Rotherham Council Celebrates Arts Funding

The Rotherham Community Arts Service were awarded over £21,000 funding from the Arts Council for an Arts and Mental Health action research project.

The team secured funding to employ artists to work with people in an acute mental health unit and on mental health wards in Rotherham General Hospital to try and improve mental health in patients.

The Arts & Health Officer will be working in partnership the Research Associate from the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust to conduct research of the project and measure whether taking part in the arts workshops have helped people's recovery.

Rotherham Borough Council Arts & Health Officer, Rhiannon Lister-Coburn, commented: "Taking part in arts workshops can improve people's health in many ways, it can reduce depression and anxiety, raise self confidence and self esteem and get communities working together again.

"I'm absolutely delighted we were awarded the money as it is an important step for the arts and mental health services in Rotherham.

"It's great news for mental health sufferers and their families as they will be given access to quality arts workshops which will hopefully aid their recovery and the resulting research should have national significance."

The project will last for 2 years until 2013.

For more information contact Rhiannon Lister-Coburn 01709 823637 or via email.