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Mental Health Awareness Week: CFL’s Ongoing Support for Lancashire’s Mental Health
Mental health continues to be a significant public health challenge across Lancashire, including the unitary authorities of Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The latest data highlights rising levels of mental illness among children, young people, and adults, with several key indicators exceeding national averages.
Key Statistics
Children and Young People:
- In Blackpool, 161.8 per 100,000 under-18s were hospitalised for mental and behavioural disorders in 2021/22 — far above the England average of 99.8.
- In Blackburn with Darwen, self-harm admissions among those aged 10–24 reached 599.5 per 100,000 — one of the highest rates nationally.
Adults and Communities:
- New depression diagnoses (2023/24) exceeded the England average (1.5%) across:
– Lancashire-12: 2.1%
– Blackburn with Darwen: 3.0%
– Blackpool: 2.7% - Prevalence of severe mental illness is also higher than average, with Blackpool recording 1.61%, among the highest in the country.
Suicide and Self-Harm:
- Suicide rates (2021–2023, per 100,000):
– Lancashire-12: 14.2
– Blackpool: 16.7
– Blackburn with Darwen: 12.0 - Self-harm admissions (2022/23):
– Blackpool: 184.6
– Blackburn with Darwen: 145.1
– Lancashire-12: 123.7
How the Community Foundation for Lancashire is Making a Difference
At the Community Foundation for Lancashire (CFL), mental health has long been a priority issue. Working alongside dedicated donors, we support community-led efforts that provide grassroots support, counselling, arts therapies, and wellbeing services across the region.
To better understand our impact, we undertook a comprehensive review of our grant-making. We examined all projects where the primary focus was on mental health, counselling, sexual abuse, health and wellbeing, or family issues. For broader categories, project summaries were carefully reviewed to ensure mental health was a core theme.
Our Impact So Far
To date, CFL has awarded over £330,000 through 85 grants, directly benefitting more than 6,400 people across Lancashire. These funds have enabled access to crisis counselling, peer mentoring, creative therapies, and prevention workshops — offering vital support to those who need it most.
Our Leading Mental Health Funders in Lancashire
Thanks to the generosity of our funders, we’ve been able to channel resources into some of the hardest-hit communities. Our top contributors to mental health causes in Lancashire include:
These contributions have made a tangible difference — from youth mental health training and social prescribing to community peer support and targeted services for women.
Looking Ahead
As the mental health crisis deepens, CFL is committed to working in partnership with funders, local organisations, and community groups to ensure timely, compassionate support for people across Lancashire. By continuing to invest in mental wellbeing at the local level, we aim to build resilience and hope across the region.
Together, we can make sure help is always within reach.