Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource

I joined Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource as a director a few years ago. It has been through some turbulent times: in recent years it has been a settled organisation. Fund raising for mental health is challenging! Most of our work attracts statutory funding but mental health is not a major priority and suffers more than other parts of the health service, both in the commitment of funds and in cutbacks.

Proposals to abolish primary care trusts and place funds into the hands of GPs (or more likely, consortia of GPs) does not augur well for mental health. A further uncertainty is how district councils will approach their involvement in health issues. The move towards tendering for services, in place of the making of grants, again will produce uncertainty.

Non statutory funding is difficult to secure, even in the 'good' times. Grant giving trusts have been hit by reduction in the value of their holdings, loss of income though reduced dividends and low interest rates. Individual giving has been hit also in the current economic climate.

So, difficult times ahead. For some reason society puts its head in the sand when mental health is discussed. The evidence is that one person in four will have a mental health problem at some stage in their lives. Why then the reluctance to fund organisations which help people overcome their problems?