Dr Neil Hudson MP, a passionate campaigner for improving the UK's mental health, celebrated a new £10 million Government grant for local and national organisations to provide suicide prevention support.
The Government has unveiled a new Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, open to organisations that provide suicide prevention work to be supported in their vital suicide prevention work. The fund has previously been awarded to groups such as PAPYRUS, who received over £150,000 to provide their HOPELINE UK service, for young people and those worried about a young person to receive confidential advice.
Dr Hudson has been a passionate advocate in Parliament for improving support for mental health raising it in his maiden speech in Parliament. As an MP, Dr Hudson has been closely focused on addressing the disparities faced by rural communities in receiving support with their mental health, and the additional challenges these communities face.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, on which Dr Hudson sits, launched an Inquiry into Rural Mental Health at his instigation, which heard evidence from key groups at the heart of the rural mental health frontline. The resulting report produced highlighted that mental health in rural communities may be exacerbated by relative poverty and isolation from poor public transport and digital connectivity, and that joined-up thinking across Government is needed to address it. You can read more about that report, and the report itself from the following link:
Moreover, Dr Hudson has been working closely with mental health champions the 3 Dads Walking, Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen, who from the tragedies of their daughters' suicides have been campaigning for the addition of compulsory, age-appropriate education on suicide prevention in the school curriculum.
As part of this work, Dr Hudson and the 3 Dads have met with the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, and Minister for Mental Health Maria Caulfield to discuss this issue and contribute to the Government's consultation of this subject currently taking place.
If you believe your organisation might be eligible for funding, you can find out more about the Grant at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-grant-fund-2023-to-2025
Following the announcement, Dr Neil Hudson MP commented:
“I really welcome this positive Government intervention of a new £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to deliver suicide prevention activity across England.”
"If we are going to support those who struggle with their mental health, we must support those who are supporting them. I therefore am delighted the Government has announced the Suicide Prevention Grant. I am passionate that mental health and physical health must have parity of esteem. I will keep standing up to try to help those who are struggling with their mental health receive the support they need, and preventative help is crucial in that regard . If you believe that your organisation may be eligible for the funding, I strongly encourage you to apply."
