Wrexham social enterprise awarded grant to support mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemic

A Wrexham based social enterprise is able to continue supporting communities across Wales during the Coronavirus crisis thanks to National Lottery funding.

Empower – Be The Change has received £30,000 to help enable the team to provide online mentoring and coaching to support community organisations that are providing vital support to local people.

These sessions will help individuals to reflect positively and find suitable solutions to any current issues they are facing. In doing so they anticipate individuals and organisations will become more resilient and will build positive mental well-being.

Jo Clay, Founder & Innovation Lead at Empower – Be The Change said: “It has never been more important for people to look after their mental well-being in order that they remain healthy and are able to support others around them.

“Our programmes have proven to make a positive and lasting difference and we are extremely thankful to the lottery and its players for this additional funding for us to diversify our services to continue this vital support.

“Over the coming weeks we will be supporting over 120 people through our new online mentoring service”.

One of the organisations who will benefit from this support is national charity Sported and its members across Wales.

Richard Thomas, Wales manager for Sported has applauded this support. He commented: “Group leaders are dealing with new and difficult challenges as a direct result of Covid-19. Anxiety levels of our community leaders in Wales are the highest of any nation in the UK.

“We’re very pleased to be partnering on this project to support the health and resilience of these amazing people, who make such a huge difference with our young people and communities.”

Empower – Be The Change first received a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund in April 2018, to increase delivery of its Empowerment courses across North Wales.

In the first two years of this funding they delivered 35 courses and empowered over 350 people. This additional money will enable this social enterprise to adapt its highly successful courses to online delivery and support more people during this unprecedented time.

Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths, a long-time supporter of Empower – Be The Change, said: “The coronavirus crisis has drastically affected our everyday lives and more people may be feeling anxious or stressed as a result.”

“With the support of the National Lottery, I am pleased the team at Empower – Be The Change have been able to adapt and are continuing to offer vital support to help improve people’s confidence, mental health and wellbeing during this extraordinary time.”

Individuals receiving this funded support will be identified through community partnerships which include Social Business Wales, Sported, Local charities and the National Lottery.

Picture from 2018.