Local community group and charity Edinburgh Play and Wellbeing is rejoicing after being awarded £10000 in National Lottery funding to support its work with families across Edinburgh. The group, based in the Scottish capital, will use the fund to deliver one-to-one mental health support as well as to give families the opportunity to engage with other families in fun music and art therapeutic sessions.
Edinburgh Play and Wellbeing was founded by David Marshall in 2020 after he realised that the waiting list for mental health support in Scotland was between 2-3 months, leaving many to feel distressed and lonely.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will see the one-to-one mental health support sessions expand to a greater Edinburgh community.
This means that the waiting time for engagement with a support worker will be greatly reduced from 2 months to just under 1 week, with an initial support period of 3 to 6 months.
At the same time, the charity will be able to continue its weekly art and music therapeutic sessions. This will help families to build relationships with others experiencing the same challenges and enable them to develop their own support network.
David Marshall, founder of Edinburgh Play and Wellbeing said:
We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to carry on with our plans to broaden the range of opportunities available to local families. This is important because it helps both the children and the parents to build relationships with others facing similar challenges and to create their own supportive circles of friends and peers.
Parents and children attending Edinburgh Play and Wellbeing sessions have reported feeling more supported in their journey towards improving their mental health. By being able to share their feelings openly and in a creative way, many say David and the charity have given them a greater sense of belonging.
