Wokingham Borough Council is delighted a pilot scheme to help people with mental health issues in the borough, thanks to a £250,000 donation from a Remenham family.
Tatiana and Andrey Borodin have generously made the donation to Berkshire Community Foundation to fund an eighteen-month pilot in Wokingham Borough to help people suffering problems including anxiety, isolation and stress.
The scheme will be run by mental health charity Oxfordshire MIND. Among the areas it will focus on are recognising mental health issues early and intervening to prevent conditions deteriorating, ensuring timely referrals to specialists, coordinating the support available for those with mental health issues and promoting awareness of issues in the community.
Leader of the Council John Halsall said: “This fantastic new service is coming thanks to the generosity of Mr and Mrs Borodin; I want to thank them personally. If the pilot proves successful, we will make sure there is funding in place for it to continue – but the incredible donation has allowed us to start this now and that means we can start helping people early in the new year.”
The pilot service will be inclusive, ethical and able to meet the wellbeing and mental needs of a diverse range of residents of the borough. It will develop a way to support those with mild to moderate mental health needs, for instance including non-medical interventions such as social prescribing, self-management, peer support, signposting, and activities. It is estimated that it will support about a thousand people per year. The MIND service will be based in Wokingham town centre as well as in GP surgeries around the borough.
Executive member for adult social care and public health, Cllr Charles Margetts said: “The service will build on our work with the voluntary sector during Covid-19 pandemic, which we know has had an impact on many people’s mental health. The service will allow us to work with Oxfordshire MIND and other organisations to reduce the levels and impact of problems such as isolation, anxiety and stress. I am particularly delighted as Oxfordshire MIND has a great track record of service – with a satisfaction rate of about 90% where it currently operates.”
Jon Yates, Berkshire Community Foundation chief executive officer said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Wokingham Borough Council on delivering this wonderful gift from Tatiana and Andrey Borodin in support of the mental health of local people over the next 18 months. Berkshire Community Foundation have supported over 200 charities and voluntary groups supporting people with a range of needs through the coronavirus crisis knowing that there will be long term effects that will require specialist services. The programme being funded at Oxfordshire MIND will be able to meet these needs as they continue to emerge.”
