Wrexham mental health charity awarded over £140,000 to help fund building improvements

A mental health organisation in Wrexham is to receive more than £140,000 to help fund building improvements.

Advance Brighter Futures’ (ABF), located at Belmont Road, provides mental health and well-being support to hundreds of people across the local area.

This it was confirmed that the charity had received £145,818 as part of the Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme (CFP).

The programme, which funds projects up to a maximum of £250,000, or up to £25,000 for smaller grants, helps well-used community facilities to improve their financial and/ or environmental sustainability, providing opportunities for local people to improve their day to day lives.

The Covid-19 pandemic and recent flooding has highlighted some specific challenges within communities, like mental health and social well-being. Shared commitment reinforces vibrant, caring communities, where citizens are bound together by close ties of co-operation and team work, inequalities are reduced, and the most vulnerable among us feel supported.

Funds awarded to ABF will go towards the cost of enhancing and extending their current premises, providing additional one-to-one rooms and a fully-accessible toilet, installing enhanced level 4 certified fire alarm system and creating visitor parking.

ABF Chief Officer Lorrisa Roberts said: “The demand for mental health support has been increasing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and we’re expecting this to continue.

“Before lockdown, people would come to the building, and we’d have no appropriate one-to-one facilities available to support them. We were running out of space and had to use unsuitable rooms to meet with people seeking support.

“Obviously, that wasn’t acceptable. Quality support is central to everything. The welcome people get, and the atmosphere we create for people who need help and support, makes a huge difference. Our building doesn’t reflect the standard that people deserve, nor the environment we want to create. A poor environment contributes to the negativity that people feel when in distress or crisis.

“This Community Grant Funding will make a huge difference to the service and support we’re able to provide. We hope the completion of the work will coincide with us being able to fully resume all our face-to-face support. We’ve worked with an architect to design the very best use of space.

“Small charities make a huge difference to local communities, reaching people that sometimes mainstream services don’t reach. The distance between decision makers and the people who need services, is very small. Community organisations are active in local community events, and local people direct their neighbours to small local charities, like us.

“This conversion will make a huge difference to us and to the individuals we support. As a small charity, individuals are important to us.

“Now we’ll be able to create people-friendly premises to match the people-centred, quality mental health support we deliver.”

Jane Hutt said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and recent flooding has highlighted some specific challenges within communities, like mental health and social well-being.

“Shared commitment reinforces vibrant, caring communities, where citizens are bound together by close ties of co-operation and team work, inequalities are reduced, and the most vulnerable among us feel supported.

“The Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme supports some fantastic local projects to evolve and grow to meet the specific needs of their area.

“Offering grants like these to community-led projects helps to improve much needed facilities, which play such an important part in the lives of people throughout Wales. I want to thank the third sector organisations and volunteers who work so hard within their communities to deliver vital help and support where it is most needed – your efforts are inspiring.”

Finance Minister, Rebecca Evans, added: “Community facilities provide local access to a range of important services, such as health and well-being activities and have been a focus for activity throughout the pandemic.

“This new money will support these invaluable assets to continue to thrive and grow both now and in the future.”