Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults 2023/24
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund was launched by the Scottish Government in 2021 and to date has distributed around £36 million to community initiatives supporting mental health and wellbeing across Scotland. A further £15 million has been awarded for the third year of funding 2023/24.
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.
The ambition of this fund is to support initiatives that promote mental health and wellbeing 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 benefit the mental wellbeing of people (aged 16 or over) in their community.


Apply Here:
Small Grant
Click here to complete an online application form
Apply Here: Medium or Large Grant
Click here to complete an online application form
Who can apply?
Check our funding criteria
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 in 2021/22
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
- 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 2 years of the Fund are eligible to apply again but should clearly show how they will develop and improve in Year 3 and where possible, they should demonstrate early impacts from Year 1/2.
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:
- Recovery from addiction.
- Social isolation and loneliness.
- Suicide prevention.
- Dementia community supports.
- Access to physical activity, diet and nutrition
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:
- Care experienced adults (16yrs+)
- Older people
- Carers
- Women and girls
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- People with learning disabilities/ neurodiversity
- Ethnic Minority communities
- LGBT+
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 £236,712.59 and our ambition is to ensure that a broad reach across community organisations is met. The distribution of grants are as follows:
- Organisations/Groups with an annual income of up to £25,000 can apply up to £10,000.
- Organisations/Groups with an annual income of over £25,000, can apply up to £50,000
- Unconstituted groups can apply for up to £2,000
The application process will look slightly different this time around. All applications will be uploaded using Microsoft teams forms in the same way as in the first year. However, there will be specific dates in place for each of the 3 funding levels available.
Up to £2000 – Small Grant
Deadline: 3rd of January 2024; unless the money is fully allocated beforehand.
£2,001 up to £10,000 – Medium Grant
Deadlines:
- 29th October 2023
- 29th November 2023
- 3rd January 2024
£10,001 up to £50,000 – Large Grant
Deadline: 17th January 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 Guidance document, before applying for the fund.
Advice and Support
If you require support or have any questions about the Fund or application process, please contact us at [email protected] or call The Community Hub on 0141 876 9555.

