UK: Children, Young People and Families Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund

Deadline: 18-Nov-22

The Scottish Government has announced Children, Young People and Families Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund to support initiatives that promote mental health and wellbeing for adults (16+) at small scale, grassroots, community level.

The Fund is accessible to small and medium sized groups whose income is no more than £1m. The fund can support both new and existing groups or projects, mental health does not need to be the central focus, but the activity should clearly benefit the wellbeing of people, providing opportunities to connect and revitalise their communities.

In North Ayrshire and Arran the funding will be distributed via Arran Community and Voluntary Service (Arran CVS). They will be working in partnership with The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT), their local Integrated Joint Board (IJB), Community Planning Partnership (CPP), people with lived experience and other relevant organisations in their networks to develop a local plan.

Key Objectives

Every child and young person in Scotland will be able to access local community services which support and improve their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Every child and young person and their families or carers will get the help they need, when they need it, from people with the right knowledge, skillsskills, and experience to support them. This will be available in the form of easily accessible support close to their home, education, employmentemployment, or community.

Funding Information

• Level 1- Up to £1000
• Level 2 – Up to £10,000
• Level 3 – Up to £20,000

Fund Outcomes

• The intended outcome of the Fund is to develop a culture of mental wellbeing and prevention within local communities and across Scotland with improved awareness of how they can all stay well and help themselves and others.
• The Fund seeks to contribute to the areas of focus from the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan, Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports and Services Framework, the national outcomes from the National Performance Framework and priorities from The Ayrshire Mental Health Conversation
• Based on local needs identified in North Ayrshire, they are particularly interested in supporting projects which include people in the priority groups to address the following:
  • Improving mental health and well-being
  • Reducing social isolation and loneliness
  • Developing personal self-care /self-management, coping skills
  • Prevention and early intervention
  • Preventing suicides
  • Enabling financial inclusion and tackling poverty.

What projects can be funded?

• When making final decisions around awards the panel will consider to what extend the project demonstrates how it:
  • Builds capacity within its local community
  • Supports the enablement of individuals to look after themselves
  • Offers breadth and depth of reach into the community it supports
  • Creates a legacy for the community which can be built upon
  • Is child focussed
• And with equal importance how the project might impact on their combined national and local priorities of:
  • Tackling issues such as suicide prevention, social isolation and loneliness
  • Providing opportunities for prevention and early intervention of mental ill health
  • Addressing the mental health inequalities made worse or highlighted by the pandemic and the needs of a range of groups locally
  • 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
  • Developing personal or community strengths or resilience and promoting positive mental wellbeing

What Type of Activities can be Funded?

• They can fund grants to most community-based activities that support mental health and wellbeing of Children and  young and young people.

They will fund:

• Small capital spend up to £5,000
• Staff costs for the duration of the project only
• Training costs
• Transport
• Utilities/running costs
• Volunteer expenses
• Helping people to stay safe (PPE for small gatherings/group activity)
• Hall hire for community spaces
• Overheads/ management fee – capped at 10% of grant requested

They cannot fund:

• Any goods or services that you buy or order before they confirm their grant
• Items that only benefit an individual – for example, scholarships and personal clothing for individuals and equipment that is not shared
• Routine repair and maintenance costs
• Contingency costs, loans, endowments or interest
• Electricity generation and feed-in tariff payment
• Political or religious campaigning
• Profit-making/fundraising activities
• VAT you can reclaim
• Statutory activities
• Overseas travel
• Alcohol

Targeted Groups

• Allocations will ensure a focus on initiatives for adults (aged 16 and over) which are inclusive of the following priority groups:
  • Women (particularly women and young women affected by male sexual violence);
  • People with a long-term health condition or disability;
  • People who are or have been on the highest risk (previously shielding) list;
  • People from a minority ethnic background;
  • Refugees and those with no recourse to public funds;
  • People facing socio-economic disadvantage (people on a low income and living in an area affected by deprivation);
  • People experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage;
  • People with diagnosed mental illness;
  • People affected by psychological trauma (including adverse childhood experiences);
  • People who have experienced bereavement or loss;
  • People disadvantaged by geographical location (particularly remote and rural areas);
  • Older people;
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Addresses the key drivers of poor mental wellbeing, for example financial insecurity
• Addresses mental health inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic
• Is child-focused, ensuring – it ensures that the child or young person and their family is at the centre of decision-making and the support available to them; based on an understanding of the wellbeing of a child in their current situation
• Iit takes into consideration the wider influences on a child or young person and their developmental needs when thinking about their wellbeing so that the right support can be offered;
• Is based on tackling needs early, aiming to – it aims to ensure needs are identified as early as possible to avoid bigger concerns or problems developing;
• This fund is for third sector/ community organisations in North Ayrshire. They therefore will check that all applicants:
  • Are third sector (voluntary) organisations – Third Sector organisations include community groups, voluntary organisations, charities or social enterprises or any other not-for-profit group; these groups will be expected to provide evidence of a governing document.
  • Are delivering services within North Ayrshire.

For more information, visit https://www.arrancvs.org.uk/communities-mental-health-and-wellbeing-fund-year-two/