The Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund has been transformative for A Positive Start CIC. It allowed us to cover essential costs such as rent and running expenses, ensuring we had a secure base to deliver our services. With this stability, we were able to expand capacity and increase the number of clients we supported. Over the last year, we delivered around 1,740 hours of direct client support to an estimated 125 individuals through counselling, group sessions, and workshops. The funding also enabled us to host three student placements, giving them invaluable experience while increasing our ability to meet rising demand.
The funding has directly improved access to trauma-informed support in our community. Clients have benefitted from regular 1-to-1 counselling, group work, and family sessions, helping them to reconnect, regulate, and feel supported during times of need.
We have noticed a rise in referrals from NHS, GPs, Whole Family Support, PASS, DWP, and by word of mouth, which highlights the trust placed in our work. This has been especially important as other local services, such as the LAC team and Housing First, are no longer available.
One parent shared that the River Room family sessions offered the first safe space where their child awaiting ADHD diagnosis could feel understood and included.
Our volunteers have played an active role in shaping and delivering projects. They were central to the creation of the River Room Songbook in collaboration with My Body is My Body (MBIMB), bringing their lived experience, creativity, and insight to the project. The opportunity boosted confidence and gave volunteers a sense of ownership in creating something meaningful for children and families. Volunteers also contributed to our Saturday River Room family sessions, strengthening community connection and peer support.
Funding has enabled us to expand our services in meaningful ways:
Launching the pilot project – River Room family sessions for families awaiting ADHD diagnosis.
Developing the STAND – Parents as Protectors safeguarding programme in collaboration with Safeguarding Fundamentals.
Creating new opportunities for students and volunteers to learn, contribute, and grow.
Increasing our overall client capacity, ensuring more people could access support when they needed it most.
The funding gave us the security to build meaningful partnerships. We collaborated with Safeguarding Fundamentals to create the STAND programme, and with My Body is My Body to co-develop the River Room Songbook. We also strengthened connections with local services, with referrals increasing from NHS, GPs, Whole Family Support, PASS (NHS), Working Health Services, and DWP. These connections are especially important given the loss of other local services such as the LAC Team and Housing First.
This funding has strengthened our foundation for long-term growth. By stabilising our organisation, it has given us confidence to plan strategically and apply for additional funding to continue growing our team and services. It has also highlighted the need — and opportunity — to fill gaps left by reduced statutory services in the Borders. Moving forward, we plan to build on our collaborations, expand our group and family programmes, and continue providing placements for student counsellors to sustain and grow the workforce.
We found the application and reporting process clear and manageable. The communication from the fund administrators was supportive and encouraging, which made the process feel collaborative rather than burdensome. A simplified reporting template (with space for both numbers and stories) would make future reporting even more straightforward.
Looking ahead, our biggest need is sustainable funding to continue supporting long-term clients while expanding our team to meet increasing demand. Training opportunities for staff and volunteers in trauma-informed practice would also strengthen our impact. We have applied for the next round of funding to help us build capacity further and continue delivering the consistent, community-rooted support that people in the Borders so urgently need.
We are deeply grateful for the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. This funding has not only kept our doors open but has allowed us to create safe, trauma-informed spaces at a time when statutory services are under huge pressure.
One of the most powerful outcomes has been hearing from clients who tell us this is the first time they have felt truly listened to and supported without judgment. The consistency the funding has provided has been life-changing for many families, particularly those who felt there was nowhere else to turn.
We also value the way the Fund recognises and supports grassroots organisations like ours. Having this trust and backing has encouraged us to be bold, creative, and collaborative. We see this fund not just as financial support, but as an investment in hope, resilience, and community healing.
