The 2022/23 round of the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund is open for expressions of interest!
Expressions of Interest - NOW CLOSED
Full Applications - NOW CLOSED
Decisions have been made and grant letters are due back to the TSI by the 10th of March 2023.
For year two Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface has been allocated £282,303.16 to distribute to third sector and community organisations by the end of March 2023. Year two funds will need to be used by the end of August 2024 at the very latest and reported by September 2024.
The guidance document below outlines in more detail what the Fund is about, how it might be delivered, who could apply and how to do this. A consultation event was held on September 22nd, 2022 (link to view the recording is below) with community groups and on 26th September a consultation event was held with those with lived experience to inform the updating of the year two guidance document. The Scottish Government also published their updated guidance to support the year two fund.
Thank you to all applicants for applying.
Any queries can be sent to laurenmartin@argylltsi.org.uk
Good luck!
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Development Meeting 22/09/22
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Background:
As part of the Recovery and Renewal Fund, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care announced a new Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (the Fund) for adults on 15 October 2021, with £15 million being made available in 2021- 22. This was the first year of a two-year fund to support mental health and well-being in communities across Scotland. Year two’s fund will open on 17th October 2022, the application process will close on 5th December 2022 and funds will be disbursed in January 2023.
Purpose of Funding and local priorities:
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 we can all stay well and help ourselves and others.
The Fund seeks to contribute to the four key areas of focus from the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan:
The Fund also seeks to contribute to the following national outcomes from the National Performance Framework:
Funding decisions will be made on the merits of each application taking into account both national and local priorities. The key factor for the fund reference group in coming to their decision will be the impact each project seeks to make. Following local consultation, five local priorities have been identified to help guide decision making on applications:
1. Reducing and preventing mental ill health – with a focus on prevention and early intervention
2. Tackling social isolation and issues faced by rurality
3. Addressing inequalities following the pandemic – poverty, trauma, supporting unpaid carers and suicide prevention
4. Promoting community wellbeing and increase local connectivity and resilience
5. Helping disadvantaged young people make positive changes in their lives.
In line with the government’s long-term outcomes for mental health in communities, this Fund intends to provide stable investment for:
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 2022/23 on:
As part of the Recovery and Renewal Fund, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care announced a new Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (the Fund) for adults on 15 October 2021, with £15 million being made available in 2021- 22. This was the first year of a two-year fund to support mental health and well-being in communities across Scotland. Year two’s fund will open on 17th October 2022, the application process will close on 5th December 2022 and funds will be disbursed in January 2023.
Purpose of Funding and local priorities:
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 we can all stay well and help ourselves and others.
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
The Fund also seeks to contribute to the following national outcomes from the National Performance Framework:
- We are healthy and active
- We will live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe
- We tackle poverty by sharing opportunities, wealth and power more equally
Funding decisions will be made on the merits of each application taking into account both national and local priorities. The key factor for the fund reference group in coming to their decision will be the impact each project seeks to make. Following local consultation, five local priorities have been identified to help guide decision making on applications:
1. Reducing and preventing mental ill health – with a focus on prevention and early intervention
2. Tackling social isolation and issues faced by rurality
3. Addressing inequalities following the pandemic – poverty, trauma, supporting unpaid carers and suicide prevention
4. Promoting community wellbeing and increase local connectivity and resilience
5. Helping disadvantaged young people make positive changes in their lives.
In line with the government’s 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
- 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 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
The Year 1 Fund in Argyll and Bute
We were allocated £697,243.20 to distribute amongst the third sector in Argyll & Bute by the end of March 2022.
The aim was to support local, grassroot community activity that met the overarching national ambitions for the fund and the local priority areas.
There were 2 types of grant, a small grant fund for bids £500 to £5,000, and a large grant fund for bids £5,001 to £50,000. Given the need to ensure access to funds across Argyll and Bute there were obviously fewer larger grants. The performance monitoring and evaluation for larger grants will also be more stringent, however the general approach to this fund was to reduce the administrative burden on applicants and grantees as much as possible.
The grants are for time-bound activities and projects which had to begin prior to March 31, 2022 and were intended to benefit those aged 16 plus.
To view a list of successful applicants and a summary of their projects, click here.
We held an information session on Monday the 15th of November to give applicants the opportunity to view and understand the government guidance and help shape the local beneficiaries of the fund. To view the recording of the meeting, click here
