FUNDING worth £25,000 will be provided to bolster mental health support in Carlisle, with more funding potentially in the pipeline from Cumbria County Council.

This funding was agreed to as part of Carlisle City Council’s budget for the 2021 and 2022 financial year, which was approved by council members on Wednesday evening.

Originally presented to the council at the beginning of February, the budget was returned to council for a second time on Wednesday after two amendments were unanimously agreed to.

One amendment that was adopted as part of the revised budget was to remove the proposed charge for the removal of rats from a domestic property.

This amendment was originally proposed by independent councillor for Botcherby and Harraby North, Robert Betton.

The other amendment that was adopted as part of the revised budget was originally proposed by Labour Party Denton Holme and Morton South councillor, Lisa Brown.

Her amendment called for £15,000 to be provided in support of the charity Carlisle Eden Mind, which runs the Lighthouse crisis support service in partnership with the Glenmore Trust.

Carlisle Eden Mind has seen a surge in people seeking help since the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic began in earnest, including referrals from statutory services.

Sharing an account of her own recent health struggles, Mrs Brown stressed that she is far from alone in having suffered recently.

Mrs Brown said she has spoken to many individuals "going through a terrible time" at present, both as a councillor and through her work as one of the founders of Carlisle Community Help, which provides food to those struggling financially in the city.

"Some of them have people to turn to. Some of them have nobody," she said.

"I've heard, with my own ears, people actually wishing that they werent' here anymore."

She stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic is set to bring a "perfect storm" of mental health crises.

"It's just horrendous. It's like nothing else we've been through in our lives before.

"In every community meeting I have sat in, everybody is terrified about the secondary impact of coronavirus being a mental health crisis.

"There's a mental health crisis coming like a perfect storm."

As such, Mrs Brown stressed to the council the importance of supporting the service.

The amendment was agreed to unanimously, and at the following executive meeting, which took place on Monday, the city council's Conservative leadership agreed to the amendment and proposed a further £10,000 in funding to bolster mental health support in the district.

Following the executive meeting, John Mallinson, Conservative leader of the city council said that the “Covid-19 has taken its toll on many".

"The isolation, depression and sense of despair has impacted on the fabric of our society and much of our own personal resilience.

"The Lighthouse service and projects like it are going to be vital to help people, young and old get through the coming months and years.”

Deputy leader of the city council, Gareth Ellis, added: “We are able to make these funds available due to the support we have received from the Government, funds without strings and for us to decide where they can make the most difference”

Portfolio Holder for Communities, health and wellbeing portfolio holder, Conservative councillor Elizabeth Mallinson added that there is currently a "mental health crisis" both in the city and across Cumbria.

"It is important that we as a council do all that we can to help the community of Carlisle and the surrounding area through this “

At Wednesday evening's council meeting, in which the final revised version of the budget was presented to council members, Mr Mallinson explained that he was in discussion with Cumbria County Council's local committee for Carlisle to secure further funding to bolster mental health support in the Carlisle area.

"This council intends to put forward £25,000 in total for mental health issues in this city," he said.

Mr Mallinson added that the county council committee's "decision-making process is slightly behind ours but I'm confident it will happen".

"In any case, however, the £15,000 for Eden Mind is guaranteed, as is the £10,000 we are supplementing that £15,000 with.

"That is the commitment in this budget tonight."

Carlisle city council's Labour group leader, Colin Glover, thanked the council's executive for incorporating Mrs Brown's amendment into the budget, and for providing additional funding beyond what was proposed.

"Mental health is going to be a major issue going forward," he noted.

Mrs Brown added that it was "vitally important that Mind receives the money to support people in crisis".

She warned that while "the economy will hopefully recover", she was less sure about the quick recovery potential of "people's mental health".

"Let's keep this in mind for future budgets," she said.