Shadow Mental Health Minister Luciana Berger invited by Simon Danczuk to view The Growth Project

Simon Danczuk at The Growth Project

Shadow Mental Health Minister, Luciana Berger, has been invited by Simon Danczuk to view The Growth Project in Rochdale, which is threatened by Government cuts.

The Growth Project is a charity that provides a safe and supportive environment for more than 80 Rochdale residents with mental health problems, however, it could lose £20,000 worth of grants as Rochdale Council attempts to cope with unprecedented cuts from Central Government.

Visiting the site in Kellett Street, Mr Danczuk praised the scheme and promised to extend an invitation to Shadow Mental Health Minister Luciana Berger so she could see first hand the excellent work that goes on there.

The project, a joint venture between Rochdale and District Mind and Hourglass Environmental Ltd, promotes good mental and physical health by co-ordinating a variety of outdoor activities including woodwork and tending allotments.

During a House of Commons debate earlier this month, Mr Danczuk urged the Government to provide more funding for mental health services. He highlighted the need for schemes like the Growth Project in Rochdale, where one in five people suffer from a mental health issue and the suicide rate has risen 25% in five years.

Suicide rates among men in Rochdale are significantly higher than the national average.

Uniquely among mental health schemes, 75% of services users at the Growth Project are male.

In total, 88 beneficiaries regularly attend the Growth Project allotments and have helped transform unused land into a productive and attractive space.

The £20,000 a year running cost represents just 50p per person per day.

Mr Danczuk said: “This visit as underlined for me just how vitally important the Growth Project is for Rochdale. This place really is a crucial lifeline for dozens of people who would otherwise have nowhere to go.

“I think other mental health projects could learn a lot from the work that goes on here and that is why I have invited Luciana Berger to visit and see how this success can be replicated.

“My office is also assisting staff to secure alternative sources of funding in case the council grant is removed.”

Hourglass Environment director Karen Hayday said: “We’re extremely grateful for what Simon has done. Everyone was amazed that we were mentioned in Parliament.

“It’s incredible that a £20,000 a year project is getting so much publicity. This place means so much to so many people, and we’d love for even more people to get involved and come and join us.”

Testimony from service users:

• “It would be an absolute tragedy if this place closed down. In the summer can have 20 to 30 people coming down every day and everything we produce goes to the people who come here.”
• “It’s hard for people who don’t have mental health problems to understand how important and special this place is.”
• “There’s no judgement here, everyone is different, we’re all from different backgrounds but we all work together and encourage each other. If people outside of here acted a bit more like that then we’d be onto something."
• “Since I’ve been coming down here I’ve been in a far far better state of mind, it has really turned me around.”
• “This feels like something we have built ourselves. No one tells us what to do, we just work together and there’s such a sense of achievement. I feel ever so proud of what we’ve done.”
• “Just £20,000 to keep it going is just a drop in the ocean compared to what the alternative would be.”
• “This is not just about tending the allotments and woodwork, this is like a hub for people with mental health problems. Because everyone knows what you’re going through you can always get advice and we all help each other out.”
• “What I like about coming down here is that we are all the same and I feel as though I can talk to anyone. I tell people here things I would struggle to tell my doctor.”
• “People can come down here and it gives them hope and something to do. It helps them to realise that they are not on their own and they are not on the scrap heap.”