Nishkam Healthcare Trust awarded Fairer Futures Funding to further develop mental health services in Handsworth
In November 2024, Nishkam Healthcare Trust was awarded funding as part of the Birmingham Fairer Futures Fund to support and develop the Nishkam Mental and Emotional Wellbeing service (NMEWS) to meet the increasing demand for mental health help in Handsworth and surrounding areas.
The service, which formally launched in 2022, builds on over a decade of volunteering and infuses faith-inspired wisdom with clinical excellence to deliver support for adults with mental health needs. The service has found a unique space, supporting those with low to moderate mental health needs delivered in English and community languages, complementing existing NHS services. This funding will allow continuation, expansion and further development of the service.
Accessing healthcare provision is a struggle in Handsworth, where population density is high and low health literacy has led to some of the poorest health outcomes in the country. Since its launch, 500 patients have been served through NMEWS. The longer lasting impact of connecting people back to their core identities and values, and their communities, is immeasurable. There is a significant impact on families and communities when a loved one has improved wellbeing, and there is a clear benefit of local reinvestment when someone is able to return back to work, which is often seen following this service. Clients are also connected into integrated services such as finance, benefits, housing, and employment support.
NMEWS is a key service at the Nishkam Healthcare Centre, based in Handsworth. Since its launch in 2012, Nishkam Healthcare Trust has striven to tackle health inequalities in Handsworth, where the healthy life expectancy is just 52 years. The Centre aims to provide an accessible, one-stop integrated care service for residents, and houses a pharmacy (with another pharmacy recently opened in another part of the neighbourhood), a subsidised dental service and a recently launched doctor advisory service.
The Fairer Futures Fund forms part of Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board’s (BSoL ICB) strategic vision to radically transform how health and social care services are delivered, integrating services so they are delivered as close as possible to citizens’ homes and shifting the focus towards preventing ill-health.
“We are delighted to be awarded this funding, as recognition of the critical need for established mental health support in areas such as Handsworth.”
“Since its launch NMEWS has grown to match the needs of our superdiverse local community through our multi-linguistic counsellors, allowing patients to speak in their own language about their mental health.”
This funding, which will cover 18 months, will help facilitate better integration and growth in the local mental health landscape.
If you would like to find out more this service, please visit our website, which also has a link to a self-referral form. Alternatively, you can email us at nmews@nishkamhealth.com, or call us on 0121 348 7500 (option 3).