Community centre receives NHS mental health funding

A community centre in Leicestershire is set to benefit from £925,000 in NHS grant funding.

The money will be used to enhance facilities at Fearon Hall Community Centre, in Loughborough, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said.

It will allow the centre to expand its community programming, increase access to mental health and wellbeing services and create new opportunities for local engagement.

This formed part of the NHS Long Term Plan for England, the trust said, which aimed to "move away from traditional models of care" towards locally-delivered services that "meet people's needs earlier and closer to home".

Fearon Hall provides opportunities for learning, social connection and wellbeing.

Darryl Gough, chairman of trustees at Fearon Community Association, the organisation that runs the community centre, said: "We are delighted to have been selected for such an important project.

"It reflects the very hard work put in by the team at Fearon Hall to make the centre the vibrant community hub that it is today.

"We now want local people to get involved to have their say in how they want the new services to run, and we will be starting this in early 2026."

Tanya Hibbert, executive director for mental health at the trust, said: "The new model will radically change how people experiencing mental health challenges can access more help in their own neighbourhoods.

"This pioneering type of development is outlined in the new NHS Long Term Plan; therefore we were thrilled to be included in this pilot stage and are proud to be only one of nine areas selected across the country."

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