We are delighted to have raised £99,942 for Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind from the National Lottery Community Fund's Reaching Communities programme.

In 2016, we helped Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind raise £499,768 through the National Lottery Community Fund's Help Through Crisis programme. Over the last five years, the project, Firm Foundations, supported 352 people with mental health problems experiencing financial hardship.

Independent evaluation concluded the project, "layed the basis for individuals to achieve financial security and look to the future."

Last year, Chief Executive Emma Howitt, asked for our support to help secure funding from the National Lottery to continue delivering Firm Foundations for another two years. Middlesbrough's growing crisis of poor mental health and financial hardship,exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, meant the project was more needed than ever.

We are delighted our application has been successful and a further 200 people will benefit from Firm Foundations.

Over the next two years, in partnership with Actes, Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind will:

• Employee Outreach Peer Support Workers to proactively identify people with mental health problems who are experiencing, or at risk of financial hardship, for example at foodbanks.
• Assess an individual or family's basic needs and help them access immediate support to stabilise their position, for example food, clothing and household items.
• Provide one-to-one goal-orientated support, advice and advocacy for 12-months to help people build their skills and resilience to take control.
• Train volunteers to setup and run peer-led, financial wellbeing support groups to empower people to better manage their finances.