Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago. Each year the Foundation continues to set the theme, organise and host the week. The event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.
Why loneliness?
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
So, in May 2022, we will be raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental wellbeing and the practical steps we can take to address it.
Reducing loneliness is a major step towards a mentally healthy society.
Get involved
There are plenty of ways for you to get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week. We’ll be adding more resources here, including posters and social media graphics, as we get closer to the week.
Grants are available up to the value of £500 to support celebrations, activities, or other community events considered appropriate by the applicant.
The Grants will be awarded weekly, on a continuous engagement basis until the Fund has been exhausted, and is a one-time-only grant available to Parish and Town Councils, Schools, Constituted Organisations and other Community Groups.
Examples of how the Grant could be used include and not exclusively:
Designing and printing costs for leaflets that provide key information to the community about the Ride London event.
Cost of materials for local decoration, community events/street parties (cannot be used for the purchase of alcoholic drinks).
Other related cycling activities
Before applying for the RideLondon – Essex ActivAtion Fund, please read through the criteria and guidance notes below.
Funding grassroots, neighbourhood-based community projects throughout the UK.
The Happiness Fund is available to enable and support projects which improve mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, learning and skills development in local communities. Ultimately it creates happier people and neighbourhoods – think Holly Willoughby meets Sponge Bob Square Pants.
£2,500 per quarter
The fund is intended to support the setting up of new groups and activities, but to be successful, applicants will need to indicate how the activity/group can become self-sustainable or able to attract funding from other sources for the longer term.
The fund will award £2,500 per quarter – allowing up to four different projects per year to apply. Each project and associated people can only apply once in a funding year.
Who can apply?
To apply for the fund your project must be: (applications are welcomed from individuals and small businesses)
Based in your local community
Non-profit
Non-political
Focused on longevity
Applications will not be considered for:
Large national charities
One-off events such as Christmas meals, day trips etc.
The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Fund has become available following an announcement from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
The MoJ confirmed that Police (Fire) & Crime Commissioners (PCCs/PFCCs) will receive £69.1 million ‘core’ funding, £27 million ringfenced funding to recruit and retain 700 Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and £15.7 million ringfenced funding for domestic abuse (DA) and sexual violence (SV) support services.
On 25 March 2022, it was confirmed that this funding will be delivered over a multi-year basis until the end of 2024/25.
If you would like to apply for funding, you must complete a needs assessment form. This application should cover:
The allocation of funding for the DA/SV community-based services.
The assessment should cover needs for 2022/23 with any allocation of funding being assessed for allocation on a multi-year basis.
The allocation of funding for an additional 100 ISVAs and IDVAs posts to be recruited nationally in 2022/23 (£3.75 million).
Where posts are recruited in 2022/23, funding will be assessed for allocation for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Applications need to be returned to the PFCC on the template below no later than midday on 25 April 2022
Enovert Community Trust (formerly Cory Environmental Trust in Britain) is an environmental body which supports community and environmental projects.
The Trust awards grants under the terms of the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF), providing funding to a broad range of projects that have as big an impact on the community as possible.
The Trust is committed to supporting community and environmental projects across the UK. These include improving community halls, the creation of new play areas and skate parks, and restoring green spaces.
If you have a project or an idea for a project, please call Trust Secretary, Angela Haymonds, on 01753 582513 to check whether your project would be eligible and for guidance on putting your application together. Alternatively, please click Apply for funding for details of the application process.
The deadlines for applications are:
25 June 22 for a meeting on 5 July 2022
9 September 22 for a meeting on 18 October 2022
9 December 2022 for a meeting in January 2023 (date tbc)
The Trust funds projects within ten miles of Enovert Management Limited’s waste management operations in:
Bristol (BS16 9NN) (until 9 Sep 2022, after which ECT will be closed for applications in this area)
Cheltenham (GL52 7RS)
Southend-On-Sea (SS3 0NR)
Cirencester (GL7 1YG)
Colchester (CO3 0NN)
Gloucester (GL2 5FR)
Kingswinford (DY6 7JS)
Lydney (GL14 4EJ)
Walsall Wood (WS9 9AH)
Weston-super-Mare (BS22 8NA)
Enovert’s Shortwood Landfill Site to the east of Bristol is now closed and as a result the Trust will be closing to new applications from the Bristol/South Glos area following its October 2022 meeting. Sevenoaks, St Helens, the London Borough of Bexley, Wrexham and Swansea, are no longer covered by the Trust following the closure of waste management facilities, a change in ownership or devolution of the landfill tax in Wales.
Men4MentalHealth is a course aimed at men aged 18-65, living in Essex (excluding Southend and Thurrock) who wish to gain a better understanding of their mental health.
The six-session programme aims to help you develop healthy coping strategies, make positive choices to support your wellbeing and gain a better understanding of your experiences and the impact they have on your health.
The course can be delivered virtually or in person.
If you or someone you know could benefit from this, please contact the team via phone 03330 322 958 or email mh.wellbeingteam@essex.gov.uk
SPAR invests back into the local communities we serve, looking after our shoppers and helping to build and strengthen our local neighbourhoods.
The Community Cashback scheme gives grants to local voluntary or community organisations who need it the most.
Do you know an organisation that deserves funding? Apply below by sharing the exceptional contribution they have made to the local community and what the grant would be put towards and they could receive up to £10,000!
Hear from our expert guest speakers, Dr Lucy Baldwin, De Montfort University and Rubi Rodriguez Nieto, Birth Companions on the importance of trauma informed and gender responsive approaches.
There will also be time and space to explore maternal separation as well as share ideas and practice with colleagues. Places are free with an option to donate.
If you would like to join us, booking is free and hopefully easy.