Argyll charity Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT) has been awarded £195,500 to deliver the innovative mental health intervention “Branching Out” in communities across Argyll starting this summer.
A funding award of £192K has been made by Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland from their Transforming Self-Management Fund, which will allow ACT and Branching Out Argyll partners NHS and FCS to offer a unique opportunity for people with long term mental health conditions to take part in a 12-week programme of woodland activities with specialist trainers and community mental health teams.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Development Teams in Bute and Cowal, and Mid-Argyll have also awarded £3500 to monitor and evaluate Branching Out Argyll, which will help to ensure continued success and funding support beyond our 3-year programme.
Yennie Van Oostende of NHS Highland and ACT Trustee said “ACT has received so much support for the Branching Out Argyll idea from NHS, Forestry Commission Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council and Community Woodlands Association. It is fantastic to now be in a position to run this innovative programme which focuses on offering an outdoor experience, developing new skills and a new way of working in the mental health service to improve health and wellbeing . The fact that ACT is playing a coordinating role has played a key role in our success with securing this funding support. “
We are really looking forward to getting underway, and to making such positive use of some of Argyll’s beautiful woodlands.”
The Branching Out programme was established by Forestry Commission Scotland and NHS and trialled with great success in Highland region and in the central belt. ACT has worked closely with Argyll based FCS, NHS and Community Woodlands Association partners to adapt the programme to meet Argyll’s needs. This award follows successful funding applications over the past 18 months which have provided leader training, tool kits, and funds for three programmes one of which is currently running at Blarbuie in Mid-Argyll and two more scheduled for Kilfinan and Bute over the coming months.
The Branching Out Argyll steering group are looking forward to working with our qualified leaders and funding partners to co-ordinate programme delivery across Argyll. Branching Out Argyll is one of four current projects co-ordinated by ACT delivering skills, training, environmental and wellbeing benefits.
