Nick Ward

Head of Fundraising - Change Mental Health

New role!

✨ Head of Fundraising
📍 Edinburgh
💰 £46,350 – £51,500
💁 Leading team of 4
🏖️ 37 days leave, Mental Wellbeing days & blue light card
🍯 6% Employer Pension Contribution

Really exciting new role for Change
and we are a great place to work!
Please do share!

changemh.org/vacancies/he...

The even more unbelievable crime fact (which I learned relatively recently) is that burglary has fallen by more than 90% since the 1990s.

Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!

Reform hold a press conference every Monday, for which they trail a policy announcement in that morning’s papers. Given Monday is a slow news day, that often means they lead the papers – and so the breakfast shows, and so they set the agenda for the week.

It’s a good trick, but easy to counter!

Reform plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain for migrants The party says scrapping the scheme and restricting migrant access to benefits will save hundreds of billions of pounds.

You know I rarely use the word 'fascism', I think it is bandied about too much ... but this... this is fascism... 

This is the destruction of the British values of tolerance, respect & multiculturalism & it is also the effective destruction of our economy. 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great to hear from @thomascarthur.bsky.social today at the @ccpscotland.bsky.social members meeting about his commitment to work in partnership with the third sector and towards community wealth building which of course charities like @changemh.org are absolutely essential to.

Welcome to the United Kingdom! 🇬🇧

Never before in U.S. History has a President been acknowledged by another country in this unique way! 🇺🇸

At Windsor Castle, in London & all across the land, people are United! ✊

They all want to see the #EPSTEIN_PedoFiles, ASAP! 👀

It’s so frustrating because I know the far right would use a ban to their advantage and yet… I still would want to! 😆

What powers does OFCOM have to regulate Twitter? because I really think it needs regulating. I also think Elon Musks rhetoric is completely unacceptable. A foreign national calling for violence and the overthrow of the British government whilst controlling a massive far right media spewing machine.

‘Allow it Sir?!’ Is one of my defining memories of being a school teacher in London and coming across this seemingly rather formal request in my very first lesson and responding…
‘No… no I will not allow it!’

We are so incredibly relieved and pleased that all our campaigning paid off, for now.

I am however furious that we were subjected to a terrible, possibly unlawful process, there is no accountability for the EIJB & the cuts still happening disproportionately affect ethnic minority and LGBT+ people.

@nicolasturgeon.bsky.social is incredibly brave to talk about seeing a therapist. For so many it can be hard to do but it is also so often transformative. The evidence is also super clear. Talking Therapies work but too often they are gate kept: too expensive, unregulated and stigmatised.

A pal in mental health services in the NHS is appalled by these cuts too - he says the NHS services won't be able to cope with the number of new referrals and will lose an important referral pathway for effective treatments

'Edinburgh mental health cuts will cost more than they save' Threatened cuts to Edinburgh's mental health services will cost more than they save, health bosses have been warned.

The proposed cuts to mental health services are not just ill thought through, they are self defeating. Early intervention & prevention services are being cut with decision makers and officers not realising that they will just make the situation worse.

www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinbur...

Many people in a room holding Change Mental Health signs and smiling for the camera.

Two people talking to each other at an event with balloons behind them.

A bunch of people in a room posing for a photo with a pop-up banner next to them and a yellow coloured table in front with leaflets decorating the table.

Many of our services hosted an open day for partners in Inverness this week! 👥

As well as showing the incredible work we do across local and national services, our teams got a good opportunity to catch up in person.

Find out more about our work 👇
www.changemh.org/need-support

I remember being told by my chemistry teacher that I was ridiculous for suggesting that there could be more elements that we just hadn’t discovered yet. Even as a 13/14 year old I was struck by his close mindedness. I’m glad that our thirst for knowledge and truth continues!

The situation in the US is dystopian. I support the peaceful protesters exercising their rights, the government of California threatened and undermined by the White House, and the unjustly detained and deported people. Donald Trump once again showing his true colours.

So I’ve just spent my morning watching cartoons basically… and Transformers One is actually Brilliant! I’d say the best transformers film by a mile! It’s on paramount plus and it’s a strong recommend!

A win, but also just a short reprieve, we must keep the pressure up!

One audience member asked the Board:
‘what do I need to do to be a good enough return on investment?’

What a powerful question. One for which they had no answer.

It was an honour to chair the meeting & provide a platform for the people we support to have their voices heard.

What a fabulous trip to Sweden. I loved getting to discuss international perspectives of mental health in the work place and to meet so many fascinating people. Even more I loved getting to visit the Vasa Museum which I have wanted to go to for years!

EIJB mental health support cuts are a fatally flawed plan - Nick Ward It was never meant to be this way. The integration of Health and Social Care was meant to be about more joined-up thinking: investing in making a difference earlier by ensuring that people get the sup...

It doesn’t have to be this way. Today I have an op ed in the Edinburgh Evening News calling on a better way forward with funding for community mental health services in the capital: all of which are under threat.

www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

We are hosting a public meeting in order to figure out a way forward for vital mental health services in Edinburgh. If you care about mental health services and the power of early intervention and prevention then I strongly urge you to come!

We are finally ready to share our new training! Available to organisations who want to improve the knowledge and skills of their staff on mental health. Expert led and evidence based, we believe we are offering something really exciting here.
It has been a huge amount of work but will be worth it!

@edinburghminute.bsky.social reports proposed cuts to Thrive Edinburgh. With clear links between #mentalhealth and #risktakingbehaviour in young people, leaving 4,367 people in #Edinburgh would be without community mental health support is hugely concerning.
#youthwork #community

Thank you to @edinburghminute.bsky.social for doing such a big feature on the proposed mental health cuts. They really will be devastating for so many in the city and seem so incredibly short sighted and ultimately self defeating. It is good a light is being shone on this potential tragedy!

The proposals, which are to basically end community mental health services in Edinburgh, are not just hugely damaging and short sighted but also self defeating.

We were grateful to @foysolchoudhury.bsky.social Miles Briggs & Jeremy Balfour for raising it with @johnswinney.bsky.social yesterday.

‘It’s outrageous and short-sighted that vulnerable people will not be getting the support they need’

Agree @nickmward.bsky.social @changemh.org 👏🏼

A group of people: service users, politicians and staff cutting a red ribbon outside a beautiful new Change Mental Health Office in Dumfries

Nick Ward CEO of Change Mental Health, in chinos, a light blue shirt, blazer and white trainers standing next to Emma the manager of Dumfries and Galloway services in a red patterned flowy dress addressing a room full of supporters.

A brill day opening our new @changemh.org resource centre in the heart of the community in Dumfries town centre. Early intervention & preventative support for people with challenging mental health and mental illness, helping to prevent them going to hospital & improving their lives. #MentalHealth

Young Scot waited over six years for mental health treatment on NHS EXCLUSIVE: A freedom of information request has revealed the long waits experienced by some young people.

We are letting down a generation of young people. We need more and better community based early intervention and prevention support, not people stuck on NHS waiting lists for years when we know that timely interventions are essential.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic...