
Asha is now able to deliver free sessions to improve digital inclusion and engagement as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.
Here is the story as reported by North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust…
The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, working in partnership with North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, has launched the third grant round as part of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.
This is one of a series of community grants that are available to support adults in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent who live with a severe mental illness. This third grant round is focused on improving digital inclusion and engagement.
Two local organisations have been successful in their applications as part of this grant round and are now able to deliver free sessions for service users of Combined Healthcare, Raparu CIC and Asha.
Raparu aims to promote the use of digital technology to improve health and wellbeing. Asha provides support and promotes social inclusion for asylum seekers, refugees and those who don’t speak English as their first language.


A key element of this funding, which allows partnership working between Combined Healthcare, Raparu and Asha, is to improve the digital skills of service users.
The organisations will help to help increase service users’ confidence when using PatientAide, an online tool that allows patients to access their health documents all in one place and manage their appointments.
Working with people who have been signposted from Combined Healthcare services, Raparu will facilitate face-to-face sessions at a variety of community locations where service users are welcome to take a friend/carer with them. Asha will deliver face-to-face sessions from its location in Hanley.
Liz Mellor, Chief Strategy Officer at Combined Healthcare, commented on the third grant round:
“These grant awards have allowed us to forge new partnerships that support the trust’s commitment to improving access and reducing health inequalities.
It is fantastic that the sessions planned will support people to feel digitally confident when navigating mental health services.
I look forward to enabling our adult community teams to use the bespoke sessions to support our service users and their families and seeing the impact from this grant round.”
Further information, location and contact details can be found on the leaflets linked here: Asha – session information leaflet and Raparu – session information leaflet. Asha leaflets in alternative languages are available on request.
Sessions are currently scheduled to take place during July 2024 with further dates anticipated for September.
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Office: 01782 363122
Godfrey Seminega, Services Manager (works full-time): seminega@asha-uk.org
Jackie Gregory, Wellbeing Co-ordinator (works part-time Tuesday, Friday and occasional Saturdays): jackie@asha-uk.org
Lydia Mugoyikazi, Women’s Club Co-Ordinator and Caseworker (works part-time Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday): lydia@asha-uk.org
Helen Ranford, Finance and Administration (works Tuesday to Friday): helen.ranford@asha-uk.org
Facinet Keita, Digital Health/IT and Unaccompanied Young People Support Worker (works Monday to Thursday): keita@asha-uk.org
Tamba Musa, Asylum Guide, Social Inclusion and Men’sSupport Worker (works Tuesday to Saturday): tamba@asha-uk.org
Charity Reg. No. 11769634 (England & Wales) Company No. CE013097

