- Area:
- Wales
- Programme:
- Mental Health Matters
- Release date:
- 25 7 2007
A major piece of research that aims to improve the lives of people with mental health problems in rural parts of Wales will be launched by the Big Lottery Fund at this year’s Royal Welsh Show.
As part of its More than a Number campaign to raise awareness about mental health issues in Wales and to support the Fund’s £15 million Mental Health Matters grant programme, the Big Lottery Fund has commissioned Mind Cymru to conduct a Rural Research project.
It will be launched at the Mind Cymru stand (142) at the Royal Welsh Show (RWS) ground at 5pm on Wednesday July 25.
The project will contribute to the improvement of the lives of people with direct experience of mental health issues living in rural parts of Wales. The aim is to identify the barriers that people experience in accessing or attempting to access mental health services in rural areas, with particular reference to people in the 18-40-age range.
The RWS in Builth Wells, the largest agricultural show in Europe, attracts over 200,000 visitors meaning it’s an ideal event to launch the project.
Statistics show that one-in-four of us will have mental health problems at some time during our lives and farming has been identified as one of the occupations most at risk of suicide. Farmers continue to face constant challenges with the weather, seasons, bureaucracy, red tape, shifting markets and crop and animal diseases.
There are other deep seeded burdens that can create stress for people living in rural areas. Opportunities for jobs, education, recreation, choice, health and social care can be limited. Work is often part time, low paid, seasonal and involving long hours. Older people may find it difficult to get the care or services they require and specialist services of all kinds are often difficult to access.
Big Lottery Fund Wales Committee Member and Chair of the Mental Health Matters Committee, Barbara Wilding, said: “The key issue that concerns us is how to make contact with those in distress and more precisely, how to persuade people in crisis to reach out for help.
"We look forward to working with Mind on this exciting piece of research and I’m certain the findings will help us understand the various issues that people suffering with mental health problems in rural communities are faced with. The long- term aim of the Rural Research project is to help us reduce the incidence of stress in rural areas by strengthening the provision of support for rural people.”
Chair of Mind Cymru's management group and service user, Paul Roberts, said: "I feel this piece of action research is very important. For people living in rural Wales, access to services can be difficult. If local community groups can be encouraged and supported to take an interest in mental health, (particularly for young adults), they will see how small changes can make a big difference in people's lives."
The research will focus on the counties of Powys, Ceredigion and Gwynedd and will be conducted using a variety of action research tools including postal and electronic questionnaires, structured telephone interviews and focus groups. These will be conducted on a confidential basis and individual details will be anonymous in the report.
If you are interested in contributing to the research, taking part in the project or if you need more information contact: Ruth Coombs on 02920 346575 or r.coombs@mind.org.uk
Further information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 02920 678 207
Out of hours contact: 07760 171 431
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102 030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- In Wales, the Big Lottery Fund is rolling out close to £1 million a week in Lottery good cause money, which together with other Lottery distributors means that across Wales most people are within a few miles of a Lottery-funded project.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.
- On 1 December 2006 the Big Lottery Fund was officially established by Parliament and at the same time assumed the residual responsibilities of the dissolved National Lottery Charities Board (Community Fund) the New Opportunities Fund, and the Millennium Commission. The. Fund is building on the experience and best practice of the merged bodies to simplify funding in those areas where they overlap and to ensure Lottery funding provides the best possible value for money.
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