Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund

DCF are working in partnership with Community Action Network (CAN), to deliver this programme and we would like to thank NHS Dorset for providing the funding to be distributed

Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund

Posted on by Ellie Maguire

The deadline to apply to this Fund is midday on 6th August.

 

This funding programme is for activities and services for adults only (age 18+) across the county of Dorset (including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole).

The following grants are available:

  • Grants of up to £20,000, for an 18 to 24 month grant period are available for groups who have been delivering community activities for two years or more, and need support for established activities (including expansion or adaption to local needs). Requests for smaller amounts are welcome.
  • Grants of up to £5,000 for a 12 month grant period are available for groups who have been delivering community activities for less than two years, or established groups that are looking to pilot new ways of working or launch new services.

 

Background

For the past three years, NHS Dorset has been working together with NHS Dorset HealthCare, Community Action Network (CAN) and partners across the system to develop Access Dorset – a universal community wellbeing offer across the county. Wellbeing Hubs and drop-ins are available for local people, across Dorset in multiple locations. Wellbeing Co-ordinators provide one-to-one support and warm handovers into appropriate community services and activities that help people to have improved wellbeing and connections.

This funding programme supports some of the local community groups that are delivering these community based activities, which offer an early intervention approach to wellbeing and mental health support. 

We ran this funding programme in 2024, awarding grants to 53 groups. Impact Reports demonstrated the the different ways in which targeted residents experiencing mental health decline, reported enhanced wellbeing and resilience, leading to a reduced likelyhood of needing NHS services. A small selection of these groups were invited to apply for continuation funding via email on June 15. We anticipate at least half of the 2026 funding will be awarded through this process.

The remaining funds will be distributed through this funding round, opening on June 29. The deadline to apply is midday on August 6.

This will be the final round of this Fund.

Organisations eligible to apply:

  • Registered charities
  • Constituted community and voluntary organisations
  • Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee
  • Companies limited by guarantee that have a clear not-for-profit clause in their governing document and clear charitable or social objectives

We do not fund national charities, including those with distinct services in Dorset*

* We define a National Charity as one operating face to face activities in areas outside the South of England. There may be some discretion given by panels if more than 50 per cent of activities are delivered in Dorset and there is a strong local presence and accountability, but we recommend you talk to the Grants Manager before applying (see Pre-application support, below). We can fund groups that are affiliated to, or members of a national body if you are financially independent and have independent governance (this means you are solely responsible for your own activities, not the national body). 

Groups who were unsuccessful in the previous round, may apply again in this round. 

To be eligible the organisation must have:

  • At least three unrelated people responsible for running the organisation (for registered charities these are your trustees, for CICs/Social Enterprises these are your directors)
  • A written constitution or set of rules that sets out the purpose and management of the organisation
  • A bank account in the name of the organisation with at least two unrelated signatories required for payments
  • An appropriate Safeguarding Policy and EDI policy

Exclusions:

  • Schools are not eligible but we can fund PTA groups if they meet our eligibility guidelines
  • We cannot fund the promotion of religious or political causes – faith based organisations should advise whether funded activities are designed to, or include elements that are designed to influence people’s religious choices
  • We cannot fund public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
  • We cannot fund animal welfare organisations
  • We cannot offer retrospective funding for items already purchased or work completed
  • Organisations with more than 12 months’ unrestricted reserves are usually not funded

Fund priorities 

This funding programme will support community based *non-clinical services and activities to adults aged 18+ focusing on wellbeing and mental health. There is an expectation that groups applying to the fund have an existing relationship with Access Wellbeing in their local area, or a plans in place to develop a relationship, such as meetings or visits with Wellbeing Co-ordinators or other  Hub/Drop-in staff. We want to ensure services are joined up and accessible, so that local people receive the support they need, which may be from multiple services.

Grants will be awarded to support:

  • Early intervention services and activities that support people in community based settings to improve their wellbeing and mental health, helping people live well for longer and thereby reducing the need for NHS appointments and clinical intervention.
  • Services and activities that empower people to build their resilience and ability to find their own solutions and support strategies, enabling them to lead independent and happy lives. This might include contributing to the communities that support them, taking an active role in supporting others where appropriate, building social networks.
  • Services and activities that enable people living with mental health conditions to participate in activities that support their recovery and wellbeing, help them to manage their condition, live well in their community, maintain appropriate self-care, and thereby reduce reliance on NHS services.

*Non-clinical activities are those which do not provide any type of medical diagnoses, testing or treatment such as those provide by NHS services, including psychiatry, prescribing medication, professional counselling/therapy. This fund is not designed to support clinical interventions for those with severe mental illness.

Priority will be given to services and activities that support communities experiencing health inequalities, including people living in areas of high deprivation and those from inclusion health groups. Inclusion health groups are people who are socially excluded and experience multiple risk factors for poor health. You can read more about health inequalities and inclusion  health groups here: NHS England » What are healthcare inequalities?

Examples of activities include but are not restricted to: social/support groups for people experiencing isolation & loneliness, facilitated support groups for people with shared experiences that impact wellbeing, green social prescribing activities, dementia friendly activities, support groups for carers, supported music, crafting or sports activities focussing on wellbeing outcomes, support groups or services for parents experiencing challenging circumstances.

We welcome applications from groups that provide complimentary practical assistance for social issues that contribute to the wider determinants of health such as advice & support with benefits and debt issues, education/employment support, housing support, food or fuel poverty (not an exhaustive list). Or groups that work in partnership with others to provide this additional assistance. Please note: funded services should primarily be targeted at supporting people’s wellbeing and mental health support.

What can I apply for?

  • Grants of up to £20,000, for an 18 to 24 month grant period are available for groups who have been delivering community activities for two years or more, and need support for established activities (including expansion or adaption to local needs). Requests for smaller amounts are welcome.
  • Grants of up to £5,000 for a 12 month grant period are available for groups who have been delivering community activities for less than two years, or established groups that are looking to pilot new ways of working or launch new services.

Funded activities should start from October 10 at the earliest, and by November 11 at the latest.

We can support any costs that are directly needed for the delivery of funded activities including; perishable and non-perishable goods, capital costs and equipment, staff/volunteer costs including training & support, transport and venue hire, administrative costs, reasonable contribution to organisation overheads/core costs.

What I need to consider when applying?

  • You need to tell us who your service/activity will support, what you will deliver, approximate beneficiary numbers and how you will reach out and identify those in most need of support (referral routes)
  • You need to tell us how the service/activity supports prevention and helps to relieve pressure or need for NHS interventions
  • You need to evidence that there is an appropriate level of expertise to deliver the described activities, depending on who they are aiming to support and what they are providing (this may be lived experience facilitators or professionally qualified practitioners as appropriate)
  • You need to tell us which positive wellbeing and mental health outcomes you are aiming to achieve (a list of suggestions will be provided) and describe how you will monitor these outcomes

Monitoring and reporting

Completion of an online End of Grant report is a requirement of funding for all grant recipients. The report will ask for details on how funds were spent, the activities delivered, the number of participants and volunteers, the outcomes achieved (the difference made to the lives of participants, their communities, and volunteers) and individual case studies. We are also interested in any challenges or learning during the grant period and its impact on your organisation, and your plans for the continuation of activities.

You should have tools in place to measure and record the intended outcomes of the grant – the difference the activities have made to the lives of participants and volunteers. Methods for measuring outcomes should be appropriate for the size grant received and the activities you are undertaking, and do not need to be complex. Examples may include feedback forms/questionnaires, interviews or discussion groups, recording observations etc.

Pre-application support and support for successful groups

Pre-application support for this programme is being delivered by Community Action Network (CAN), who are available to support groups at any stage of the application process. We highly recommend you take up this offer, in order to check you are funding ready and to receive advice on the strength of your proposal and how you intend to monitor outcomes.

CAN are offering 3 events to learn more about this Fund and ask questions, connect with Access Wellbeing and with CAN advisors

  • Tuesday 14th June from 12 – 1.30pm (Dorchester venue tbc)
  • Wednesday 15th June from 11am – 12.30pm (Hengistbury Head venue tbc)
  • Thursday 16th June from 2 – 3.30pm (ONLINE)

CAN will be offering place-based networking opportunities during the grant period, to facilitate joined up working with Access Wellbeing and other relevant services in your area. Expenses will be provided to acknowledge organisation/staff time to attend networking events.

CAN will also be available to successful groups, for 1 to 1 support during the grant period. They can support groups with their implementation plan, adapting to any challenges, and with the monitoring and reporting process.

Timeframe

This fund opens on June 29.

The deadline to apply is midday on August 6.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by the end of September.

Funded activities can start, at the earliest, in mid October.

How to apply

Grants of up to £20,000, for an 18 to 24 month grant period – APPLY HERE (2 year grant)

Grants of up to £5,000 for a 12 month grant period – APPLY HERE (1 year grant)

As advised above, CAN are available for one-to-one support to check you are funding ready and for advice on your proposed activities.

Our application forms are compatible with screen readers. If you are in need of advice about the application process such as accessing or completing the application form, or if you need the application form in an alternative format, please contact: Ellie Maguire: 01202 138690 / grants@dorsetcf.org

You will need to attach the following supporting documents to your online application, or send them via email to grants@dorsetcf.org

  • A copy of your constitution/governing document, if you are not registered at Companies House or the Charities Commission
  • A copy of a recent bank statement no more than 3 months old. This can be a scanned/photo of paper statement, or a copy downloaded from an online account – we need to see the bank name and the account name, number and sort code
  • A copy of your latest annual accounts (if they more than a year old, please send draft accounts for the current year if you can) – in the case of new groups, please send a financial forecast or budget for your first year if you have one
  • Your Safeguarding policy and Equality & Diversity policy *our guidance notes may be helpful
  • (CICs operating more than 1 year should also provide their CIC 34 report, and those with micro accounts only should provide their Trading profit and loss accounts)

Apart from the bank statement, you do not have to send these if you have already sent these documents in the last six months.

NB We have added any ‘any other information’ box to all our application forms, requested via our last survey with applicants. This is after the main questions and can be used to clarify anything you need to.

 

*For support with policy development or reviews we recommend you contact one of the local support agencies for voluntary sector groups – Community Action Network offers support to groups in the BCP area. Volunteer Centre Dorset and Dorset Community Action  provides support to groups in the Dorset Council area.

Safeguarding policy – there are helpful online resources such as the Charity Commission’s guidance on Safeguarding and the NSPCC website. New groups or those without any current policy may find it helpful to watch this short video ‘Safeguarding adults in the voluntary sector’  introducing what Safeguarding is and why it is relevant for all voluntary sector groups, no matter how small or who you are working with.

Equality and Diversity policy – we recommend this should include as a minimum: reference to the Equality Act 2010 and explicitly covering all protected characteristics, equal access to services and employment and ways you achieve this, preventing harassment or discrimination and how complaints are dealt with fairly.

 

In order for us to follow our decision-making process, the information given in your application will be shared with our independent panel members and/or donors as appropriate. Panel members are subject to a confidentiality agreement. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on data sharing and storage.