Mental health fund open for applications - Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund - Third Force News (TFN)

30 September 2024
by Robert Armour

Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway adminsters the scheme

Round four of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is now open in Dumfries and Galloway, with £440,157 available to community groups and organisations.

The aim of the Scottish Government fund is to support initiatives that promote mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grass roots, community level to those aged 16 and over.

The fund will again be administered by Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway (TSDG).

Alan Webb, TSDG’s CEO, said: “Previous rounds of the fund have seen investment in 113 projects with a value of almost £2.2million into our communities.

“Our assessment panel is made of people from across our region, so we are confident we are investing in the things that matter to us all. I would encourage community groups to consider the fund criteria and to apply.”

Funded organisations do not need to have mental health and wellbeing as their sole focus, but their application does have to benefit the mental health and wellbeing of people in their community.

The fund can support both new and existing groups or projects. Projects can be funded for a maximum of 12 months with all work completed by 31 March 2026 and starting no earlier than 13 January 2025.

The priorities in Dumfries and Galloway are social isolation and loneliness; suicide prevention; and poverty and inequality, with a particular emphasis on responding to the cost-of-living crisis and support to those facing socio-economic disadvantage.

The following can be funded: one-off events; hall hire for community spaces; staff costs (these should be one off or fixed term); training costs; transport; utilities/running costs; volunteer expenses; small capital spend up to £5,000.

There is £264,094.66 in this allocation for applications up to a maximum value of £10,000, with £176,063.10 for applications from £10,001 up to a maximum of £50,000.

Nicole Hamlet, Interim chief officer at Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “Over the last three years we have seen the fantastic impact the fund has had in Dumfries and Galloway.

“Millions of pounds have been delivered to grassroots initiatives supporting mental health and wellbeing, provided to those people who we know have the insight and ability to employ it to great advantage tackling mental health inequalities, prioritising social isolation, suicide prevention and the impact of poverty.

“I would strongly encourage any community group, social enterprise or voluntary organisation which believes it has an initiative which could benefit from this fourth-year funding pot to seriously consider submitting a bid.

“We know that people in our region are experiencing challenges such as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis are continuing to wear heavily on people on our region, and I’d welcome any organisation which feels it can make a difference through access to the financial support that this fund provides.

Applications close at 12noon on 28 October. For more on the fund, go to www.tsdg.org.uk/cmhwf-r4.