Grants totaling $450,000 for 17 front line community groups across Qubec Adds to more than $400,000 in community grants distributed in Qubec in 2011 More than $6 million in total already donated by Bell Let's Talk to Qubec hospitals, research centres and community organizations

MONTREAL , Aug. 17, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that the annual $1 million Bell Let's Talk Community Fund is distributing $450,000 in grants to 17 mental health community groups across Qubec in 2012. This builds on the more than $400,000 the fund distributed to Qubec groups in 2011, the fund's first year.

"Bell is pleased to be supporting the tremendous work these organizations are doing in delivering front-line mental health care and support at the community level across Qubec," said Martine Turcotte , Bell's Vice Chair, Qubec. "Bell supports Qubec mental health care at every level - with major hospitals, at Qubec research centres, and at the local level where so much good work is done. We know these grants will truly make a difference for the 1 in 5 Qubcois and Qubcoise affected by mental health issues."

Launched in 2011, the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund encourages community organizations from coast to coast to coast to apply for grants to support local programs that aim to eliminate the stigma of mental health and improve access to care. The fund provides grants in every region of Canada to support select projects providing front-line support to those impacted by mental health issues in communities large and small.

"Mental health accounts for more than 15 per cent of the burden of disease yet receives only 6 per cent of health care funding," said Mary Deacon , Chair of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. "By going directly to the grass roots where so much of the available care is being provided, we know we are maximizing the impact of every dollar we give."

Since launching Bell Let's Talk in late 2010, Bell has invested more than $6 million in more than 40 Qubec mental health hospitals, research centres and community organizations. Recipients have included the Hpital Louis-H. Lafontaine Foundation, the Fondation Hpital Charles-LeMoyne, the Mental Illness Foundation, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Fondation Cit de la Sant, the Portage Foundation, Fondation Robert-Giffard, and Fondation les Petits trsors of the Hpital Rivire-des-Prairies.

A complete list of both the 2012 and 2011 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund Qubec recipients is attached. Online applications for the 2013 Fund will open early in the new year. For more information about the Bell Let's Talk Community Fund, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Bell in Qubec Bell is committed to the Qubec community, employing more people, spending more on Qubec infrastructure and R&D, and contributing more to charities (led by the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative) and community events than any other communications company. Bell employs more than 17,000 team members in Qubec and invested over $900 million in Qubec infrastructure and R&D in 2011 alone - including the rollout of the next-generation Bell Fibe network that is already ramping up competition and choice in TV and Internet services for consumers in Qubec.

Bell offers Bell Mobility wireless, Bell TV, Bell Internet, Bell Home Phone and Bell Business Markets services across Canada , and is wholly owned by Montral's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

About Bell Let's Talk The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a $50-million charitable program based on four action pillars: Anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.

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Bell Let's Talk Community Fund invests in Québec mental health care