A Birkenhead-based charity has won a major award for its creative and accessible mental health and wellbeing support for young people across Wirral and Merseyside.
Open Door Charity will receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding. They will also receive expert support and leadership development provided by The King’s Fund, a leading health and care charity.
Open Door won the award following a rigorous selection and assessment process, chosen from more than 500 organisations across the UK.
Charity Director Lee Pennington said: “To receive this recognition represents a very important milestone in the Open-Door Charity story.
“We have been on a significant growth trajectory since creating the Bloom Building in early 2019, which has culminated in us reaching a transformational crossroads in our development.
“We are on the edge of a very exciting future and to be recognised in this way, on a national level, is something which the team and I are very proud of. The award will go a long way in helping to foster the trust and public awareness that will be vital to us achieving our aims over the next few years.”
Established in 2011 Open Door Charity offers mental health support to young people aged 17-35 across The Wirral and Merseyside. This area has one of the highest depression rates in England at 20.4% and in 2021 its’ hospital admission rates for children and young people for mental health needs was more than double national levels.
David Hatton, from the charity said: “where we are based has the highest levels of depression and anxiety as well as the highest waiting list for mental health support as a place with the highest levels of deprivation, they’re struggling to access it through traditional routes.
“We are really pushing that non-clinical backdrop because we know as amazing as traditional routes are, people who need support often struggle to access it through those routes and generally people can’t necessarily afford to then go for the alternative routes.”
Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King’s Fund, said: “Open Door Charity is a pioneering organisation using arts and music to engage young people and reduce the stigma of mental health. Its ability to see young people quickly and effectively by self-referral is excellent. The charity’s ethos of blending open access mental health support with creative activities is impressive, along with its ability to influence wider sector collaboration and the development of new services. It is a lynchpin in the local community.”
Younger people often struggle to access mainstream mental health support, with only just over one in three children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition receiving NHS care and treatment. Research has shown two thirds of young people said they would prefer to be able to access mental health support without going to see their GP.
The award judges commended the unique way Open Door Charity has broken down barriers for young people needing mental health support, such as long waiting times, needing a GP referral, off putting clinical environments and a lack of understanding of what someone is going through.
- Additional reporting: Amy Coulson
Featured image (c) Open Door Charity
