OUR STORY

First Person Project’s Founding Director, Matty Caine, was born and raised in Liverpool 6. As a child, growing up in L6, Matty was unaware of the social deprivation surrounding him, it was only as he grew up and began to learn how the World worked that he saw there was a problem – a problem that he wanted to fix!

​

L6, like many other areas across the Liverpool City Region, is home to hard-working, decent people who through no fault of their own face a daily struggle to thrive. The difficulties are linked to a number of complicated, inter-related factors which have existed for many years and which are becoming increasingly prevalent with the economic and social challenges we face today.

​

Liverpool, like many other cities, is an area with multiple determinants of deprivation, including:

​

• Areas of high crime

• Challenges in education

• Socio-economic challenges, including unemployment

• Barriers to accessing housing and other local services

• Insufficient environments for living

• Poor physical and mental health outcomes

This deprivation has been linked to avoidable health inequalities that exist across the Liverpool City Region. These unacceptable, unjust differences impact several areas of health care, including:

​

• Health status, including rates of mortality and morbidity

• Access to care and availability of treatments

• Quality and experience of care

• Behavioural risks leading to poor physical and mental health

• Wider determinants of health

Matty has worked as a mental health practitioner for the last 15 years and has grown increasingly frustrated at the failings of existing systems. The current systems do not work and it is Matty’s vision to create a new system. A system for the people, run by the people. Through the creation of horizontal community networks First Person Project will work to equip people with the right tools and the confidence to make positive changes for themselves.  

​

The roots of the First Person Project are firmly embedded in the socially deprived streets of Liverpool 6. As part of their mission to empower people to understand and manage their own mental health First Person Project’s impact will extend beyond mental health. The horizontal networks built by First Person Project will enable society to maximise both individual and community potential.

​

By placing health and sustainability at the heart of everything we do First Person Project will work towards achieving the social justice that is needed across the Liverpool City Region.