Local parents experiencing mental health difficulties will receive specialist art therapy
More than 50 local parents with mental health issues in Bedford Borough will receive art therapy, thanks to our grant to the FACES (Family and Children’s Early-Help Services) charity. An estimated 200 family members will benefit in total from the project.
FACES supports families in Bedford Borough with entrenched difficulties, empowering them through a range of projects, to make a sustainable change which ensures their children thrive and develop to meet their full potential. 80 per cent of all beneficiaries of the charity’s support are affected by issues with their mental health and one of the emerging needs FACES has identified is therapy for individuals and groups. Clay therapy is an intervention that allows the client to access unexpressed and unidentified feelings and emotions without talking, through the handling and moving of clay. This can enable them to then talk about the issues presented or to process them themselves.
Families receiving FACES support have often experienced traumatic events such as domestic abuse, childhood trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences, bereavement and divorce. Research shows that these events can have lasting damaging effects in the long term and in extreme cases, events may repeat themselves for future generations if therapeutic interventions are not available or accessed. Frequently, FACES provides much-needed interim support while individuals wait for statutory services which can be as long as 30-40 weeks in Bedford Borough.
We’re very grateful to Bedfordshire Freemasons for their generous grant. There is clear demand in Bedford Borough for mental health services for parents, young people and children, often with long waiting lists. This grant will enable us to offer a therapeutic service to fill that gap and ensure that families get support when they need it most.
I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help FACES with their hugely important programme to help local parents with mental health issues. These are problems that can have a major impact on the development and happiness of children, and given the waiting list of six months or more for mental health services locally, the FACES interim service is essential.
