£60,000 Birmingham grant scheme launched to improve mental health and wellbeing

An innovative new Birmingham grant scheme – worth over £60,000 – has been launched to support projects focused on improving the lives of those living in the West Midlands region.

Leading mental health organisation, Living Well UK, is hoping to enrich and improve the lives of people coping with mental health and social issues.

The organisers are looking to support voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations.

The scheme offers applicants the opportunity to showcase their vision for better mental health across the region. Grants totalling between £5,000 and £20,000 are on offer, for both new and ongoing projects and initiatives.

With a particular focus improving mental health in the community, Living Well UK is looking for all kinds of initiatives: from training and tech innovations to community outreach and engagement projects.

Funding can be used by successful applicants to test and validate a project, and demonstrate its impact on wider mental health in the region.

Any VCFSE organisation looking to apply for funding for a project must meet at least one of the following four key objectives:

• Bringing people together and building strong relationships in and across communities supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing elements

• Improving the places and spaces that matter to communities

• Enabling more people to fulfil their potential by working to address issues at the earliest possible stage

• Prevention in Mental Health and support Wellbeing

Living Well UK is the parent charity of Living Well Consortium, a collective of over 30 organisations working to improve wellbeing in the West Midlands.

Ben Howells, Chief Executive Officer at Living Well UK, said: “We are so excited to debut our brand-new funding scheme.

“Throughout the pandemic, and even now during the cost-of-living crisis, the health and care sector has become more important than ever. With more people putting their health needs on hold whilst they struggle with the cost-of-living, it is crucial to support those continuing to propose new initiatives that make a difference to our local community.

“We’re passionate about improving mental health across the region and look forward to seeing applications come in from organisations who share our vision. If you’re running an initiative, or have an idea that you know can make a difference, apply today!”

Applications for the Living Well UK Grant Scheme are open until 6 February. To apply, download the Application Guide and Application Form.