Scots living with bipolar share in £2 million funding boost

More support is being made available for Scots with Bipolar Disorder as part of a £2 million National Lottery funding boost announced today (FRI 18 JANUARY).

Thanks to an award of £91,050, Bipolar Scotland will now be able to expand its self-management training courses across Scotland that help people like 57 year old Michelle Howieson, from Edinburgh to manage, cope with and adapt to life with Bipolar. It is one of 16 groups sharing in £2,046,705 from the Big Lottery Fund. See a full list of awards

Michelle, who leads Bipolar Scotland’s Lothian Self-help Group, has had first-hand experience of the self-management training which helps people to recognise personal triggers and early warning signs before their mood escalates to severe depression or mania.

She, said: “My journey with Bipolar Disorder began nearly thirty years ago and has had many ups and downs. All my bouts have been triggered by a stressful life event, the first being a miscarriage in 1991 which resulted in a three month stay in a psychiatric hospital.

“Living with Bipolar is difficult but over the years I have learned to manage the condition and better understand my triggers. Today I am in a much better place, both mentally and physically, and Bipolar Scotland had a huge part to play in that. Taking part in their self-management training course gave me the tools to look after myself and allowed me to take back control of my life. These skills along with the peer support I get at the Lothian Group has kept me well over the years.”

Bipolar Scotland will also use the funding to develop specific self-management training sessions for young people with Bipolar, as well as those who care for people with Bipolar. It will also pilot a phone based peer mentoring system and an online support group.

Welcoming the award, Alison Cairns, Chief Executive, Bipolar Scotland, said: “We are delighted with this National Lottery award. We know the benefits of self-management and that these are becoming increasingly recognised. I am excited at the opportunity this award gives us to expand our programme to reach more of the, at least, 108,000 people living with Bipolar in Scotland. Having the resources to put our ideas into practice will benefit many people and give them the confidence to take back control of their lives.”

Announcing today’s funding package, Maureen McGinn, Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, today’s £2 million investment will assist people and communities in many parts of Scotland, enabling them to thrive and grow stronger. Bipolar Scotland are one of the groups benefiting from funding which will allow them to meet a growing demand for their services. They will use it to empower even more people to manage their Bipolar condition better, now and in the future.”