Deadline: 22-Dec-22
The West Dunbartonshire CVS is accepting applications for Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.
This Scottish Government fund, administered locally by West Dunbartonshire CVS, is intended to develop a culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities and across Scotland, improving awareness of how they can all stay well and help ourselves and others.
The overarching aim of the Fund is to support initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population, with a particular focus in 2022/23 on:
- Tackling priority issues within the Transition and Recovery Plan such as suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness, prevention and early intervention
- Addressing the mental health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic and the needs of a range of ‘at risk’ groups locally
- Supporting small ‘grass roots’ community groups and organisations to deliver such activities
- Providing opportunities for people to connect with each other, build trusted relationships and revitalise communities
- Supporting recovery and creativity locally by building on what is already there, what was achieved through the pandemic, and by investing in creative solutions.
Focus Areas
- The Fund seeks to contribute to the four key areas of focus from the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan
- Promoting and supporting the conditions for good mental health and wellbeing at population level
- Providing accessible signposting to help, advice and support
- Providing a rapid and easily accessible response to those in distress
- Ensuring safe, effective treatment and care of people living with mental illness.
Fund Aims and Priorities
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In line with Scottish Government long-term outcomes for mental health in communities, this Fund intends to provide stable investment for:
- Fostering a strategic and preventative approach to improving community mental health
- Supporting the resilience of communities and investing in their capacity to develop their own solutions, including through strong local partnerships
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Tackling the social determinants of mental health by targeting resources and collaborating with other initiatives to tackle poverty and inequality The overarching aim of the Fund is to support community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigate and protect against the impact of distress and mental ill health within the adult population, with a particular focus in 2021/22 on:
- Tackling priority issues within the Transition and Recovery Plan such as suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness, prevention and early intervention
- Addressing the mental health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic and the needs of a range of ‘at risk’ groups locally
- Supporting small ‘grass roots’ community groups and organisations to deliver such activities
- Providing opportunities for people to connect with each other, build trusted relationships and revitalise communities
- Supporting recovery and creativity locally by building on what is already there, what was achieved through the pandemic, and by investing in creative solutions.
Type of projects they can support
- The focus of the Fund is on the adult population and on projects which help whole communities and/or community groups, in turn making a difference to the lives of individuals. The adult population is considered to be those 16 and over, in that a wide range of community supports (such as an art club focusing on mental wellbeing) will be open to this age group.
- Projects should have a specific community focus rather than providing regional or national coverage.
- Therefore, applications will be funded for initiatives based only within West Dunbartonshire.
- The fund is for community-based initiatives promoting and developing good mental health and wellbeing and/or mitigating and protecting against the impact of distress and mental ill-health within the adult population. In this spirit, while the Fund can support the expansion of existing activities, it is intended to provide additionality, not replacement funding.
- The Fund can support both existing and new projects. Projects funded through Year 1 of the Fund are eligible to apply again but must clearly show how they will develop and improve in Year two (for example, in increasing accessibility and reach to different groups) and where possible, they must demonstrate early impacts from Year 1. Please note that only 40% of the fund will be available for re-applications.
Funding Information
- The maximum award to any organisation will not exceed £30,000. Joint project applications (involving 2 or more organisations) may be considered for a sum up to £50,000. The ambition is to ensure a broad reach across small community organisations through the distribution of smaller value grants, and we would expect most applications will be seeking a sum up to the value of £10,000.
Outcomes
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The Fund also seeks to contribute to the following national outcomes from the National Performance Framework:
- They are healthy and active
- They will live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe
- They tackle poverty by sharing opportunities, wealth and power more equally.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Fund will support initiatives which promote mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grass roots, community level. It is open to all non-profit groups, no matter how small or inexperienced they are.
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Applications can be accepted from a range of voluntary, ‘not for profit’ organisations, associations, groups and clubs or consortiums/partnerships which have a strong community focus for their activities. The range of organisations that can apply are:
- Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIOs)
- Unincorporated Associations
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Trusts
- Not-for-profit company or asset locked company or Community Interest Companies (CIC)
- Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies
- Community Councils.
- Groups do not have to have mental health and wellbeing as their main focus, but applications must clearly benefit the mental wellbeing of people in their community.
For more information, visit West Dunbartonshire CVS.
For more information, visit https://wdcvs.com/success-story/community-mental-health-and-wellbeing-fund/
