Donation helps Fifers with mental health difficulties

From left: Anna Bennett (FEATs Mindfulness Tutor), Duncan Mitchell (FEAT General Manager), Elizabeth Hodge (Customer Service Manager) and Elaine Davies (Branch Manager, Santander). Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT) has received Â£5,000 to fund a series of Mindfulness courses for people experiencing mental health difficulties in Fife.

The donation was provided by the Santander Foundation, which offers Discovery Grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.

FEAT helps people with mental health issues better self-manage their conditions with a view to accessing employment, voluntary work or other purposeful activities.

The grant will enable people to develop strategies to help cope with life’s challenges through practising mindfulness techniques.

Past participants on the course have cited life-changing improvements when regularly using mindfulness, including reduced levels of anxiety or depression and improvements in sleeping and concentration.

Duncan Mitchell, general manager at FEAT said the donation has provided a much-needed boost: “We welcome the support from the Santander Foundation which allows us to help more people to look after their mental health,” he said.

“Modern daily living comes with so many demands that it’s no surprise so many people struggle to cope. Mindfulness is one method of helping to overcome daily difficulties we all face, and once you’ve learned the basics, it’s a technique you can utilise for evermore and at no financial cost.”

Over the last five years, the Santander Foundation has provided £25 million in funding to 12,600 UK charities and in 2016 a further £5 million will be available through Discovery Grants and Staff Matched Donations.

Elaine Davies, branch manager at Santander’s Kirkcaldy branch said the money will make a ‘real difference’. She said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations every year to good causes throughout the UK. Our branch is committed to playing a key part in the community and we are delighted to be supporting FEAT, and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people with mental health difficulties.”

FEAT support people with mental health issues to better self-manage their conditions and engage in purposeful activities, including employment. For more information please visit: www.feat.org.uk