A new partnership designed to revolutionise mental health provision in West Cumbria has been launched.

The West Cumbria Mental Health Partnership is part of a £1.8 million investment by Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplied (SIX) programme.

It will operate under the Transforming West Cumbria programme, led by Cumbria Community Foundation.

The partnership aims to create a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to community mental health provision in Copeland and Allerdale.

It was developed in response to the closure of Mind West Cumbria in 2019.

That left a void in community support for people experiencing mental health issues.

Sellafield Ltd stepped in to support a short-term solution, funding one-to-one and group support services.

Working with CCF, the focus soon switched to creating a long-term sustainable model and the new partnership was born.

It built on work already started by CCF to encourage mental health providers to work together while identifying and addressing gaps in provision.

As well as providing much-needed funding, the partnership will support community organisations to improve their resilience, capability, and financial sustainability.

The partnership chose Blue Monday, to launch.

Gary McKeating, head of community and development for Sellafield Ltd, said:“Poor mental health is an issue that can affect all of us.

“Ensuring high quality services are available for our workforce and our community is incredibly important to us.

“We’re fortunate to have such a diverse range of community-based support available in West Cumbria but provision was patchy and in need of co-ordination following the closure of Mind West Cumbria.

“That’s what the partnership is all about: building a strong platform so organisations can collaborate, develop their skills, and thrive in the long term.

“This will be a game-changer for mental health provision in West Cumbria.”