We are delighted to end 2021 with a bang, successfully raising £709,269 for The Cellar Trust from Barclays, The National Lottery Community Fund and CAF.

The Cellar Trust is an award winning, mental health charity based in Shipley, near Bradford. Bradford was one of England’s mental health blackspots before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital admissions, ‘sections’ and common mental health problems are amongst the highest in the country. Two years of lockdowns, social distancing and isolation have exacerbated existing inequalities. The number of serious mental health cases The Cellar Trust's Peer Support Workers currently support has doubled since 2020.

A key priority for the charity as we recover the pandemic is to offer people attending their crisis support services longer-term support. Grants of £100,000 from Barclays 100x100 Programme and £247,683 from The National Lottery Community Fund's Reaching Communities Programme will enable The Cellar Trust to set up a new peer-led, step-down service for people with complex trauma who frequently experience or are at high risk of recurrent mental health crises.

Over three years, 682 people will benefit. Each person will receive a combination of weekly, intensive, one-to-one support from a Peer Support Worker and a peer-led self development course to build long-term resilience. To build social capacity in the community, project beneficiaries will be offered the opportunity to become accredited Peer Support volunteers.

With a grant of £361,586 from the CAF Resilience Fund, The Cellar Trust will adapt and tailor their successful pre-employment and mental health support programmes to young adults and people from racialised communities. Over 18 months, 250 people will benefit.

Each person will receive a holistic, personalised package of support combining online/face-to-face mental health courses, peer support groups and employment and digital skills training. The grant will also support The Cellar Trust to increase their organisational resilience.