www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/transcend

Transcend is a unique project, in that it recruits and trains mental health service users to become mentors, who then support other individuals who are experiencing mental health issues, creating a circle of support that is proving to be extremely successful. The project also aims to reduce stigma by providing free mental health and recovery awareness training to individuals and organisations in Swansea.

Transcend is competing against nine other projects for the title of Best Health Project (out of five hundred other projects!), so we need your help to get the word out and encourage everyone you know to vote for us before the deadline of 22^nd July 2012.

The Awards are an annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects, and they aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK.

By the end of July, Transcend will have trained 37 people with personal experience of mental health issues to become peer mentors (our three year target was 16-24!) and we've also smashed our three year target of providing free mental health awareness training to local groups and volunteers by hundreds, reducing stigma and increasing awareness of recovery in Swansea.

This will be a fantastic opportunity to have Swansea, mental health, recovery and a service user led project at the front of a huge national campaign. If the project is successful, we will appear on BBC1 and also get a cash prize which can contribute to furthering the project's work. It will be a great acknowledgement of the mentor's hard work across Swansea.

Please let all of your contacts, friends and work colleagues know about the vote -every vote counts, so we really appreciate your support!

If you would like to find out more about Transcend, please contact Jaymie, the Project Co-ordinator at SCVS on 01792 543637 / Email: Jaymie_huckridge@scvs.org.uk

We'll keep you updated on our progress, and thank you!