Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults 2024/25
THIS FUND IS NOW CLOSED
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults was established in October 2021. To date, around £51 million has been distributed across Scotland to community initiatives supporting mental health and wellbeing. Over the last three years, residents of East Renfrewshire have benefited from £710,287.34 awarded to 61 groups and organisations. It has been announced that a further £15 million has been awarded for the fourth year of funding (2024 – 2025).
Here, in East Renfrewshire, this fund is being distributed via Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire SCIO (VAER), in partnership with our local Integrated Joint Board (IJB), Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and community organisations through our Wellbeing Network.
This fund’s ambition is to support initiatives promoting mental health and well-being at a small-scale, grassroots, community level. It should be accessible to all groups, no matter how small or inexperienced they are. It can support both new and existing groups or projects. These do not have to have mental health and wellbeing as their main focus, but the application does have to clearly demonstrate how your project will benefit the mental wellbeing of people (aged 16 or over) in their community.
We require applicants to read and fully understand both the Funding Criteria and the Application Guidance before applying. Through reading this, applicants can find useful information on what can and cannot be funded, along with information on funding deadlines and grant sizes.
Please note a strict 5 PM cut-off is observed on the date of the deadline.
Apply Here:
Small Grants
CLOSED to applications
Apply Here:
Medium Grant
CLOSED to applications
Apply Here:
Large Grant
CLOSED to applications
Who can apply?
Check out the funding criteria, funding priorities and who should benefit from the fund
Fund Guidance and Resources
Download and read the full guidance and other related resources before applying.
Previous Funding Recipients
Find more information on all successful grant recipients from 2021 - 2024
Who can apply?
The ambition of this Fund is to support initiatives which promote mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grassroots, community level. Applications can be accepted from a wide range of voluntary, ‘not for profit’ organisations, associations, groups and clubs or collaboratives/partnerships which have a strong community focus towards their activities.
The types of organisations that can apply are:
- Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations (SCIO)
- Unincorporated Associations
- Trusts
- Companies Limited by Guarantee (must also be registered as a charitable company with OSCR)
- Not-for-profit company or asset locked company or Community Interest Companies (CIC)
- Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies
- Community councils
- Parent councils (*Subject to conditions)
The Fund will also consider funding Unconstituted groups, either by supporting them to be become constituted, or by supporting a partnership application with a constituted entity (that meets criteria above) holding a grant for the Unconstituted group.
The Fund can support both existing and new projects. Projects funded through the first 3 years of the Fund are eligible to apply again, however, applicants must clearly demonstrate how the learning from previous years funding will be used to adapt, develop, improve and expand the project you are apply for.
We are welcoming any application from eligible groups that can demonstrate activities or services that seek to improve the mental health and wellbeing, particularly ones that are community led. Based on local needs in East Renfrewshire we are particularly interested in projects addressing the following needs:
- Social isolation and loneliness.
- Befriending
- Suicide prevention.
- Cost of Living / Inequality
There will be a continued emphasis in Year 4 on responding to the cost-of-living crisis and on those facing socio-economic disadvantage.
The fund also aims to support the groups most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, and for this reason we are particularly interested in project supporting the following groups:
- Women (16+) (including women experiencing gender based violence)
- People with a long-term health condition or disability
- People from a minority ethnic background
- Refugees and those with no recourse to public funds
- People experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage including social economic disadvantage
- People with diagnosed mental illness
- People affected by psychological trauma (including adverse childhood experiences)
- People who have experienced bereavement or loss
- Older people (aged 50+)
- People with learning disabilities/neurodiversity
- LGBT+ Communities
This fund has a specific focus on adults’ mental health and wellbeing, in this case adults are classed as anyone over the age of 16 years old.
How much organisations can apply for:
We have an overall funding pot of £237,581.87 and our ambition is to ensure that a broad reach across community organisations is met. The distribution of grants are as follows:
Unconstituted groups can apply for small grants from £100 up to £2,000
Organisations/Groups with an annual income of up to £25K can apply up to £10,000
Single Organisations/Groups with an annual income of over £25K, can apply up to £25,000.
Grants of up to £50,000 will be considered for applications taking a collaborative approach. That should include two or more organizations/groups working together to deliver an activity, event or service
Up to £2000 – Small Grant
Deadline: 5pm on the 29th of November 2024 ; unless the money is fully allocated beforehand.
£2,001 up to £10,000 – Medium Grant
Deadlines:
Round 1: 5PM on 02/09/2024
Round 2: 5PM on 30/09/2024
Round 3: 5PM on 28/10/2024
£10,001 up to £25,000/£50,000* – Large Grant
*grants of up to £50,000 will be considered for applications taking a collaborative approach
Deadline: 5PM on 22/11/2024
For full details on all 3 funding levels, please download the fund guidance (PDF).
Fund Guidance and Useful Resources
Please download and read the full Fund Criteria and Application Guidance documents, before applying for the fund.
Advice and Support
Please read the Funding Criteria and Application Guidance for this fund as it’s packed with information and provides answers to frequently asked questions. If you still feel you need support or have any other questions about the application process, please contact us at funding@va-er.org.uk or call The Community Hub on 0141 876 9555.