SINGING to help those with dementia and a programme to encourage the elderly to share their stories are among nine York-based groups and charities to receive £30,000 of funding to help support mental well-being and reduce loneliness.

City of York Council and Make it York has given Cultural Wellbeing Grants of up to £5,000 from NHS England’s Better Care Fund, for projects starting this summer through to March 2023.

The projects for this year are:

*Singing for All York, run by Singing for all with Jessa, an Easingwold Community Interest Company, which singing sessions for those with dementia and other conditions, plus their carers and supporters.

*New Visuality of York- ‘Intergenerational Art: Memories and Hope’ to encourage older people to share memories, anecdotes and stories with younger people to help form various arts projects in the city.

*Next Door But One- to run- ‘A Rehearsal for Life’ - providing young adults with multiple and complex disabilities a safe space to explore feelings of fear, anxiety and safety about real-life experiences through theatre.

*Thunk-It Theatre-to run ‘Enchanted’ to entice the local community to enjoy creative green spaces to reduce isolation and loneliness using craft-making and storytelling.

*Pilot Theatre - ‘Creative Connections with Sanctuary-Seekers' - creating a series of arts, crafts, and dance sessions to welcome sanctuary-seekers into York and provide them a safe space to socialise.

*Converge - ‘An Exhibition of Sanctuary: from the hospital to the city’ - creating works of art with patients at Foss Park Mental Health Hospital to explore ideas of sanctuary in a stressful, busy world which will later form an exhibition in the city.

*National Centre for Early Music - ‘Baroque around the Books’ - a tour of musical performances around York Explore community libraries to encourage creative conversations and share musical experiences.

*Bolshee - ‘Bolshee Women’ - an exploration of contemporary autobiographical performance techniques which will result in a co-created performance that aims to combat social isolation of women aged over 25.

*The Artery for Health’ led by heritage and cultural learning consultant Karen Merrifield to establish a programme to understand how artists and cultural organisations can provide solace, support and comfort for patients and healthcare professionals through art therapy and art interventions.

Helen Apsey, Head of Culture and Wellbeing at Make It York, said: "This year's Cultural Wellbeing Grants projects reflect the immense breadth and diversity of cultural initiatives taking place in the city to support people's mental wellbeing, and to reduce isolation.

"The Cultural Wellbeing Grants are a really important scheme to support residents' wellbeing, which is at the heart of the York Culture Strategy."

Councillor Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, said: “The Cultural Wellbeing Grants are a really vital scheme, building on our work in tackling isolation and supporting mental health across the city. This is particularly important in the aftermath of the pandemic.”