“Today, we worked with someone to access their GP by helping them with their GP’s online appointment booking system. This was causing them anxiety and we see part of our role at Manchester Mind as enabling communication and relationships that can put people in control of their own health.” Martin, Manchester Mind
Independent Choices Greater Manchester are helping to break down barriers by changing their helpline to a freephone telephone number to increase accessibility. Although they are still keeping their old helpline number too, it is hoped that the new number will allow more people to be able to access the support they need.
The Widows Empowerment Trust befriending service continues to break barriers. One of the beneficiaries, Christine, has been isolated for seven years since becoming a widow. She stopped socialising and became very alone. Since being in touch with Widows Empowerment Trust, she loves the fact that she can talk to someone who can truly understand her pain, her grieving, and her isolation. Christine wants to integrate back into society but needs gentle guidance and help in doing so.
One Manchester are currently inviting applications to their Social Recovery Fund and are looking to offer grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 (from a total fund of £50,000) to rebuild and grow new connections in our communities.
One Manchester want to hear from organisations that help isolated people in our communities to make friends and socialise in their community, to get them the help they need, when they need it.
Music and dementia charity Playlist for Life is inviting community groups and organisations across the UK to join their free Help Point network to share the power of personal music for people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Greater Manchester leaders in local government, health and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) have signed a new GM VCSE Accord to work together in a collaborative way to tackle entrenched inequalities.
“We have just brought in a new online Visual Impairment Awareness Training module to sit alongside our face to face and virtually delivered sessions. We decided to pursue an online platform as we found that some organisations were finding it hard to either get people together at one time in a room or to get everyone to log on for a virtual session at the same time, but still wanted to access the training which they can now do so on an individual basis. Anyone can access it and the feedback we have had so far has been great”. Josh, Henshaws
“I struggled with understanding how my life had changed to become a carer for my husband after his stroke but even though this is only my first session today, it has been good to meet other people and for them to reassure me that there is light at the end of the tunnel”.
The Loneliness Engagement Fund provides small grants between £15,000 and £50,000 to organisations who can engage with target groups at high risk of loneliness. The fund will give out up to £260,000 of grants in total.
Do you want to be part of an exciting new innovative short breaks and outreach support service for children and young people in Manchester?
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