27 January 2005

London: A project is underway to boost the confidence of mental health patients by setting them up with voluntary work.

Organizers believe the project, Capital Volunteering, is important for keeping patients in contact with the commu nity and stopping them getting isolated.

Capital Volunteering's Claire Helman said: "Often, people living with and surviving serious mental ill-health find their only contact with people is through mental health support services and groups.

"We hope the project will help them to improve the quality of their day-to-day lives, and to break free from the mental health ghetto."

The £7.3million project is funded by the Government and will run across 11 London boroughs.