Bishop Richard Moth, the Mental Health Bishop and Bishop of the Forces, hosted an awards reception in Southwark this week to celebrate the eleven projects chosen to receive funding in small Day for Life grants to support better mental health. The £70,000 comes from the generosity of parishioners who gave to the Day for Life collections in 2008/2009 which had mental health as a theme.
The funded projects offer help and support to a wide range of ages across the Catholic community – from school children to dementia sufferers. Several of the projects seek to increase pastoral mental health support for sanctuary seekers; for homeless people and for parents with complex difficulties and needs. A grant has also been made available for a research project looking at young Catholics and stress and the mental health of Irish travellers in prison.
At the Amigo Hall launch, Bishop Moth said:
“This project is timely. We live at a time when there are many stresses and strains on people at every level in our society.
“The present economic climate – to name one factor – has brought challenges to many and, for some, these challenges will bring stress and difficulty.
“Speaking personally, I feel privileged to have been asked to be involved with this project. Having been appointed as Bishop of the Forces some 18 months ago, I have become more conscious than ever of the demands placed upon our servicemen and women and their families who await their return from deployments, especially in Afghanistan.
“These men and women – and their families – are members of our communities, members of our dioceses and parishes.”
Bishop Moth Launches Mental Health Project
‘Meeting Mental Health Needs in our Parish and Deanery Community’
(National)
‘Mental Health Support Groups’
(Diocese of Shrewsbury)
‘Stressed Out!’
Catholic Young People in England and Wales: A Study in Stress and Mental Health Issues and a Toolkit in Response (National)
‘Travellers in Prison – Voices of the Unheard’
(Prisons)
‘Parents Mentoring’
(Milton Keynes)
‘Support Group for Women Sanctuary Seekers and their Children’
(Liverpool)
‘Pastoral Care Project – Annual Day of Prayer for Dementia and Annual Day of Prayer for World Mental Health Day 2011’ (Coleshill)
‘Emotional Wellbeing Project with People who are Homeless’
(London)
‘Nuneaton and District Mental Health Support Network’
(Nuneaton)
‘Delivering Music for Older People with Mental Health Problems’
(Hertfordshire)
‘Mindfulness in Schools’
(Norwich)
Photos from the launch on our Flickr photostream
Link to description of funded projects:
mentalhealthproject.co.uk
catholicchurch.org.uk/mentalhealth
Day for Life is the day in the Church’s year dedicated to celebrating the dignity of life from conception to natural death.
Day for Life 2008
Day for Life 2009
Gail Sainsbury
Bishops’ Mental Health Project
Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX
email: gail.sainsbury@cbcew.org.uk
