Updated: Paignton CIC HealthScape awarded grant from DMHA Innovation Fund
The Devon Mental Health Alliance Innovation Fund has been awarded to HealthScape CIC by our Community Mental Health Development Leads in Torbay & South Devon.
HealthScape is a community interest company (CIC) based in Paignton, Torbay which uses the amazing natural surroundings of the local area to give people opportunities aimed at supporting and improving their mental health.
Staff at HealthScape explain that the CIC“provides social support and opportunities to enhance people’s mental health and wellbeing in our local community. Our team aims to offer a variety of experiences using natural surroundings on and around the coast. We have discovered the benefits from the sea and outdoors through our individual journeys.”
In the application for funding, HealthScape Director Paul Richards stated:
“The cost of living crisis has not only hit households hard, but we see many good VCSE organisations struggling to continue to provide a service and some simply cease to exsist. This funding will help HealthScape to not only continue, but collaborate with other organisations to support people within our communities. It will also support us to train our amazing team of volunteers to continue upskilling in order to bring more activities to engage and support our community.”
If you work for a VCSE organisation in any area of Devon that is working towards delivering innovative support to people experiencing severe mental illness (particularly a small grassroots organisation), why not apply for an award from our Innovation Fund? Grants of up to £800 are available.
Update late 2023:
HealthScape Director Paul Richards recently provided the following update:
“Here are some photos and a clip from the sessions we have provided thus far. The project is proving to be hugely successful — in particular, the ice bath and breathworks sessions, for which we have had to put on extra sessions. We have had to extend and increase the numbers of participants to meet demand. Today alone, we are supporting 26 people with activities: this afternoon, in collaboration with Torbay Communities, we are teaching 12 people snorkelling; we have 10 people completing the breathworks sessions; and 4 people are doing beach boxercise.”