Decision ref
0008 2024/25
Decision date
25/06/2024
Portfolio
Children and Young People
Wards
All wards
Title
Permission to apply for grant funding to the National Lottery for an Arts on Prescription programme
Summary
To approve the submission of a funding application to the National Lottery Fund to continue and expand the Adult Arts on Prescription programme, alongside the development and delivery of a similar service for children and young people.
Purpose
It is the intention of this report to seek permission to submit this application for funding and inform the wider council leadership of the additional services it will provide, should we be successful, to residents.
Background
The Arts on Prescription (AOP) programme has been developed in response to previous identified local need and service delivery for adults with the expansion into a parallel offer for children and young people. Our Arts on Prescription (AOP) project will provide the opportunity for residents to take part in arts activities to help in their recovery from poor mental health.
Both strands are detailed further below:
Adults: Creative Alternatives – Growing Community
We intend to develop our successful AOP service in response to need and feedback from existing and previous service users, to grow our AOP service for adults 18+ who are living with mild to moderate anxiety, depression &/or stress.
The expanded programme would offer:
*New creative pathways to St Helens residents to appeal to younger adults and men, who are particularly at risk of experiencing serious mental health challenges in the borough.
*An expanded support programme for individuals who have already taken part in our initial 12-week programme (requested by past AOP participants as they feel additional support would help them to make the required step change in their health & wellbeing).
*A new ongoing peer-support creative/social drop-in group
*A new CA volunteer and advocacy programme
Children & Young People (C&YP): CulturEd - Developing a Response
National Lottery funding would enable us to pilot a brand-new AOP service for C&YP aged 8-18 years who are experiencing anxiety, low mood or stress, providing an early intervention and support for C&YP’s mental health during their formative and adolescent years. C&YP, referred into the AOP service by partners (e.g., schools, GP’s) will be offered a choice of creative activities to help build their confidence, improve their mood and find relief from depressive or anxious thoughts and feelings. The Service will include:
*An introduction to a selection of arts practices, including visual arts and music
*Mindfulness and self-care techniques
*An opportunity to delve more deeply into a single artform over a number of weeks
*Nurture Groups Support Network to continue to develop these skills back in school/alternative education settings once the initial programme has concluded
If successful with this application we expect to be able to demonstrate measurable improvements in the mental health who will access the services. We believe that the proposed AOP pilot will:
*facilitate the appropriate support both C&YP and adults need to maintain good mental health and wellbeing,
*reduce anxiety and poor self-esteem
*improve confidence, relationship and build resilience
*enable C&YP particularly to gain better educational outcomes, leading to better job prospects
*support the borough’s suicide prevention strategy by focusing on skills and knowledge; communication and engagement; reducing the stigma of mental health, self-harm and suicide; access to support.
At this stage of the application we have to provide an indicative total request for funding. However, we have created a fully costed budget model (attached as a document to this decision) to enable us to accurately model the costs involved in both stands of the application. We have calculated annual costs for the project that is intended to run for three years. If successful and invited on to stage 2 of the application we will then be able to more easily update our staffing and other associated costs to current levels. At present the total cost of the project is £513,857.85 or £171,285.95 per year. This includes the current cash funding of the from Public Health for the adult AOP and other cash and in-kind match funding. The total grant request is expected to be in the region of £352,904.85 over the three year period or £117,634.95 per annum.
Conclusion
Having considered alternative methods of delivery, consulted with stakeholders and users for the development of provision, the expanded funding proposal for AOP delivery was developed by the partnership listed in the funding application. Permission is therefore sought through this proposal to submit the application to the National Lottery.
Risk Implications
None
Measures to Redress Risk
None
Declarations Of Interest
None
Equality Impact Assessment
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More information
Please contact Jeremy Sleith on 01744 677531
