Arty-Folks is a small charity and in recent years we have struggled to cover the costs to run our art studio in Coventry. In fact, our bills have quadrupled in the last two years and fundraising to cover the basics has been tough!But this year we will be able to heat or cool our studios without constant worry thanks to the People’s Postcode Lottery generous grant of £21,000!The People’s Postcode Trust provides funding to organisations with an income less than £1 million (you wish!!) and they prioritise organisations with an income of £250,000 or below (Arty-Folks’ income is well
below!). Their funding is always oversubscribed and priority is given to charities and good causes which meet some or all of their criteria for funding – and we are over the moon Arty-Folks is one of the good causes they chose to support.Arty-Folks supports per year around 700 adults in Coventry / Warwickshire who suffer with complex self/diagnosed conditions such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, PTSD, OCD, and as a result are unemployed, marginalised, and at risk of self-harm. Many are waiting for months to receive
medical support, and many take medication without feeling any improvement in their mental health. A sense of powerlessness affects all age groups but particularly young people which is why we have decided to lower our age remit to 16+ (previously 18+) and to start a new service for 16-25year olds who are struggling to begin their adult life.We offer a structured, progression-focused art therapy programme in small peer groups online and in-person, combined with 1:1 person-centred mentoring, coaching, and progress planning that can lead to extraordinary personal insights and breakthroughs. Our creative peer support groups empower people to bridge the gap between dependence on services to anchoring and thriving in the community, build resilience to map a new way forward and embark on chosen career paths.Arty-Folks members are at the heart of everything we do and we empower them to develop their own voice, talent, and leadership skills. Our members serve on the Board of Trustees, support our staff team as Peer Volunteers, and everyone in our staff team has grown through the service themselves. A massive Thank You to all players of the People’s Postcode Lottery for your support. This grant will enable us to continue supporting people to rebuild a strong identity and to look forward into their future with confidence.
