Funding to AMH Foyle Mental Health services to be cut

Three of the nine AMH NI Mental Health Recovery Services are a risk, including Action Mental Health Foyle in Derry. Funding is also at risk in Fermanagh and Lisburn.

European Social Funding will stop in March 2023 and AMH Foyle were initially promised replacement funding.

Pauline Flanagan, Service Manager at AMH Foyle said: "This is another blow for the North West. 

"Now is not the time to cut funding for vital mental health services. AMH is delivering to the most vulnerable, we were promised replacement funding. We are calling for equality; this is a human rights issue."

AMH Foyle supports the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health who are interested in progressing towards further education, training or employment.

The Chief Executive of Action Mental Health is warning there will be catastrophic implications for services that support thousands of people with mental health challenges, if alternatives to European funding are not found.

David Babbington said his organisation is one of over 50 groups due to be impacted by the loss of European Social Fund money in March next year.

Mr Babbington said: “We’ve got no sense of who could come to the rescue in terms of this funding. We are very much working in the dark.

“I’m speaking on behalf of the other 51 organisations as well, the 1,600 staff who are at risk but also the over 16,000 people who are in those services as well. What do they do? What’s going to happen to them at the end of this funding?

“These people would be on waiting lists, clogging up the health sector and presumably getting worse.

“We’re profoundly concerned about the safety of our clients.”

Action Mental Health has been in discussion with Stormont officials, including the Department of Health (DoH), about the loss of funding.

In a statement a DoH spokesperson said: “The proposed replacement of ESF, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is held centrally in Whitehall. That continuation of funding for these groups is a matter for the UK government.

“NI Departments have been engaged since 2016 and will continue to do so.

“The department is working with Trusts to assess the potential impact. In addition, Trusts have been directed to develop contingency plans.”