Mental health in Sheffield 'not being taken seriously enough'
Mental health needs to be a bigger priority in Sheffield - that's the message from a charity in the city who could lose their entire council funding.
There's a warning mental health's not being taken seriously enough in Sheffield - as a charity says it could lose all of its council funding.
The city's Mental Health Action Group, who support sufferers, have been told their grant's not guaranteed past March next year.
They're now urging the council to reconsider changes to the system which will mean they'll have to apply for funding, competing against other organisations.
Tim Jones is the founder of the charity - he says it's had a huge impact on the people they help:
"People feel suicidal, they feel uncertain of the future. When people are mentally unwell or unstable, stability is important in their lives. We've had members her who've attended here twenty years plus - they depend on MHAG, MHAG depends on them."
"It's a complete community - it's a place to go. If this place didn't exist, people would literally be isolated, they'd be suicidal. If they could get out they'd be wandering round town."
Volunteers from the charity will lobby the council today - as a petition urging them to reverse the changes is presented to councillors.
It's comes as it's thought Teresa May might underline the government's commitment to improving mental health at the Conservative Party Conference later.
But Tim says the charity's situation in Sheffield shows more needs to be done:
"I don't think it' prioritised. It's always been the agenda to private the NHS and mental health. You've got private forensics units, you've got members of staff on zero hours contracts. Howe is that putting mental health as a priority?"
"They should be putting more money into it - this is a user led organisation and we have no paid workers. We've been constantly attacked by funding reductions for many years - we've had less and less. And for the first time we've actually had to charge members a fee to use the facilities."
Sheffield City Council say they're not cutting the amount of grant they're giving out but changing the way it's allocated.
Mental Health Action Group Sheffield will be able to apply for a share of ÂŁ1.62 million.
Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Libraries, told us they're still offering support:
“Despite huge budget cuts from the Government, we are maintaining the level of grant aid investment. We will be opening a new round of grants in time for April 2017 and I welcome applications from groups.”