East Fife Mental Health Befriending Project
This Project was established to bridge the gap in services for people who are isolated as a result of their mental health issues. It works across the rural areas of East Fife and Levenmouth, including many small towns and villages. The Befriending Project works by recruiting and training volunteer befrienders and matching them with people with mental health issues who are referred to the service. Volunteer befrienders will spend time with the people they are linked to, and support them in accessing activities or visiting places they would like to go to. There are also four main group social events each year run by the charity that enable everyone to get together and enjoy some social interactions.
At the February 2023 meeting of Trustees, the Allen Lane Foundation awarded a grant of £7,000, split over two years, towards the Project’s general running costs. The intended outcomes over the period of the grant are that: beneficiaries will become less socially isolated as a result of being befriended; they will have increased confidence and self-esteem; and that they will be more involved in community and group events
