have effectively ended that support in Edinburgh. However, we are disappointed that a number of impactful support and advocacy services have been cut.

“This process has shown that we need to come together – funders, providers and especially the people who need this support – to jointly design a mental health system that works for and meets the needs of the people of Edinburgh.

“Redhall Walled Garden will continue to provide essential support to people with mental health problems for the time being, albeit with reduced funding and a recommissioning process to come.

“We’re hugely grateful to everyone that came out in support of Redhall, including Edinburgh’s politicians, members of the public and, most importantly, the people we support at Redhall and who make it what it is.”

The IJB voted in favour of the proposals relating to agenda item 6.1.

Late Composite Proposal – Item 6.1 Review of Contracts and Service Level AgreementsDownload
Review of Contracts and Service Level AgreementsDownload

Change Mental Health: Save the Stafford Centre

Our Stafford Centre in Edinburgh is under threat.

Proposed cuts by the EIJB would effectively end community mental health support in the city. This cannot happen.

We know that early intervention and prevention is key to better outcomes. Removing this funding just wouldn’t make sense: meaning more expensive support and longer waiting times elsewhere.

Stafford Centre and other community mental health services are vital for Edinburgh.

Sign the petition and urge the EIJB to stop these cuts: 

👇

https://buff.ly/0WNd2HG

Foysol Choudhury MSP calls for pause on mental health service cuts to allow for Strategic Review

Lothians list MSP, Foysol Choudhury, has called for an immediate pause on proposed cuts to vital community mental health services in the city, urging the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) to undertake a thorough strategic assessment of the city’s mental health provision.

The Labour MSP argues that the current decision-making process lacks the necessary time and consideration to evaluate the long-term impact on those who rely on these essential services.

The call comes in response to proposed cuts, including the potential cancellation of a £188,000 contract with Change Mental Health for the Thriving Spaces and Places initiative leaving 650 people with mental health challenges and mental health illness without support, Foysol Choudhury MSP, emphasised the need for proper planning, engagement with stakeholders, and an evidence-based approach to reforming mental health services in Edinburgh.

Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, a charity which runs services under the Thriving Spaces and Places initiative, has strongly criticised the approach taken by the EIJB, highlighting the flaws in both the economic and clinical rationale behind the cuts.

He stated: “On economic, clinical, and process grounds, the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board has approached this all wrong. It’s outrageous and short-sighted that vulnerable people will not be getting the support they need.

“Thrive and the wider Edinburgh third sector recognise the tight budgetary environment and the case for reform. However, this is not about scrapping services entirely. It’s about working together to redesign services that meet the needs of our communities.

“Removing the services will not remove the need and will just shift it to more expensive NHS services. We estimate that the Stafford Centre alone saves the NHS £4 million a year at a cost of only £188,000.

“The decision to remove funding risks undermining the stability and quality of services that so many depend on. It would be devastating to the population of Edinburgh.

“This approach, if carried forward, would leave Edinburgh as an outlier in Western Europe, where other cities continue to support community-based mental health services as an essential part of their healthcare systems.

“We call upon the EIJB and in particular the councillors on it, to reject this self-defeating proposal and instead work collaboratively with the third sector to redesign services to save money and deliver support for our city’s most vulnerable.”

Foysol Choudhury MSP pointed out that the proposal threatens to destabilise key services such as drop-in support, carer services, and veteran support, which have been fundamental in improving the mental health and wellbeing of hundreds of Edinburgh residents.

The lack of consultation and the rushed timeline undermine the collaborative approach that was promised after earlier breakdowns in communication with third-sector partners.

Commenting, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “This is not just an issue for those directly impacted by these cuts. It is a question of public health, social cohesion, and responsible governance.

“Do Councillors, MSPs, and MPs across Edinburgh fully understand the magnitude of the decisions being made in their names? The risks associated with these cuts are profound, and it is crucial that we pause to reassess the long-term impact on mental health provision and the health system as a whole.”

Foysol Choudhury MSP concluded by calling for urgent engagement with the third sector, health professionals, and local communities to ensure a sustainable and effective redesign of services that meets the needs of the city’s population.

Mr. Choudhury also suggested a full review of the process before any further cuts are made.

General Election hustings looks to put mental health top of the agenda

Three mental health charities will host a General Election hustings event in Edinburgh for a lively discussion on mental health policies with the five main Scottish political parties.

Change Mental Health, Penumbra Mental Health and Health in Mind have all joined forces to organise the hustings event, taking place at the Augustine United Church in Edinburgh on Tuesday 18th June.

Despite mental health being devolved to the Scottish Parliament, all three charities are emphasising that political parties must prioritise and improve mental health.

Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, said: “We are in the middle of a mental health crisis. Mental health services aren’t getting the funding they need and people aren’t getting the support that they need, when they need it most.

“It’s time for politicians to tell us what they are going to do about this. We need the mental health of our communities to be at the top of the agenda for this election and we need to make sure that the voices of people affected by mental health are heard so that we can build a future where no one faces mental illness alone.”

Mike Burns, Chief Executive of Penumbra Mental Health, said: ““Each of the main political parties will have a chance to outline how they will challenge the inequalities which impact our mental health.

“People in the audience will rightly be looking to candidates for a commitment to creating a society that supports good mental health for everyone.”

Wendy Bates, Chief Executive of Health in Mind, said: ““Over recent years, our mental health has been affected by events locally, nationally, across the UK and globally.

“People accessing our services tell us that they continue to feel the impacts of the Covid pandemic, conflict across the world, the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis. With over one in four of us now dealing with mental health issues, and support services stretched increasingly thin, we need mental health to be at the top of the agenda for our next government.  

“Although health is a devolved matter in Scotland, decisions made in Westminster will have knock-on effects for us here.

“We are delighted to be hosting this hustings together with Change Mental Health and Penumbra Mental Health to open up this vital conversation ahead of next month’s election, hear more about candidates’ commitments, and create space for them to share how they plan to improve our nation’s mental health – which will impact us all both directly and indirectly.”

A recent survey from Change Mental Health’s sister charity, Rethink Mental Illness, found that 4 in 10 people say mental health will be important in shaping their decision on which party to vote for at the General Election on 4th July 2024.

The hustings event on mental health will be an opportunity for people to have their voice heard on improving and prioritising mental health and wellbeing across the country.

Representatives will be available from the SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Greens.

Amazon Development Centre support for four Scottish charities

Four charities that support communities across Scotland, and beyond, have received donations totalling £16,000 from the team at Amazon Development Centre Scotland. 

The donations were made to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), SAY Women, Broomhouse Community Hall, and Change Mental Health following nominations of support from employees at Amazon’s office in Edinburgh’s Waterloo Place.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People, which has a support centre in Edinburgh, is the UK’s leading sight loss charity. Staff and volunteers provide practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers. The charity’s staff and volunteers raise awareness of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people and campaign for change to make society more accessible for everyone. 

SAY Women positively impacts communities across Glasgow by supporting young women aged 16 – 25 who are survivors of sexual violence, homeless or at risk of homelessness as a result. The charity offers accommodation for young women, support through emotional and mental health difficulties and education to help the people it supports prepare for an independent, fulfilled and happy life. 

Broomhouse Community Hall is a voluntary organisation run by residents in Broomhouse with the aim of ensuring local views are considered when decisions are taken that impact the community. The organisation, based on Baillieston Road, runs events for people in Glasgow who are lonely, isolated or struggling to buy food. The charity’s volunteers also manage the area’s annual Christmas tree light switch on.  

Change Mental Health is a charity that creates talks and training programmes to help people with mental health struggles. Its services, many of which are bespoke to each person it supports, help build confidence and social skills, allowing people to feel more integrated in their community. 

Oliver Masting, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “The services offered by these charities have an incredible impact on communities across Scotland and we wanted to lend a helping hand to the staff and volunteers with these donations.

“The work being done by the RNIB, SAY Women, Broomhouse Community Hall and Support in Mind Scotland positively impacts the lives of many people across Scotland, and beyond, and we’re pleased to offer them our support.” 

Jim Hume, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Change Mental Health, added: “From the staff and volunteers at Change Mental Health, I would like to say thank you to the team at Amazon for acknowledging our hard work and offering us their support.

“It is great to receive this donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.”

Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, whose constituency covers SAY Women, said: “I am delighted that SAY Women, located in my Glasgow Kelvin constituency, have been given this funding by Amazon for the very valuable work they do supporting young women survivors of sexual abuse, rape or sexual assault and who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness.

“This funding will undoubtedly be put to good use providing services for this vulnerable group. I hope it will make a real difference to young women dealing with very challenging circumstances, including the damaging impact on mental health.”

John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, whose constituency covers Broomhouse Community Hall, said: ‘’I am pleased to see part of this £16,000 go to Broomhouse Community Hall.

It cannot be overstated the importance of places where the community can engage on issues which affects local people. It is my belief, these are the grassroots and foundations of our democracy.

“It also provides a place where vulnerable people can seek help and support from their neighbours and local community. I wholly congratulate Broomhouse Community Hall for this richly deserved donation.’’

Community donations are one of several ways in which Amazon supports the communities in and around its operating locations across the UK.

Amazon provides students, teachers and parents with free computer science and STEM education programmes and has teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than six million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the country.