Funding success spells new beginnings for Liverpool Mental Health Consortium
2018 brings a new, exciting chapter for Liverpool Mental Health Consortium (LMHC) who have secured funding from the Wellcome Trust for their brand-new project ‘Lunatic Fringe’.
LMHC have long been part of the change that means mental health is now an everyday topic of conversation. For 22 years, they have been helping to dispel myths, challenge stigma, develop a collective voice for those experiencing mental distress, engage communities in research, and make concrete changes to policy and service delivery.
Building on their very successful Liverpool Mental Health Festival and LiverpoolMad Pride events, the Lunatic Fringe project will see LMHC working in ever-more diverse partnerships. Along with their existing partners in the mental health sector, they will be working with local Festivals Africa Oyé, DaDaFest, Healthy Souls, Liverpool Irish Festival, Liverpool Pride, Liverpool SoulFest and WoWFest.
Their project work will feed into the University of Liverpool, involving local communities and people with lived experience of mental distress to co-produce creative activities with Festivals alongside gathering data to inform research and lobbying.
Last year, LMHC lost 100% of their core funding from the NHS. Instead of throwing in the towel, LMHC has successfully applied for funding from the Wellcome Trust that perhaps allows for even greater independence. The new funding enables the organisation to focus on creative partnerships, whilst retaining their commitment to community leadership, diverse voices and to lobbying for change.
‘We have a lot more to do and a lot more to say, and we can’t wait to see what we will achieve next’ (Claire Stevens, Development & Opportunities Lead)
Anyone interested in getting involved with LMHC’s creative and research activities can contact:
Liverpool Mental Health Consortium
