Black Country Brighter Lives, the charity of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, received the funding as part of NHS Charities Together’s Innovation Challenge Fund.
The money will be used to create youth-led mental health and wellbeing communications aimed at young people in Sandwell.
This will include podcasts, campaigns, and events to encourage conversations about mental health.
There will also be opportunities for young people to train as community health researchers and ambassadors and help to train NHS staff in communicating effectively with children and young people.
Olivia Horgan, health inequalities strategy lead at Black Country Healthcare, said: “In the Black Country, we know that there is inequality in access to mental health support and services for children and young people from diverse backgrounds.
“This means that we may see more people from diverse backgrounds in some adult mental health services later in their life.
“We are so pleased to be awarded this funding which will help us to connect with more children and young people and learn how to reduce inequalities for them now and in the future.”
Kuli Kaur-Wilson, chief strategy and partnerships officer/deputy chief executive officer at Black Country Healthcare, said: “Working with our communities to provide early and proactive support is one of our organisation’s top priorities.
“We know that there are creative, talented young people in Sandwell from different cultures and backgrounds who can help us to tell their stories to benefit others.”
Jon Goodwin, head of grants at NHS Charities Together, said: “We’re delighted to award Black Country Brighter Lives £109,400 to support projects over the next three years.
“We know that sadly where someone is born can affect their long-term health, and this and other projects across the UK are aimed at tackling unfair health inequalities and giving every young person the support they need.”
