Ł297,000 mental health boost across the Region with the Liverpool OBE Foundation grants

12 organisations working on mental health projects across Liverpool City Region have been selected to receive:- Ł297,997 worth of funding over the next 2 years as part of the Liverpool OBE Foundation grants.

Since its inception in 2009, the Liverpool OBE Foundation has awarded a total of:- 440 grants worth more than:- Ł3.8 million to help enhance the mental health of young people across:- Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

From sleep improvement projects and art workshops to counselling services and activities to develop girl's confidence; grants from the Liverpool OBE Foundation help to fund projects that support young people's mental health and wellbeing.

Following a careful consideration of applications, among those chosen to receive funding this year is:- Comics Youth CIC, a creative community organisation led by young people, for young people, with the aim of empowering youth across Merseyside to flourish from the margins of society.

Rhiannon Griffiths, Co-founder of Comics Youth CIC, said:- "We are so grateful to have been selected to receive a grant from the Liverpool OBE Foundation. This funding will help us deliver our Turn the Page programme, which offers one-to-one creative support for marginalised young people aged:- 8 to 25 who feel anxious in groups, struggle to access mainstream services, or see themselves as outsiders. Through Turn the Page, we encourage young people to harness their own narratives, find confidence within an inclusive community, and develop the resilience to succeed on their own path. Our services are designed to support and amplify the often-diminished voices of marginalised youth through social campaigns and creative activities, including:- zine creation and comic book workshops. We are ecstatic that our commitment to discovering, distributing, and elevating the voices of young people has been recognised and supported by the Liverpool OBE Foundation, and we look forward to using this grant to provide proactive and reactive mental health support to young people across Merseyside through art and comics."

The full list of successful applicants from this year include:-

Girls Friendly Society, Refugee Women Connect, The Bobby Colleran Trust and Beautiful New Beginnings in Liverpool.
Sean Bailey Wellness CIC in Halton.
Evolving Mindset CIC in Knowsley.
Mind Balance Solutions CIC, RASA Merseyside and SWAN Women's Centre in Sefton.
Home Start St Helens.
Community Capacity Builders and Comics Youth CIC in Wirral.

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director for Liverpool ONE, said:- "Supporting young people in our Region is central to the values of Liverpool ONE. We pride ourselves on keeping culture and communities at the heart of our social impact initiatives and annual event programme. The work of the organisations awarded Liverpool OBE Foundation grants is making a real impact in the Liverpool City Region. These grants reflect our continued commitment to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to connect and support our community."

Rae Brooke, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation for Merseyside, said:- "Liverpool OBE is committed to improving young people's mental health and wellbeing across our Liverpool City Region. Since 2009, we've worked in partnership to distribute over Ł3.8 million in funding to local grassroots organisations. As 1 of our largest corporate donors, Liverpool OBE are a leading example of how a business can support its community through place-based giving. This year the Liverpool OBE Foundation grants will continue to strengthen that focus, backing a wide range of projects."

The Liverpool OBE Foundation is part of Liverpool ONE's commitment to contribute to support local communities.

The organisations awarded this year join groups across the Region who were granted a 2 year grant in 2024 including:- Growing Sudley CIC, Home Start Knowsley, Next Chapter NW CIC, Open Door Charity, Pure Insight 1628, Shy Lowen, The 1st Step (Knowsley Domestic Violence Support Services) and UK Unplugged CIC.

For further information about the Liverpool OBE Foundation, visit:- Liverpool-ONE.Com.

UK Government is now working with TikTok to help people stay safe when going abroad for cosmetic treatments

PATIENTS who use social media to help plan cosmetic procedures will now be able to access more reliable trustworthy information thanks to a landmark new initiative between the UK Government and TikTok.

More people are using social media apps like TikTok to research potentially risky operations; like hair transplants and dental work; abroad as they are often cheaper or more readily available than in the UK but are often presented with slick marketing campaigns that do not highlight the dangers of the surgery.

To help keep these patients informed, TikTok and the Government have partnered with medical influencers, like Midwife Marley and Doc Tally to create content to show the risks, help carry out thorough research and provides advice on how to make trips as safe as possible.

The Foreign Office will also provide more detailed travel advice for those seeking to travel abroad for:- 'tweakments.'

Health Minister Karin Smyth said:- "Too many people are being left with life altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards. Often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers; some of whom have never been to the practice in question. By partnering with TikTok, we're helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife; wherever that may be. Through our Plan for Change, we're determined to protect patients, ease pressure on the NHS and make sure taxpayers are not left paying the price when things go wrong."

The campaign warns that when it comes to cosmetic surgery abroad, the lowest price can come at the highest cost.

It urges people to think beyond the slick brochures and marketing, and to consider clinical standards, complication risks, and language barriers.

It will urge potential patients to speak to a UK doctor, take out travel insurance, and steer clear of package holidays that bundle in procedures. The medics will provide a check list to go through before considering booking a procedure abroad: research thoroughly, check the clinic's regulation and the surgeon's credentials, know the full cost, understand the aftercare, and ask the vital question; if it goes wrong, who will fix it?

The online campaign is part of wider Government efforts to curb medical tourism. Work is underway to stop events in the UK that promote procedures abroad and the Government is working with other countries to improve patient care from initial consultations to post-surgery recovery.

The Government is looking at additional ways of protecting patients who go abroad for these types of procedures, while ensuring the NHS is not left to pick up the tab of botched or harmful work.

The move follows the announcement last week to crack down on dodgy cosmetic practitioners in England. The new regulations will mean the highest risk procedures, such as non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), can only be carried out by qualified, specialised healthcare professionals, registered with the Care Quality Commission.  The measures also include:- developing a licensing scheme for lower risk procedures like Botox and fillers, alongside introducing minimum age restrictions. 

Minister Doughty, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories said:- "Our aim is to explain the risks and help British people understand the actions they can take to keep themselves safe when abroad. If you choose to travel abroad for medical treatment, it is vital you do your research and are fully aware of the risks involved. We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care. Informed choices today can help avoid serious complications tomorrow."

Ali Law, Director of Public Policy, Northern Europe said:- "At TikTok we are committed to providing our community with information from trusted sources when searching for topics related to physical and mental health. We're pleased to work with the Government on this new initiative to improve the safety of people going abroad for treatment and we will continue to promote credible content through our Clinician Creator Council made of NHS practitioners."

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also updated its online travel advice advising people on how to stay safe when travelling abroad for medical or cosmetic reasons.

This work will help improve patient safety and reduce costs for the NHS by reducing the number of people needing medical support when things go wrong, providing greater value for the taxpayer and reducing pressure on staff.

If thinking about cosmetic surgery abroad, it is strongly advised you do comprehensive research so you have the full picture and make well informed choice. Take professional medical advice from the UK before making your choose to commit to any medical or cosmetic work. Do not just take influencers views as gospel.

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Ł297,000 mental health boost across the Region with the Liverpool OBE Foundation grants

UK Government is now working with TikTok to help people stay safe when going abroad for cosmetic treatments